The Outside-In Year

From bestselling author Warren Berger, a revolutionary guide to using nature as a gateway to creativity, inspiration, and meaning. Have you ever struggled to find inspiration? Author Warren Berger certainly had. Yet, after returning home from a spontaneous visit to “the Burren,” a remote Irish expanse, he was flooded with ideas. After learning that J.R.R Tolkien, Bram Stoker, and W.B. Yeats had all found inspiration there, too, Berger began to wonder what it was about spending solitary time in nature that spurs imagination. With the Burren as a touchstone, Berger sets off in search of “soft fascination,” a heightened state of creativity induced by nature. He turns to the newest neuroscience and psychology research, and to the lived experiences of artists and innovators, to show us that certain natural places can actually change the way we think, imagine, and create. In a simple two-part approach, The Outside-In Year teaches us not just how to seek out these special spots, but also what to do when we return from them, retreat inwards, and begin creating. For those aiming to improve their focus, think inventively, and produce fulfilling, meaningful work in an age of mass distraction – from the artist’s studio to the corporate office – Warren Berger provides a guide to spark inspiration from the outside-in.