Travel and Creativity

“Travel can increase your levels of creativity…, leading to a happier, more inspired version of you.”

from Vogue

It’s vacation time, and tens of millions of us will load our vehicles with suitcases, road food, and hopeful smiles this summer, traveling to the near and far; more than 80 million Americans will go camping. According to allpsychologycareers.com, “travel is important not only for physical and mental health but for creativity as well.” And it’s not necessary to travel far from home to reap these benefits. A simple “break in routine” can push our brain’s neural networks to light the fire of creativity. Apparently, I offered good advice in my recently sold painting called Take the Long Way Home.

My husband and I just added nearly 4800 miles to the odometer on a 17-day road trip. In this ambitious journey, we headed southwest to New Mexico, then on to coastal California, where we skirted the Pacific Ocean along the well-traveled and much-photographed Highway 1. Two nights were spent camping, one along central California’s Big Sur River and another farther north under Humboldt County’s towering redwoods. We then pointed northeast into Oregon, southeast into Idaho, Wyoming, and Nebraska, and on day 17, south into Kansas. “Siri, take me home!”

Now it’s time to get back to work (likely a common feeling among vacation goers). For me, “work” means first relighting my creative spark. Now that I know travel can boost my creative thinking, this should be an easy task.

If you’re traveling this summer, whether thousands of miles or just an added few on your way home, safe travels and happy camping.