Creativity while Travelling

Good morning. I am resending this as I noticed that something happened with the “interesting” list I added and it got really funky. Sorry about that – I was trying to do something different :(

Summer is getting closer. I know because the weather is turning warmer, the grass is green, the sun is shining, and you can hear the sounds and whirring of lawn mowers at work.

And with Summer comes travel. I have been travelling a bit lately and having a lot of fun. I’m working while at it, so not a lot of time for creativity it would seem. When we travel, we walk a lot, go from one place to the other, we explore new foods, cultures, crafts and sounds. And of course we shop!

So, how can we stay creative while travelling with not a lot of supplies? Here are a few ideas:

Use your phone: Most smartphones have built-in note-taking apps that you can use to jot down ideas, observations, and stories. The note-taking apps allow you to add a photo, so you could place a photo in Notes and then add your notes on how you could use that photo to make some work.

Use your phone’s camera to take photos of interesting landscapes, objects, people, architectural details, foods … anything at all really that may inform some of your work lately. One of the advantages of phone cameras is the ability to delete photos later :)

Use found objects: Look for interesting objects or materials that you can use to create something. For example, you can collect leaves, flowers, or stones and use them to make a collage or a piece of art.

Challenge yourself: Set yourself a creative challenge, such as taking a photo every day or writing a poem about something you see. This can help you stay motivated and keep your creative thoughts flowing.

Talk to locals: Strike up a conversation with locals and ask them about their culture, traditions, and way of life. You might be surprised by the stories and insights they can offer, which can serve as great material for a blog post.

Keep a travel journal: Keep a travel journal where you can write down your thoughts, experiences, and ideas. You can also use the journal to sketch, draw, or doodle.

The advantage of all of these ideas is that they don’t require a lot of materials or time. If you are anything like me, we take photos of everything and anything because it’s interesting, it caught our attention, we liked the colours, the lines, the shapes … and we gather bits of paper everywhere to use at a later date: business cards, paper bags with interesting lettering … you don’t need to bring it all back: cull your collection on your last day and cut pieces of paper bags, etc. that you may use at a later date. Leave the rest behind in the recycling bin in the hotel.

Next time, I’ll develop a few simple ideas of keeping a travel journal. I’m off now to gather a few pens to bring with me.

Until I write again, enjoy the warm weather and stay creative.

Ana