It’s no secret that creative individuals often love to travel. But does creativity increase likelihood of travel, or vice versa? Perhaps unsurprisingly, visiting a new location or culture can actually have an augmenting effect on your levels of artistic output. So, if you’re looking for an excuse to take that next vacation, here are five great reasons why you really should get out there and see the world.
1) Travelling Breaks Habits
Breaking out of your usual routine pushes your brain to work harder and think of unusual solutions (see Writing Wednesday: 5 Easy Exercises to Boost Your Brain Power for more on this).
2) Travelling Introduces New World Views
Sitting at home, reading the paper or watching the news, you may think you have an idea about what life is like in a foreign land. However, there’s nothing like actually living in a different culture to open your eyes to a new reality, and this real-life experience is incomparable when it comes to broadening your horizons.
3) Travelling Prevents Burn-Out
Breaking a work routine means time out for your brain to focus on something else. Travelling allows you to recharge, and when you return to “real life” you’re more likely to come back feeling energised and ready to get down to work.
4) Travelling Adds Clarity
Not only can visiting a far-off place introduce you to a new way of life, it can also give a clearer perspective on your own everyday existence. Viewing what you know from afar can often be what’s needed to really see the big picture.
5) Travelling Enhances Neuroplasticity
When we say that experiencing something new can lead to creative thought, that’s not just conjecture – it’s science. Neuroplasticity, the ability of your brain to adapt to new ways of thinking and gain knowledge (by creating new neural pathways), is dependent on active and unique thought patterns. Consistently challenging your brain in this way is crucial to ensuring healthy development, learning ability, memory retention and even recovery from brain damage.
About Paperblanks®: At Paperblanks®, we believe that art should have a place in all aspects of life. That’s why we follow the artist’s way in everything we do – creating, crafting and releasing designs we believe have the power to touch people. For more about Paperblanks®, go to our website at paperblanks.com.
