7 Ways Writers and Artists Can Prep for Travel

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Traveling to different destinations is one of the easiest ways for writers and artist to get inspiration for their work. Just traveling alone can inspire different feelings and aspects that can be taken and used in pieces of art. When you prep for travel it can evoke a lot of emotions: excitement, frustration, happiness, irritation, and more. Not to mention the planning, packing, lists, juggling, kids, and so much more.

Writers and artists use everything around them for inspiration from people, locations, buildings, parks, art and more. Where better to find inspiration than traveling the world and seeing new pieces for yourself? You can also use the prep for travel as inspiration for your work as well. The feelings it causes, the planning, frustration, anxiety, excitement and more can all there give you inspiration. This inspiration can influence perhaps a particular scene or art pieces.

Let’s see if we can make prepping for travel a little easier on the creative community with the guide below!

Plan

There is nothing better when when you prep for travel than having a plan for everything related to the trip. Yes, I agree, being spontaneous is exciting, fun, and even rejuvenating. We’ve done it one time. When I think back to it we would have saved so much money had we planned. We wouldn’t have spent over $300 in one arcade if we had a plan.

Stay on Track

When you have a plan, you are more likely to stick to it and focus on those things within the plan. Within your plan, you take into account all the things you want to do. You plan where you want to spend money (budget), and anything else you want to get out of the trip.

Flexibility

Can you have flexibility when you’ve created a plan? Well, of course! If you have plan in areas where you have the freedom to check out something you noticed during your trip or a restaurant that caught your eye. You may have a plan, but if you keep in mind that there may be something that you may want to visit that wasn’t originally on your list. You can create an adjustable plan that gives you the freedom to add and move things around as you enjoy your trip.

Itineraries

The detailed plan down to the day and hour of what you wish to do on each day of your trip. This is perfect for those over organized people who need to have a plan for everything they do. Even for those that aren’t as organized, it helps you keep track of programs and events you want to visit during your trip and at what times.

You can definitely keep some hours/space in the itinerary free for you to explore and visit places you’ve discovered along the trip. This is your trip and you are able to add, subtract and stick to those places and events that come along or were planned as long as you plan ahead for the adjustments needed.

Research/landmarks

When going on a trip, it’s a good idea to research the area and any major landmarks, culture, and history of the area. Not only can you find some great areas and places of inspiration; knowing about the area will make your trip immensely easier as you travel around. And really, why wouldn’t you want to know about the place before traveling there?

Budget

You should know what kind of budget you have for your trip. This is a very important step whenever you prep for travel. What you spend your money on and how much you want or are willing to spend at each location, for food, and anything else should be planned out. You can always over budget in specific categories to make sure you have enough for each and allow for some adjustment when needed.

If you already budget on a normal basis, this process will be a cinch, but if not, you can still budget for your trip pretty easily. Take your total amount that you are spending on your trip and create categories for each item you will be spending money on:

Example:

• Travel Expenses
  • Plane
  • Car Rental
  • Gas
• Accommodations
• Events/Tourist Spots/Entertainment
• Food/Dining
• Souvenirs
• Other (Any other specific categories)

Here is a great planner for all your travel needs! (Affiliate Link)

Once you have your categories, divvy up your total amount between those categories, making sure you have enough for each to make your trip a success. You may find you’ll need to add more to your total or that you have extra you can put in places like entertainment or food.

Stick to your budget and only adjust when you know you have the funds to do so. The last thing you need to be frustrated because you spent to much in one area and you don’t have enough in another.

Reservations/Stay

Of course you’ll want to reserve a place to stay in the are of your destination, but what type of place are you looking for? Are you looking for a motel or hotel? A resort? BnB? Cabin? etc.

Where you plan to stay will require a certain amount of funds. You’ll want to look a places that fit your budget and give you the best opportunity to experience the area for creative inspiration. Do you want to be close to shopping, dining, and events or are you good with being a little further away for some quiet away from the bustle of the city?

Choose what fits you and your goals for the trip, making sure you planned enough in your budget to cover all your expenses and stay.

Packing

What you pack when you prep for travel, will determine how you want to use the time at your destination. Look up the weather for the duration of your stay and plan your clothes, shoes, and accessories accordingly. It doesn’t hurt to bring an extra set or two in case the weather predictions are off.

As a creative, I’m sure you’ll want to bring all the things you may want to continue your work as normal and if you honestly don’t use much, you could bring everything with you. If you have a lot or larger pieces that you believe you might need to bring, it will be tougher to bring those items.

Try to downsize your items for the trip. For artists, if you bring canvases, bring some smaller ones and only the brushes you think you’ll need. If you have a roll case, it may not be necessary for you to downsize on the brushed. Paints and palettes may also cause a problem if they are large in size. Hopefully you already have travel sizes, but if not here is a great set that has just about everything you’ll need!

For the writers out there, it’s a bit easier as you may only need a notebook and writing utensil, but if you are the kind that wants to have markers, highlighters, and more; you’ll have to plan ahead for that. There are many cases out there that hold pens, markers, and more that would be perfect for this! There are also devices you can use, like this one that will help you with distraction free writing as you travel!

Those that like to draw there are great options out there for you! There are plenty of artist sets out there that give you everything you might possibly need to draw anywhere your heart desires.

Tours

Tours are a great way to learn about the area as well as see all the major sights of your destination. If there are any available, it may be beneficial to participate in one. It really depends on the type of tour they provide. If it’s around a city, or within a building, everything you see, hear, experience can be used by you creatively.

Final Thoughts

When you, as a creative, prep for travel, think about the destination and the time there; you may find that having a plan is the best thing for you. Not only having a plan, but being prepared for how you use your time will benefit you in the long run.

The last thing anyone wants when traveling to an exciting destination is to be unprepared. Have a bag ready for when you want to travel to specific locations as inspiration. It will save you so much time and organization when you can just grab and go.