I have always struggled with meditation– I just can’t sit still and allow my mind to go blank. I am wired to keep moving. I believe photography is a form of meditation, especially when shooting in nature.
What works for me is a moving meditation– such as Qi Gong or free-flow dancing. When I am outside with my camera, I am moving around. And looking through my lens brings me to a place of stillness where time and space seem to stand still. I just get lost and immersed in beauty, wonder and awe, and my soul is happy.
Much like the wellness benefits of nature, hundreds of studies have been done on the connection between art and healing. Through creativity and imagination, we can find our reservoir of healing. Some positive ways visual arts affect our health include lowering stress hormones, increasing self-worth, a way to express feelings, heal emotional injuries and alter negative behaviors and thinking patterns.
Making something is deeply satisfying: you become a creator, not just a consumer. Creativity can be like a peak experience: the same highs can be felt like exploring new places or falling in love. When engaged with something creative, worries and cares fall away and are replaced playfulness and a sense of bliss.
Photography is one of the most accessible forms of art and creativity available. Photography can connect you to more healthy aspects of life and can help stir emotions like joy, passion, inspiration and awe, especially when outdoors observing the beauty of nature. We also have an excellent stress management tool in our hands—our phones. The camera is an invitation to explore the world around you, get into nature and observe the nuances and details. When you are focused on observing the things around you, stress, anxiety and depression fade away. It simply helps you to focus externally — rather than getting caught up in the thoughts always racing through your mind.
I use the art of photography and my connection with nature as a mindfulness meditation more than a production of content. I focus on staying present and what I am seeing and feeling when I am outside. What is most important is the ability to enjoy the process of creation. It’s the heart part, not as much the art part.
