Finding moments of creativity can be challenging, especially in a world inundated with constant information. Yet, there's something inherently timeless and inspiring about travel and how it opens our minds to new perspectives, cultures, and experiences.
Today, AMBI sits down with travel expert Rachel Larkin, Founder and CEO of the travel and lifestyle brand The Real Bonne Vivante, to discuss cultivating inspiration and creativity through travel. Before founding her company, Rachel was the creative director of countless campaigns, brand projects, and marketing initiatives of companies worldwide through W.Bradford and AMBI.
Cultivating Creativity Through Travel
Many of us working in the built environment industry believe architecture and spaces can profoundly impact our psyche. As a creative at heart and someone who travels for a living, I believe that spaces influence our thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Most, if not all, of my professional work, was inspired by experiences on the open road in some of the most unassuming places. Whether it's traditional tilework found in a one-hundred-year-old building or a glossy and brand-new luxury resort on the market, the art of pulling creative inspiration lies in the details of your travel experience. Whether a simple weekend getaway or a bucket list-level trip, the true hidden gems require you to experience your space beyond the surface level.
Travel is one of the most powerful tools for creatives. By simply plucking yourself out of your daily environment, routine, and comfort zone, you can immediately see the world with new eyes. With travel, you can instantly experience a different way of life to curate more universally empathic work that transcends language and cultural barriers.
Creating Inspiring Summer Itineraries
When planning your next trip, the most critical question to ask before anything else is, "What is my goal for traveling?" Is it mental rejuvenation and clarity? Is it being inspired by a specific place? Is it being educated on a particular topic? These can influence your trip's purpose, itinerary, and even the destination you choose.
Secondly, you should also define the category of your trip. I feel most inspired by adventure expeditions, city stays, or cultural trips, which dramatically take me out of my routine and shock my senses. Just because we all work within the built environment doesn't mean that our inspiration stems solely from architecture or spaces. Some of my best ideas have been sparked during wild expeditions off the beaten path. For example, a past creative concept for an architectural lighting product campaign was inspired by the bold color I saw in Brazil's Amazon jungle while on a safari expedition. AMBI later bridged that experience with our client's vibrant custom RAL colorways. Even now, distinct concepts that bridge vastly different things are unprecedented in this industry, and this is where AMBI excels.
On the other hand, city stays offer different inspiration, with their sprawling cityscapes, eclectic neighborhoods, and world-class cultural attractions. From Miami's vibrant art scene to the iconic landmarks of New York City, every city has its unique character waiting to be woven into its new story. For example, Soraa enlisted AMBI to create a one-of-a-kind brand experience during Miami's Art Basel to showcase the authenticity of color rendering in its products. The result? AMBI created a wild, daring, and award-winning installation with a live fashion model covered in vibrant body paint—all illuminated by Soraa light technology. It was the perfect opportunity to blend an international art community with a cutting-edge lighting brand.
Finally, cultural trips provide a deeper understanding of the world, exposing us to different customs, traditions, and ways of life. Cultural experiences broaden our perspectives and enrich our creative sensibilities. The AMBI team developed a packaging concept for a new product, Soraa Sky, and leveraged elements of founder Shuji Nakimora's Japanese heritage into design elements and subtle symbolism. The cultural representation, color psychology, and historical influence of calligraphy played a significant role in tying a new product's packaging back to the brand's heritage.
Planning Inspiring Summer Travels
If this is your first time planning a trip to return inspired, an easy place to start is to begin with a destination or idea that you naturally find fascinating. For example, to bring more sustainability into your work, start researching design-forward hotels with a strong backbone in nature and conservation. Often, at nicer accommodations, you'll find very intentional architecture, fine-tuned details, and activities that interest you and deepen your experience of a destination. Plus, it puts you in direct conversations with experts within that world.
For example, I recently traveled to Caldas, Colombia, to a luxury eco-lodge called El Nido de Condor (rates starting at $460 per night). It was designed by a Colombian family of architects who challenged the travel industry's definition of an eco-lodge experience. Precariously perched on a plateau in the Andes, a private gondola only reached this hotel property. Despite having luxury amenities and an award-winning chef on site, it was mostly self-sufficient off the grid. My goal for the trip was to disconnect from the modern world, and I returned rested, rejuvenated, educated, and inspired in topics I am passionate about.
Finding inspiration can come from something other than an international trip, too. It's truly about setting the intention to bring back creativity from an experience. Even just taking that first step to schedule a dinner at a new restaurant in a different city this week or simply walking in the garden to smell the roses in another state, plucking small details of the experience in a very intentional way, is what successful creatives, designers, and marketers do to tell transcendent stories and build inspiring spaces.
Conclusion
In conclusion, creativity is everywhere, waiting to be discovered by anyone looking for it. Whether on a short getaway or while traveling to a bucket list destination, endless opportunities exist to tap into our creative potential.
We invite you to share your own experiences of finding inspiration in travel. Where are you headed this summer to be inspired? Let us know in the comments below.
