Artists find inspiration in various forms, whether it be from life experience or people they know. Just like Leonardo Da Vinci, who was inspired by the ancient Greek texts of Ctesibus and Vitruvius to attempt to build the world’s first robot in 1495. Similarly, Lorenzo Ghiberti’s “Gates of Paradise” was cited as the inspiration for Auguste Rodin’s famous sculpture “Gates of Hell.”
Traveling to faraway destinations or just the next town over renews your spirit and revives your passion for the craft. To keep the inspiration and motivation flowing, artists and writers can benefit from a change of scenery to awaken new ideas. Incredible new material rarely surge from being stuck in a rut, so step away and experience a new place for the first time. These are some of the best 5 places from around the world to visit for artists and writers to find inspiration.
Fairbanks, Alaska
History. Fairbanks, the second largest city in Alaska, is located in the interior region of the state. The city is the northernmost Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States. When you travel to Alaska, be prepared to discover breathtaking landscapes and a myriad of amazing wildlife. You don’t need to be looking through a brochure you found on some metal display stands, imagining what it would be like being there, but you would be there experiencing a beautiful place in the world while gaining inspiration for your home.
Summer is the best time to experience the majestic scenery and enchantment of America’s largest state when the days are long, nature is in full bloom, and the air is alive with energy. You can see the largest concentration of American Bald Eagles in the world during springtime along the Stikine River.
Getting there. There are many domestic flights in the U.S that stopover in Alaska. If you are coming from overseas to the States, you’ll likely connect in L.A. or New York.
Natural Inspiration. The Aurora Borealis. The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, are an amazing spectacle of light, dancing incredibly across the sky with their green, red and purple hues. They are actually solar particles propelled into the earth’s magnetic field above the earth’s surface. It’s long been one of the rarest sights on earth since it can only be seen from certain locations but due to the rise of digital photography, spectacular images of Auroras are quite common. The most reliable chances to see Alaska’s northern lights are in Fairbanks, and above the Arctic Circle.
Why it will inspire? Color. The amazing hues of the Aurora Borealis are a motivation to any designer. In fact, images uploaded to colourlovers.com instantly generate a color palette that might serve a theme for a website or design.
Split, Croatia
History. Split is the second-largest city of the region of Dalmatia in Croatia and is an intraregional transport hub and popular tourist destination. Its location is overlooked by mountains and edged by the deep blue Adriatic Sea.
Getting there. There are various flights to Croatia. You can probably fly into either Split or the capital, Zagreb, and travel outwards from there.
Natural inspiration. The Adriatic Sea, which borders to the south and west is the home to many incredible islands, castles or other relics of the past. Surrounded by mountains and sea, the city has it all: Roman ruins and grand museums flanking fashionable cafes and trendy shops. There are many buildings still standing from Roman rule giving rise to the areas slogan “The Mediterranean As it Once Was”. The thickly wooded mountains inland provide a completely diverse experience than the rest of the country will.
Why it will inspire? Anatomy. With its proximity to the sandy beaches and rocky coves of nearby islands, access to the nude beaches provides excellent source for sketching people and studying the human form.
Darwin, Australia
History. Darwin is the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory and a former frontier outpost. Over time Darwin has grown into one of Australia’s most modern and multicultural cities. Its closeness to Asia makes it an important Australian access to countries such as Indonesia and East Timor. The Stuart Highway starts in Darwin, and ends at Port Augusta in South Australia. In the movie “AUSTRALIA” Darwin was featured with Nicole Kidman’s character, who must protect her property from thieves.
Getting there. Australia can be tremendously expensive to travel to because of the great distance. However, that doesn’t stop Australians from flying pretty much everywhere in the world for holiday. So, while tickets aren’t cheap, they are easy to book.
Natural inspiration. The Australian Wilderness. The Australian wilderness provides a range if resources and inspiration whether it be wanting to buy tree furniture as a result of the luscious forests that you find or going with inspiration from another part of the world to incorporate galvanized steel mesh panels in your home. The decision is yours. You must attempt the extremely solitary and empty drive across Australia to truly appreciate how isolated much of the country is. Experience the trip from Darwin to Melbourne….an estimated 3,755 km…one way!
Why it will inspire? Concentration. Going on a road trip across Australia can help you build up the type of concentration and strength of mind Michelangelo, Raphael, and Sandro Botticelli used to paint the Sistine Chapel….Maybe.
Chongqing, Sischuan, China
History. Established during the eleventh century BCE, Chongqing is believed to be the semi-mythical State of Ba. By 316 BCE, however, it was conquered by the State of Qin. The Qin emperor ordered the construction of a new city, which was later known as Jiang and Chu Prefecture. In 2005 Chinese tourist authorities in the Shuangqiao District began development of an attraction to be known as “Ladies Town”. The town’s motto will be: “Ladies Can Never Be Wrong, and Gentlemen Should Never Refuse Ladies’ Requests.” The project was completed in 2008-2010. Deuce Bigalow would be proud.
Getting there. International flights can be quite expensive. The average cost for flights to China is usually from $1500 to $3000 for a round trip flight. However, if you are lucky enough, you can get a roundtrip promo fare for $800!
Natural inspiration. Have you ever heard of Bamboo Forests? They became famous since they were used as the backdrop for key scenes in the movie House of Flying Daggers.
Why does it inspire? Fantasy. The place allows you to pretend you’re a great samurai warrior fighting off your enemies in a field of bamboo. If that isn’t one of your fantasies just come here and you’ll find plenty of other people whispering battle cries under their breath!
El Calafate, Patagonia, Argentina
History. The name of the city came from a little shrub with yellow flowers and dark blue berries that is widespread in Patagonia. El Calafate is more famously known as the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park, home to the massive Perito Moreno Glacier, whose ever-shifting icy landscape is popular for hiking and sightseeing. You won’t need to go calling in a stump removal company anywhere here as ice dominates the landscape and scenery. Patagonia includes the Andes Mountains to the west and south, and plateau and low plains to the east. Derived from the word patagon and used by Magellan to describe the native people who his expedition thought to be giants is the name Patagonia.
Getting there. Cheap flights and frequent available from the Americas.
Natural inspiration. Ice. The Los Glaciares National Park attracts a myriad of tourists to the area from around the world.
Why it will inspire? Negative Space. Let your mind just escape in its own thoughts as you gaze upon the great ice formations jutting out against the meditative horizon and you’ll see all kinds of shapes that might inspire new ideas.
