How To Stay Creative While Traveling
Let’s talk about staying creative while on vacation!
This blog post is for you if:
You’re someone like me, and you have a deep ingrained need to stay creative.
You are totally psyched for a getaway or vacation, but a part of you is a little bummed to be leaving your art studio behind.
You love spending time with your friends and loved ones, but you find such peace while spending time in your dedicated art space.
Does this sound like you? Yes? How cool is that?!
We are similar, it’s awesome that we aren’t alone in this big world!
For those of you who follow me on Instagram (and if you don’t, why not?!), you may know that I just went on a little getaway with my husband, Will. We ventured to Nashville for 2 days and then spent the rest of the week in a cabin we rented out in the country. Tennessee was absolutely beautiful, and we look forward to hopefully going back some day! It was just what the both of us needed. For the time at the cabin we did a whole lot of, dare I say, nothing? And it was incredible. It was so peaceful and relaxing, the perfect combination for us this time around.
That being said, this was the perfect trip to bring along some stitching projects. Stitching is the perfect thing for me to bring along for many reasons:
It’s super portable. You can take stitching projects with you pretty much anywhere.
The projects are typically smaller, meaning you really only need your lap for space.
It’s easy to multitask while stitching: joining in on the conversation around you, while on the plane, watching a movie, hanging out at the coffee shop, listening to audiobooks (this is what I did on this vacation, anybody else able to listen/read the Harry Potter books over and over??)
Alright, so let’s say you’ve decided to bring some stitching along on your next trip. Where do you start? Let’s get into it…
It can be difficult at times to be reasonable and pack lightly when it comes to art supplies. If you’re like me you probably think to yourself, “well what if I need this, also?” By the end of packing, you have an entire bag full of threads and various supplies and there is no room left for your clothes. And yes, I typically pack my art supplies first and clothes second. Keeping my priorities straight 😉
So, how do we counteract this? I limit myself and only pack what can easily fit into my personal item or carry on. I usually bring a medium sized backpack or a large tote onto the plane. This way I have access to start stitching while I’m on the plane. Maybe more importantly though, I can ensure that these items won’t get lost in the world of baggage mishaps. This too probably says something about my priorities, that I’m willing to risk my clothing over my hours of loving work on my art projects. Hey, I’m not ashamed and I’ll take full ownership of that! Anywho, this isn’t a place of judgment and all artsy prerogatives are welcome with open arms.
Now we have our guidelines set for how much we can bring. I like to leave a little bit of extra space in this bag (and my checked bag) if possible. One of the things I look forward to while traveling is looking to see what art stores are nearby. I am lucky and I have a nice selection of general craft stores (think Michaels, Hobby Lobby, Joanns) where I live, but nothing that is fully dedicated to art (think Blick Art or Jerry’s Artarama.) I love to see what other areas carry and explore new brands and items.
The best way that I’ve found to bring stitching projects along is by doing some prep work ahead of time. I bring smaller projects to work on during this time - think journal covers, pouches, mini wall hangings, stitched collage clusters. I lay out all of my fabrics ahead of time to create these projects. That way they are easier to pack and I know exactly what I have to work on while I’m traveling. This makes it easier for me to pick out coordinating threads.
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At this stage, the choices can get a bit out of hand for me. I always think that I need to bring every color that I own, because well.. what if I might need it?! There is no perfect method for this, I like to choose a large pouch for my threads and make myself stay within those guidelines. An easy way to bring more projects without bringing twice the amount of thread is to choose one or two colorways for all the projects you are bringing for that trip. This limits the amount of threads you will need while ensuring you will not run out of things to work on.
While packing up your threads and projects don’t forget your basic essentials! A pair of snips, needles, possibly some pins or safety pins, a thimble, etc. Whatever you typically use while stitching!
Another way to stay in the creative mindset while on vacation, especially if you won’t have time to sit and work on a project, is to go to antique stores! It can be quite fascinating to see what other parts of the country have. When I go, I’m typically on the lookout for items I can use in my art journaling. Old vintage books or sheet music, unique papers that are from that local area, and items that can be used to make collage fodder.
Check out this GIANT book I got on this trip - it has to be at least 5 pounds. I definitely put this one in my checked bag - there was no way I was going to lug it through the airport! I love the way the pages look and I bet you’ll see some of these papers when I release my next batch of messy mixed media paper packs.
Let me know what you think of these tips in the comments section down below, I’d love to hear what you think!
Do you bring art to work on while you are away? What are your best tips and tricks?
Thanks for reading, see you next time!
