When Dostoevsky said, “Beauty will save the world,” he didn’t mean surface beauty. He meant poetic beauty. Or as James Hillman said: “the way in which the Gods touch our senses, reach the heart and attract us into life.”
THAT kind of beauty will save the world.
No matter what you do, focusing on beauty will replenish you, enhance your work, and keep you awake and present.
For example, neuroscientist Elizabeth Gould found that natural and beautiful environments feed our brains and support the production of new neurons, while ugly, unstimulating environments stop the brain’s generative process.
In other words, beautiful environments support our brilliance. The more you satisfy your heart’s need for beauty, the more inspiration you’ll have.
Beauty is where life resides. Stay close to it.
Excerpted from my book Getting Messy: A guide to taking risks and opening the imagination for teachers, trainers, coaches, and mentors.