Walking For Creativity

When I’m walking, I look to the side. I look at the sidewalk because sometimes a squirrel comes by. I actually got a good photo of a squirrel on the ground at the zoo and it became this painting.

 Remember to look up into the sky too. I caught a crow flying above this fountain. It perched to take a drink and I was able to get a pic.

Try slowing down. You’re not racing to be somewhere.​Walk at a leisurely pace. This is the thing I often have the hardest time with because I'm a naturally fast walker.

​It goes without saying that you probably don’t want to be looking at your phone, but try taking it a step further and skipping the headphones too. Yes, I walk with headphones a lot. I like to listen to music or audiobooks when I walk, but these things can sometimes keep me from being in my most creative space. Music without lyrics might be an exception to this. I think it's nice to just be with your own thoughts during this time. I find that when I have someone else's words to hold my interest, though, I don't pay as much attention to my surroundings, just looking out for what I need to keep myself safe.

Even if you don’t see anything you want to take a picture of, walking can still be great for creativity. Many famous creatives swore by long walks. Beethoven, for example, would take two hour walks in nature after he finished working for the day. During these walks, Beethoven always had pen and paper on him so he could write down any ideas that came to him. He also took frequent short walks during his working hours.

​Dickens was known to take incredibly long walks through London. These walks were apparently so long that people wondered about Dickens’ mental health.

Me, I like to break up most days with a fifteen to twenty minute walk in my neighborhood in the afternoon. It gets me away from my desk and refreshes me.

Do you like to walk for creativity? Tell me how it helps you in the comments and about any interesting things you saw.