Creating from your Travels

Today, I want to talk about ideas to inspire your art practice from your travels. We will discuss ways to be creative on the go, ideas on how to bring inspiration home, flip through my most recent travel art journal for ideas, and provide a list of my favorite minimal travel art supplies and take a peek in my personal travel bag.

The first thing I would like to address is that we need to take the pressure off of ourselves as artists to always actively be creating on the go. Just because we don’t create art on every trip does not mean we can’t bring back inspiration. I personally think it is more beneficial to be present, enjoy your time with those you are with, and soak in the experiences than it is to be making art on the go. If you love to create on your travels and can carve away the time fantastic! BUT please don’t put added pressure if it seems too much to cram in. Each person and each trip will be different. Reflect on your itinerary or trip ahead of time and see how much time you really will have to create on the fly.

Ways to be creative on the go

If I do have a little time to create on the go, I like to do one of the following. I find it easiest to do these practices in the mornings or evenings or if we are sitting at a park or long lunch. Photography is easy to do at any point and is a great resource to work from your own images.

Capture Moments through Photography. I have a photography guide for artists on the blog you can access HERE for more tips.
Sketch or Paint in an Art Journal - I like to tell a story through my journals working through various subject matters with very minimal art supplies. This can be done on the go or when you return.
Urban Sketching - Learn some urban sketching techniques and sketch a scene on the go quickly.
Collect Elements - Ephemera, tickets, brochures, textile, handmade papers, all can be used as either inspiration or added into your pieces as mixed media or collage elements.
Journal or write down your Itinerary and Experiences
Research List - I like to jot down a list of subjects or places I want to learn more about when I return home. I may not have the time to deep dive on the go so research actually becomes a big part of my art journal practice. I add in notes, facts and larger philosophies into my journal and surround it with visual artwork.
Ask locals questions, get to know the people and stories of a place!
And finally, just enjoy the ride!

Questions to ponder on or before your travels

How do I want to bring my travels into my art practice? Do I want to expand on a technique, medium or subject matter?
Do I want to tell a story of my journeys through visual means?
Do I want to create a keepsake or journal that I can browse through at a later time or for others to enjoy?
Do I want to create a collection or class inspired by this place?
Do I want to create cards or stationery of the destination?
Is there a story, person, place or experience that I was interested in on my trip?
Was there something I was curious about from my travels that I can research when I return home?
Were there certain art techniques, mediums, colors or patterns from the local artisans, architecture, or design that could inspire a piece or body of work?

Questions can help guide us to our interests and get us more directed about what we want out of our art practice. When we get curios about a subject we also get inspired and this can lead to more ideas and creativity in your practice.

If you know me personally, you know I like to keep things pretty minimal. My reasoning behind this is that lots of stuff overwhelms and distracts me. I don’t want to spend an immense amount of time taking care of stuff. It literally feels like it weighs me down and distracts me from doing what I love such as creating, being with those I love, having experiences, and taking adventures. For this reason, I don’t mind spending a little more for higher quality items and having fewer of them. This goes for both my personal life and my art practice.

I have spent a lot of time narrowing down the art materials that I love. This took time to experiment with different mediums and see what I like to use best. Really consider what you love creating with and what you can do without. Below I have consolidated my travel art supplies to a bare minimum list. This allows me to create on the go with some versatility but keeps the packing light and easy! If you are looking for alternatives in different price ranges please reach out to me directly at kristykensinger@gmail.com. I also included some of my favorite personal travel items and spring travel wardrobe for fun. Enjoy!