By Allison Xu
Travel is an awesome way to relax and enjoy a new experience. Research shows travel also helps boost your creativity. Shelley H. Carson, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Harvard University said, “when we’re relaxed and happy, new ideas flow more readily.” Travel sparks positive thoughts and inspires creative ideas.
For those who are looking for ways to get their creative juice flowing, travel can do wonders. Here are some of those ways:
1. Playing games on your journey
Just because you need to take a long road trip or sit on the narrow seat of an airplane for hours, that doesn’t mean those hours have to be dragging and boring. You probably still remember playing games such as “I spy” or “Who am I,” on your road trip when you were a child. Even when you get old, it’s perfectly OK to still play fun games on the trip.
Check out “Best Travel Games – Entertainment on the Go” and “45+ Brilliant Road Trip Games That Make Time Fly.”
People are getting creative and come up with all sorts of questions and answers. You may even feel surprised by how creative you can be during the games.
2. Accumulating new experiences
When you travel, you are exposed to a variety of experiences. No matter if it is an exotic rainforest or a beach where the sky and ocean are sealed at the horizon or a small town tucked between rolling mountains, you can always get a fresh experience and reach some new understanding of the world.
3. Talking to local people and learning about their culture and community
When you travel, travel with curiosity and interest—not only to the scenery or the architecture, but also to the people and culture. Talk to local people and immerse yourself in the local environment while you travel there. It will enable you to see things from new perspectives and nurture an open and free mind, which is a critical factor for creativity.
4. Jotting down creative ideas whenever they come to you
While creative ideas, such as a story plot or an innovative project, may come to you any time, guess what, they are more likely to occur to you when your brain is relaxed and not being forced to think hard. That’s why during your travels, a creative thought may flicker in your mind out of nowhere.
Don’t let those ideas fade and disappear. Jot them down. J. K. Rowling once wrote on her Twitter, “The best thing I ever wrote on was an aeroplane sick bag. Came up with the Hogwarts houses on it.”
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Next time, when you get a chance to travel, get the most out of the experience. Each experience enriches our life and mentality. Besides, it helps you beat your creative blocks.
References
https://www.lifehack.org/363716/how-travel-can-boost-creativity-and-improve-your-health
https://www.vogue.com/article/can-travel-make-you-more-creative
