Today’s prompt for the Creative Play Challenge is simple: go on a walk to gather inspiration. If going outside is not a possibility for you, you can gather inspiration around your home or wherever you happen to be this week.
In the last couple of weeks, we’ve written creative manifestos and made artist powerup cards in order to encourage our creative sides. And this week, we’re going to get outside on a quest to find inspiration.
There have been studies done that talk about how walking helps creativity, but regardless, I’ve personally read many accounts of authors coming up with ideas for their stories while on a walk or musicians finally solving the puzzle to their masterpiece while roaming outdoors. And I’m sure you’ve had experiences where walking has cleared your mind and helped you to think more clearly about a problem you may be going through.
In short, walking gets us outside of ourselves. And walking with the purpose of looking for inspiration, really gets us outside ourselves. It’s like a mini-retreat, and is definitely how I start most of my creative retreats.
But How?
If you’re new to creative thinking or the creative world, this might seem confusing. How could putting on your walking shoes and walking through your neighborhood possibly inspire you? How could driving over to the coast whip up ideas for whatever creative project you’re working on?
One of the things I like to do is give myself a mission while I’m out on a walk. Maybe I’ll look for the perfect shell or piece of sea glass at the ocean, or look for a beautiful leaf around my neighborhood.
I’ve also been known to bring a small sketchbook while I’m out in order to quickly write down some thoughts or make a fast drawing of something I want to flesh out when I get home.
Whenever I see all of this driftwood, I start thinking of the myriad of projects that could be made with it. (Not that I’m about the lug these logs home, but it does get me thinking.)
Many artists start small (or large) collections of things they’ve gathered over the course of their lives. They use them to decorate their creative space, to sketch from, or even as supplies for a larger project. For example, all of those sea stones you’ve collected over the years can be used as markers along your garden.
A walk also gives you a chance to take deep breaths, and be thankful that you’re alive. You can take this time to think about those you love and consider how you can help them. I read something this week that really impacted me:
“What can I and only I do that if done well will make a real difference?” – Peter Drucker
You can use this time of walking to consider the answers to this question for your life. Doing so helps you think creatively, without necessarily being overly influenced by the status quo.
Another idea is to bring along your camera, and take pictures of your walk. Maybe you’ll go on a trail you don’t normally go on or walk in a beautiful neighborhood. I used to go on runs in the lovely neighborhoods of San Marino when I lived in Los Angeles; that area is filled with stately mansions and lovely gardens and is really nice to enjoy on foot. Where could you go that is just plain beautiful?
If you have children, you can bring them along with you and maybe give them an idea of what kind of treasures you should be looking for to photograph. I’m convinced walking helps creativity whether you’re young or older. The grandkids are always super excited to go on walks with Nana since they’re adventures in themselves. Who knows what you’ll discover?
On my walk, I found this pine cone and took a minute to sketch some variations I noticed. You can do the same if you’d like. You could also take a few moments when you return home to jot down some thoughts in your journal.
I hope this week’s challenge is fun for you to do. Because those who are participating in this challenge literally live all over the world, I’m sure we’ll have a lot of interesting responses to how walking helps creativity.
Have a lovely {and creative} day!
