THE BIG THREE: AGE, TRAVEL, and CREATIVITY
Welcome!
Unsure where to channel your creativity?
Believe a myth that you have no creativity?
Want to add more spark to your life?
Read on
THE BIG THREE:
AGE, TRAVEL, and CREATIVITY
Last month, I traveled halfway around the world to see my daughter. She’d been working and living overseas for 10 months, and while I never need a reason to travel, visiting her in Thailand was a good one. However, the trip was a wake-up call—adventure travel gets harder as we age.
I’d prepared for the 32-hour travel day as best I could and landed in Singapore, weary, but ready for the adventure. Given it was only 7:00 a.m., we found a local joint selling hot chai tea and paratha bread with various spicy dips. It was a delicious way to watch the world awaken. Unfortunately, my stomach didn’t agree.
Three days later, with a distressed stomach and compromised immune system, I picked up a bronchial infection, and by the time I arrived in Thailand, I’d gone through all my cough medicine. The beach helped, but my balance was off, and I fell sideways, crashing into a sharp lava outcropping and developing a large hematoma. I began to feel like a hex was upon me, but I was, after all, a tourist in Thailand, a very privileged place to be.
My health improved, but I could not ignore the changes in my body. Clearly, my immune system was weak, my balance was not what it once was, and my response times were off. At first, I found myself resentful and angry that my body had betrayed me and that I was forced to slow down. But I leaned into one of my many mantras: ‘Unleash your creativity to help find yourself’. It worked.
Instead of fighting my various physical ailments, I shifted my perspective and expectations. I slowed my pace and forfeited a few adventures. I won’t lie—I missed the adventure, but spending more time writing, reading, and listening to the cacophony of insects was delightful. I embraced the overwhelming heat and began to flow with the country’s unhurried pace. My physical health got better, and as I accepted that travel was no longer the same at age 60 as it was at 30, my mental health improved as well.
The merger of aging and travel can be a powerful mash-up of experience and reflection, boosting creativity and offering deeper growth. New sights, smells, and sounds spark the senses and stimulate new pieces of ourselves. The first morning in Thailand, I woke early to a brilliant, fiery sky and stepped outside to snap a photo. I jabbed at my phone, trying to figure out why the sound machine app would not shut off. Finally, I realized it was off. The buzz surrounding me was life itself. It was a humbling experience.
Travel offers insight into new cultures, which can alter our perspective, and by challenging our beliefs and assumptions, it helps us grow. It changes routines and upends habits. Exploration is a creative endeavor that sparks curiosity, but traveling in accordance with the slowing pace of age is extra. The gift of slowing down gave me more time to observe and deeply reflect. I returned full of gratitude.
If you’re traveling this summer, at any age, consider slowing down. Be deliberate with your actions and take time to observe. New insights may surprise you. Bring a journal and spend time writing and reflecting. Doodle. Sketch. Spend more time with photography. Engage with a local barista by asking questions about the place’s history. Who knows? A mystery may unfold. At the very least, you’ll learn more about yourself, old or young. What a gift.
Quotes for the Soul!
“To travel is to take a journey into yourself.”
“Growing older is an opportunity to step into the fullness of who we are.”
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
“Getting old is like climbing a mountain; you get a little out of breath, but the view is much better!”
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”
Offerings
PRIVATE CLASSES
Contact me if you’re interested in a private or small group creativity class.
WRITING:
creative writing
journaling
personal memoir
essays
parent-child inspo
where to begin?
ART:
art journaling
collage making
(cards, candles, art)
inspiration decks
gelli printing
alcohol inks
Who?
folks looking for creativity
folks wanting direction
family fun
book clubs
friend gatherings
YOU!
Thanks for reading. Creativity is not a command performance, but I hope you’ll stay and become inspired. If you know someone interested in creative endeavors, please forward this on!