When I travel I always come home with loads of ideas, projects and inspiration and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Distance and Difference are two keys to creativity. It’s interesting to see that even research says so. Students who lived abroad, are more likely to solve a complicated computer problem than those who didn’t and… It’s not hard to see why.
Traveling or living in a different culture makes us realize that a single thing can have multiple meanings, that there are different ways to interpret the world. For example: leaving some food on your plate is considered polite in China. It shows that the host provided more than enough for his guests. In the Netherlands it’s not polite at all to NOT finnish your meal, it implies that you didn’t like the food. Apart from giving different perspectives, traveling makes us more creative because we have to improvise a lot (am I in the right train?, do I have to tip the waiter?). Even getting the right bus tickets can be an adventure in itself (last year in Vietnam that took us a whole day;-)). We’re totally disconnected from our daily routine, which makes us more inventive.
This week I met so many people with exciting travel plans for Chinese New Year, and with a little road trip in Australia to look forward to myself, I made a small travelkit to create, write and start new projects on the road. A way to make sure that I’ll come home inspired, to the max. Do you have more ‘tools’ that should be in this creative travelkit? Let me know, I’m packing this wednesday;-)
Studio Refill Ltd 