I’m often struck with the impulse to escape and run away. Sometimes I find myself really struggling to focus because all I can muster the energy to do is lose myself in a daydream. My mind will take over and transport me to far away places in a somewhat fantasy-like state. But before this comes across in the wrong way, this has nothing to do with being unhappy or anxious at that moment. It’s not that kind of runaway, escapism. In fact it can happen completely randomly, whatever mood I may be in and wherever I am at the time. I have a very strong desire to travel so it comes from that. I tend to get bored of routine very quickly and I think it’s just part of being passionately curious. I’m always looking for things that inspire me and I get a lot of that from travel.
I really believe that travel is an extremely valuable experience for anyone, but I think it can play a huge part in helping people develop their creativity in particular. Here’s why:
Creativity comes from experiences.
When you travel you have the opportunity to soak up new cultures, try new foods, see new things, meet new people and have new experiences. All of these things get stored in your brain as knowledge and memories. When you travel, you’re essentially adding to a rich library of inspiration. If you were to visualise this so-called brain library, it would probably look something along the lines of a dark expanse filled with millions of connecting snippets and fragments of images, sounds and smells from your whole life experience. If you spent your whole life sitting in one room, chances are you wouldn’t come up with many crazy, creative ideas. You might not feel creative at all. Could you even go mad if you were stuck in a room with no life experience? Probably not? Could insanity just be overwhelming creativity gone wrong? (I’m not trying to undermine any real mental health issues here…). The point I’m trying to make is that the richer your life is with new experiences, the more creative you will become. We are all creative beings naturally because it’s part of being human, but you have to feed your right hemisphere like a hungry dog before you can train it… like a hungry dog.
Invest time in yourself to have great experiences that are going to enrich you.
~ Steve Jobs
A deepened sense of self.
We’ve all heard that cliche saying that goes something like, ‘I’m going backpacking around the world to find myself’. I’d be lying if I said that I’d never caught myself rolling my eyes at this kind of phrase. But there is more to it than just a romanticised idea. You can find yourself while travelling in the sense that it can help you to broaden your perspective.
I think it’s easy to take things for granted when you stay in one place for too long. Particularly in the western world. While travelling presents me with moments of wonder and awe at how incredible our world is in such a multitude of ways, it has also helped me to feel more grateful for where I live. I love the UK and I’m incredibly lucky to live here. I don’t think I would feel that gratitude as strongly as I do if I hadn’t seen so many other places.
This broadened perspective also helps you to understand your place in the world and gives your existence more meaning. And you can deepen your sense of self as you discover new things that spark your interest and trigger new passions. Look out for those wow moments. Take note of how your experiences make you feel. Stand at the bottom of a towering skyscraper in Tokyo or a tumbling waterfall in Brazil. Swim in a warm turquoise ocean in Greece. Eat street food in a bustling night market in Thailand. How do you feel when you are present in those moments? These are the things that sculpt your being and reveal who you truly are – What do you like? What makes you uncomfortable? What makes your soul leap for joy? Take a mental note and let your emotions guide you.
Creativity has got to start with humanity and when you’re a human being, you feel, you suffer.
~ Marilyn Monroe
Travel makes you more open-minded.
I tend not to make my mind up about something until I’ve experienced it for myself. Something in particular that travel has shown me is what it actually means to live in poverty. Not in the sense that I have lived in poverty, because I haven’t. I have, however, seen it with my own eyes. I first learnt about the word poverty in geography lessons at school and this essentially crafted a very vague and very black and white view of what I thought poverty was. Since then I have been to a lot of places and I’ve seen for myself what true poverty looks like. I’ve also seen what I would have originally assumed was poverty, when actually, it was just a different way of life to mine. Nothing is black and white in this world, and that is what you realise when your mind opens. It’s this open-mindedness that can bring new ways of thinking and lead to heightened creativity.
Experiencing a wide variety of cultures can help you to step out of your own cultural bubble and develop connections with people from lots of different places and backgrounds. When you step out of your own cultural comfort zone and open your mind and heart to new ways of thinking and living you realise how similar you are to others despite any obvious differences. This is a powerful realisation that will change you forever.
I am lucky that I have been able to spend a lot of my spare time in London, one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. This incredible city has, and continues to inspire me in so many wonderful ways. You don’t have to go far to start living more creatively through travel. Your next enriching trip could be right on your doorstep.
Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.
~ Isaac Asimov
So here’s to many more adventures. I encourage you to take that flight, that train, that road trip. Wherever you feel your heart is aching to go, go there and fill your brain library with beautiful, colourful, inspiring memories and ideas. Stay curious and passionate and you will live a more creative life.
Have a beautiful day.