Awe has been proven to stimulate creative endeavors.

Awe is not just about big events, but lots of small ones, too.

When we include awe as an everyday experience, our creative spirit soars.

The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, defines awe as “that goose-bumpy sensation that we get in the presence of something profound: something greater, more powerful, or more eternal than ourselves. It arises when we encounter things that challenge our sense of what’s normal or possible.”

In my research for a recent book, I had the opportunity to touch the bark of a tree more than 5,000 years old, to kayak through a congress of resplendent bald cypresses, to watch a magnificent dance of leaves in an old-growth forest, and to observe a blood-red sunrise over a grove of aspens. Each was awesome; each was an experience that engaged my senses, stimulated my creative instincts, and propelled my fingers across a computer keyboard faster than I thought possible. My imagination was truly energized! Let’s examine that connection.

What the Research on Awe Says

A research review reveals several studies that have either examined the relationship between awe and creativity or identified mechanisms (such as curiosity and cognitive flexibility) that underscore this unique relationship. Here are three examples:

In the most recent study (2026), researchers conducted complementary studies using surveys, experimental awe videos, and creativity assessments. What they discovered was that individuals demonstrated significantly higher levels of creativity after an “awesome” event. So, too, did awe increase their cognitive flexibility as well as creative self-efficacy. The researchers noted that these two variables helped participants form sequential pathways that explained why an awesome event boosts individual creativity.

An earlier study (2023) looked at 257 adults to examine creative changes over a four-month........

© Psychology Today