Finding physical and spiritual wellness on Planet Earth.
For the first trend of 2019, we’re seeing a return to our basic connection with the planet. Nature has become the antidote to high-tech lifestyles and our “always on” news and social networks. Images of pristine ecosystems, along with photographs of solitude and rejuvenation, are trending. Meanwhile, cutting-edge artists are exploring our evolving relationship with the planet.
The rise of sacred retreats.
The Maha Rose Center for Healing encourages visitors to take advantage of moon cycles for deeper reflection and provides holistic healing with crystals. Rise Gatherings provides a sacred space for women’s wellness and healing. London’s Secret Yoga Club takes participants on retreats to natural locations to practice yoga in the elements. Even Lululemon is in on the movement.
Natural ingredients and spiritual healing.
Mainstream retailers like Free People are dipping into the spirituality market, and beauty brands like Moon Bath, Zephorium, and Rituel de Fille help customers tune in to Earth’s natural rhythms. Colleen McCann, founder of Style Rituals, a crystal shaman, Goop contributor, and Instagrammer with more than 10,000 followers, thinks this need for connection makes sense: “In today’s anxiety-ridden culture, who wouldn’t want a master class in enlightenment?”
According to the Pew Research Center, 27% of Americans identify themselves as spiritual but not religious — a jump of 8 percentage points in the last five years. The trend grew across race, gender, and political affiliations.
According to Nielsen, 88% of U.S. households purchased organic foods and beverages in the last year. And 51% said they looked for “natural” ingredients in personal care products as well.
Manufacturing in harmony with nature.
We’ve also got our eyes on biomanufacturing — developing products in partnership with nature. Carole Collet’s Biolace proposes genetically engineered plants that produce food above ground, while their roots create intricate textiles below. Bolt Threads produces silk-inspired proteins for durable fabrics, and Full Grown grows living trees into chairs, tables, and lamps.
Full Grown creates art that “emits oxygen, absorbs CO₂, and whose by-products sustain the birds, the bees, and other wildlife,” says founder Gavin Munro.
Celebrating nature in the visual world.
The Natural Instincts trend is driving creative that embraces landscapes, calmness, connection, natural wellness, and self-designed spirituality. Pantone’s Color of the Year, Living Coral, reflects this movement through its warm hue. Adobe Stock Premium contributor Archan Nair explores the relationship between people and nature with illustrations that draw on organic forms and mysticism.
Takeaways for brands and designers.
In a time of digitally driven alienation and anxiety, nature is our refuge — we’re turning to it for health and spirituality. Brands can be mindful of consumers’ desires for natural ingredients and emotional connection with the earth. Imagery that evokes nature, in everything from panoramic landscapes to the smallest, most meditative details, will resonate.
Explore more trends shaping creativity this year in the Adobe Stock Visual Trends report.