Charles Flint | geologist | Norman Rockwell | Gwyneth Paltrow

That artistic tradition has continued throughout the years, with talents from Norman Rockwell to Gwyneth Paltrow seeking solace and stimulation amid the pastoral landscape. It seems even those who leave -- like Hiam, who grew up in Berkshire County but left for a period to study in California -- eventually find their way back.

“The Berkshires absolutely inspire me,” Hiam says. “The pioneer spirit from early settlers, the poetry of the nature, and the collaboration of the artists who are attracted here all make for good musings.”

So, what is it about this fabled region that has made it such a beehive for creative souls? In addition to the area’s inspiring natural beauty, its convenient geographic location just 130 miles from Boston and 150 miles from New York City makes it an easy escape from either of those metropolises. But others say there’s more to the attraction than simple proximity. Early Native Americans revered the Berkshires because they felt the land had sacred energy. Some locals believe the land’s mystical properties come from the underlying bedrock of granite and quartzite. Charles Flint, an arts and antiques dealer who lives in the town of Lenox, Massachusetts, consulted with a geologist to satisfy his own curiosity about what’s behind -- or perhaps more accurately, beneath -- the Berkshires’ renown. The geologist confirmed to Flint the existence of the mineral-rich bedrock, a geological remnant of molten temperatures caused by tectonic shifting millions of years ago.

“I’m not necessarily a believer that this is all because of quartzite and granite,” Flint says. “But when I realized all the accomplished, famous people who have lived here, starting with Melville and Susan B. Anthony [and continuing] up through the present day, I compared it with the rest of the world and couldn’t find any place else where the success was this tremendous in proportion to the population.”