How cultivating a sense of awe will benefit you
Spring has sprung and the past few days in London have been glorious with the bluest of blue skies. I am deeply inspired and affected by the weather and the elements, as every single human being is on a spiritual level. Shaking off the winter vibes and entering a new season is a fascinating process especially if we take the time to pause and observe what our mind and soul need. I love creating my own toolkit to help me survive the transition. I re-read my journal to remind myself what has helped me in previous years and each time without failure I discover that what recharges my soul is the sense of wonderment I get from art and long walks where I pause and see the most intricate street art or architecture that I would normally ignore rushing to work and meetings.
When we worked on our new print collection I wanted the series to summon a sense of awe in the viewer and remind them of our connection to nature's majesty. Each print in the series depicts a separate state in the weather cycle which can be seen as a mirror of our own constantly changing emotional mood.
The prints are original hand painted art produced by our in-house designer and the beautiful details will keep you in awe every day.
According to psychologist Ethan Kross awe is “…the wonder we feel when we encounter something powerful that we can’t easily explain. Often the things which bring us awe have an element of vastness and complexity.”
A multitude of experiments have noticed a link between a state of awe and reduced stress. One experiment I particularly loved learning about was when a group of people were asked to draw themselves after experiencing a state of awe and they all ended up drawing themselves smaller than groups who hadn’t had the same experience. Explaining the reason behind their drawings, they said that experiencing something magical gave them energy and a sense of connection.
So next time you go pick up your kids, the groceries, or simply on your way to work, pause and observe your surroundings and see if you can trigger your sense of awe.