Traveling Increases Creativity
How does travel affect creativity?
Traveling is the best way to help increase creativity. Immersing into the ideas and traditions of another culture helps influence new ideas by adding a new layer of mindfulness. This mindfulness allows you to think differently and really experience something new. It scientifically changes your outlook and actually rewires your brain. Traveling literally expands the mind.
The wiring or neural pathways in the brain are influenced by a number of factors including our habits and the environment that we are exposed to. These environments and habits include all your senses and linguistics.
Integration into a new culture into forces yourself to think in a different way
When traveling in a new place, it’s a great opportunity to be creative, as your seeing the world in a different way. You’re experiencing it in a open minded setting where all control that you have had is longer present. It gives the world a new perspective. In a way, changing your mental clarity. This isn’t effective if one isn’t intentional about integrating themselves into the culture and traditions. It’s also important to journal about your adventures. Don’t forget to journal all about your adventures- you never know what sort of ideas will come out.
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Pulls you out of your shell
Local customs, food, and personal space can definitely pull you out of your shell. It challenges you to do things that seem less ordinary and it will test your boundaries. When traveling, particularly in a culturally different place, you will be out of your comfort zone and introduced to a new version of yourself. A piece of your personality that you never knew existed. A whole new place to explore and generate new ideas. It pulls out the personality and turns off the autopilot button.
Further, when there is language barriers- one must use more visual communication. As a result patience is exercised allowing for more presence in the moment and having to explore creative ways to communicate.
Booking the trip gives you something to look forward to
It’s important to plan a trip and set a date. This will keep you focused on the goal ahead. Studies have shown an elevated mood in people that have their trip planned than those who don’t. Having something to look forward to elevates mood, increases positive energy into something. It adds an element of curiousness and often drives people to be more physically fit and more responsible with their finances as they are working towards and end goal.
As mentioned in previous blogs, I talked about how routine makes life move at an increased rate. This is problematic to our perception to time. Your not experiencing new things, thus not creating new memories. It all becomes a blur. Getting distance away from the daily routine allows for more abstract ways of seeing your life. New ways of thinking and creating.
Conclusion
I know many people that don’t travel for a number of reasons. Most of the time people say they would like to travel and experience the world, but they always have an excuse. There is always a reason to why they can’t do it. There is always a way, just think creatively and search for that solution. Traveling increases creativity and I hope that you plan your next vacation soon! Please share if you enjoyed this post and get involved in the conversation below! Visit www.vanderkool.com for more creative inspiration!
