What if the key to better writing wasn’t another online course, writing prompt, or productivity app… but a tree?
No, seriously.
There’s a reason why the best writing retreats aren’t held in office towers or strip mall conference rooms. They’re tucked away in cottages, forests, mountains, and oceanside inns.
That’s not just a vibe thing. It’s science.
Specifically, it’s something called Attention Restoration Theory, and it’s one of the biggest reasons writers return from retreats recharged, refocused, and wildly productive.
Let’s dig into what this theory is, how it works, and why the natural setting of a retreat might just be the creative supercharge your writing has been craving.
Your Brain is Tired (and Your Writing is Paying the Price)
Modern life is a firehose of information. Notifications. Chores. Emails. School drop-offs. Deadlines. Cat hair. (Is there anything more relentless than cat hair?)
All of it drains your mental energy—and more specifically, your directed attention. That’s the kind of focus you use when you sit down to write, plot a story arc, or fix that one line of dialogue that’s been bugging you for two chapters.
According to Attention Restoration Theory (ART), developed by psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, your brain needs downtime to recover that kind of focused attention. Not “doomscrolling-on-the-couch” downtime, but time spent in environments that are fascinating without being demanding.
Natural environments are particularly effective because they engage your brain gently—through birdsong, the rustle of trees, or the play of light on water—without asking you to do anything.
In short?
Nature gives your brain a break.
And a rested brain is a more creative brain.
Why a Writing Retreat is the Perfect Prescription
Here’s the cool part: you don’t need to go on a month-long sabbatical in the Alps to get these benefits.
At a well-designed writing retreat—like The Ottawa Writers’ Retreat, happening July 23–27, 2025—nature is baked right into the experience. You’re not just getting writing workshops and one-on-one coaching (though you do get those). You’re stepping out of your day-to-day chaos and into a setting designed to restore you: mentally, emotionally, and creatively.
You wake up to birds instead of buzzing alarms.
You walk through trees instead of traffic.
You take a deep breath, and for the first time in ages, it doesn’t feel like your to-do list is sitting on your chest.
That’s when the good stuff starts happening. The mental noise fades, and the ideas return. Scenes unfold with more clarity. Your characters get louder. The page stops fighting back.
But I Could Just Go to a Park, Right?
Yes! Absolutely. But also—no, not really.
Going for a walk in the woods is great for resetting your nervous system. But the power of a retreat is in the immersion.
You’re not taking a break from your real life for an hour… you’re stepping into a new one for five days. One where writing is the main event, nature is your co-conspirator, and every element is designed to help you succeed.
This is about more than relaxing: it’s about reprogramming.
By the time you leave a retreat like this, you don’t just feel better. You write better. And you take those patterns (mental clarity, focused work, daily writing practice) back home with you.
Creative Magic, Backed by Science
I’ve seen this firsthand as a writing coach.
Writers come to retreats frazzled and burned out. A few days into the retreat, they’re practically glowing—and it’s not just the healthy meals or good sleep. It’s because their mental resources are no longer being drained by the noise of daily life. They’re being restored by the forest outside, the stillness inside, and the sacred permission to focus on their work.
This is why we chose a serene, wooded location for the Ottawa Writers’ Retreat. Because a productive writing life isn’t about cramming more into your calendar. It’s about creating the right conditions for your creativity to flourish.
And those conditions? They start with a pine tree and a promise to yourself.
Ready to Reclaim Your Focus?
If your brain is begging for a break join me this July at the Ottawa Writers’ Retreat.
It’s five days and four nights of deep writing time, expert guidance, creative camaraderie, and yes… trees. Lots of trees!
📅 July 23–27, 2025
📍 Just outside Ottawa, Canada
👥 Small group setting (only 10 spots total)
🌲 Surrounded by nature, creativity, and community
Come restore your mind, reset your creative process, and reconnect with the writer you know you are.
Click here to learn more and book a call with me to see if it’s a fit.
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Kevin T. Johns is one of Canada’s top writing coaches. He helps authors find creative clarity and purpose through online coaching and in-person writing retreats. Get his checklist for turning ordinary scenes into literary gold:
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