Finding inspiration through travel and exploration
If you've spent enough time reading online, you'll realize that there are countless articles on the topic of "how to find inspiration." There is nothing wrong with this — in fact, it's great. However, sometimes it's difficult to understand how to go about finding this kind of motivation when your life feels dull and unexciting. One way I personally find inspiration is through travel and exploration.
It seems strange at first, but all people have an innate desire for something new. By traveling to new places and seeing new things, you're opening your mind to a different way of looking at the world, and forcing yourself to notice details you would normally not. You're getting away from the comfort of your usual routine, and this alone can be enough to feel inspired.
I should preface by saying that I've never been one who feels the need to constantly go abroad and explore. For me, inspiration can be felt right in my own home town. But that doesn't mean I don't understand how traveling can help inspire you. It just depends on your personality type, really — but for me personally, there are times when I need a break from my daily routine just so I can feel inspired again.
So, how do you accomplish this? I think the key is to not plan too much. In fact, plan as little as possible in advance. You want to be spontaneous — but also remember that your trip should give you value even when you're not traveling. As you plan your trip, try to realize what inspired ideas you can use on a daily basis. Your trip can be there all along as a constant reminder of the value it has to you and others.
The best way I personally found inspiration was through travel cards, or "memory cards," as they were popularly called in the 80's. These cards were made by taking snapshots of your favorite angles in cities, and then organizing them into a spread. These spreads contained— you guessed it— inspiration — usually in the form of quotes, facts or ideas that could be used to improve your life at home.
For example, a common spread would include: Your name, the current year on the left with a space for "To Do List," and on the right is an ideas section which you could fill out with what inspires you. The idea section might contain this idea: "Never let anyone stop you from reaching your dreams. Never let anyone stop you from making the world a better place." This is something I could consider using in everyday life.
I found this to be extremely useful, because it helped me find inspiration in my daily life without even realizing it. Looking back, I could definitely say that these spreadsheets helped me improve my life in huge ways — they made me remember small details of my day that could otherwise go unnoticed. I would take snapshots of people and things that intrigued me for inspiration, and they would stay with me for weeks at a time.
A memory card also gave your travels a more important meaning — instead of just seeing your favorite landmarks and famous sights, you were creating memories. Instead of checking off items on a list, you were telling a story. When you're planning your own trip, ask yourself what kind of story you want to tell, and how will that help you at home.
As I mentioned earlier, I don't plan on becoming an avid traveler, but there is still value in getting out there. Getting away can inspire you in ways that would otherwise be impossible for you to do at home with your normal routine. When I travel, I find inspiration all around me — there's no need to go abroad just for the sake of traveling. If you're bored with your life, you may want to consider taking a trip in order to stimulate your mind.
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/04/finding-inspiration-through-travel-and-exploration/
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Tags: art, beauty, inspiration, life, photography, travel, world photography 2016 (a month) [ko], world photography 2016 (year) [ko]
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: card | 2 Comments »
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About the author Autokrator I'm an aspiring photographer who loves to shoot film. I shoot both analogue and digital film and love the difficulty of working with both mediums. I'm interested in a wide variety of subjects and enjoy everyday photography. I (need) to learn more! I shoot film with a 35mm lens. Read more.. I love learning information about photography, seeing new ideas and new techniques being used in the forums. Thank you for reading! Autokrator is an aspiring photographer who loves to shoot film. I shoot both analogue and digital film and love the difficulty of working with both mediums. I'm interested in a wide variety of subjects and enjoy everyday photography. I (need) to learn more!I shoot film with a 35mm lens.
About the author Autokrator I'm an aspiring photographer who loves to shoot film. I shoot both analogue and digital film and love the difficulty of working with both mediums. I'm interested in a wide variety of subjects and enjoy everyday photography. I (need) to learn more! I shoot film with a 35mm lens. Read more.. I love learning information about photography, seeing new ideas and new techniques being used in the forums. Thank you for reading! Autokrator is an aspiring photographer who loves to shoot film. I shoot both analogue and digital film and love the difficulty of working with both mediums. I'm interested in a wide variety of subjects and enjoy everyday photography.
Conclusion My advice to anyone who has a problem thinking of good ideas is: Try different approaches. You may have a problem coming up with ideas, or you could be suffering from an overabundance of them. In my case, I have too many ideas, and I usually have trouble finding only the best ones to focus on. The most important thing to do is try things and learn from them if they don't work out — don't be afraid of failure! Don't ever give up, and never stop trying new methods until you find something that works for you.