I'm about to go to Italy!!

I'm really excited but of course there are now considerations about what creative materials I can pack, where I'll be able to sit down and do my creative practice and when I'll fit it into my travel itinerary. I've encountered this many times on work and personal trips both overseas, outback camping and interstate visits to family so in this episode I share some tips on keeping creative while travelling.

The tips are:

1. Pack smart
2. Create a routine
3. Pivot.
4. Take a class
5. Just try some new things
6. Take photos
7. Journal

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Speaker: 00:00:02

Welcome to The Joyful Creative.

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I'm Deborah O'Toole.

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I'm a multi passionate creative

and I believe regular creativity

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is essential for well being.

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Whether you love painting, writing,

knitting, music, gardening, or any

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other creative pursuit, here you'll

find the inspiration and support

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to make your creative practice a

joyful priority in your busy life.

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So let's get creative.

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Well, hello everyone.

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And welcome back.

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Uh, the day, this episode is

released, I will be preparing to

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go on a solo trip to Italy, and

I'm very, very excited about it.

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Um, Italy has been on my bucket

list for many, many years and.

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I'm finally going and yeah.

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Going by myself.

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Probably the first time I've

traveled solely by myself.

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Although I am meeting a group,

which I'll talk about later in

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this episode, but yeah, it's all,

um, it's all pretty exciting.

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Um, but as you know, I'm on a

daily creativity streak, so I'm

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committed to doing at least five

minutes of creativity every day.

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And I know from past experience of

traveling, either for work or leisure,

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that traveling can be a big disruptive

habits that we normally practice daily

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without having to think about them.

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Things like exercise meditation.

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Taking vitamins, journaling, et cetera.

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And without putting in some extra

time and thought and planning.

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These activities just might go by

the wayside until you get home.

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Um, and look that might be planned.

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You might intentionally decide to give

your body a break from intense training

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or if your journaling is on your laptop,

you might fall go it for a bit in

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line with your holiday digital detox.

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But if you're like me and creativity is a

non-negotiable daily thing, then in this

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episode, I'm sharing some ideas to help

you keep creatively engaged while you're

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away from home and away from your usual

routine and your usual creative materials.

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So here we go.

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Tip number one, pack smart.

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So your first consideration is

probably what materials or tools

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you can feasibly bring with you,

especially if you're flying as opposed

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to taking a road trip in a car.

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But then there is the issue of how much

space you'd have to actually do your

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work when you get to the destination.

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If you're staying in a hotel or an

Airbnb, or even a caravan, you might at

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least have some desk space, but if that's

not the case, Then just scale down.

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If you can't bring a laptop to write your

novel, how about a notebook to journal

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or jot down ideas for upcoming chapters?

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If you can't bring your big musical

instrument, like a keyboard.

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Throw in a guitar or a ukulele.

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If your musical practice.

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Obviously that might not work if

you're flying, but yeah, if you're

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driving the car, it's easy to pop.

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Or ukulele in and have a little strong

when you get to your destination.

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If you can't bring your large canvas

and paints, pack a sketchbook and

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a case of pencils or colored pens.

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All go digital with an iPad and an app

like procreate, which is especially good.

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If you were going to

bring the iPad anyway.

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And then it does double duty.

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Which is a good travel hack.

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Personally, I always travel with an 85.

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Sketchbook and a black fine

line, a pen in my carry on.

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So I can do some doodling on the

plane or while waiting in transit.

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It's my go-to creative thing.

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And.

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While I do miss working with color

after a while these two basics will

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get me through my travels every time.

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And that includes car trips and

camping, which we do a lot of.

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Obviously not while I'm driving.

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Uh, tip number two is create a routine.

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So yeah, when you're traveling.

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You're usually out of your usual

routine, but you can create a

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temporary one for the travel period.

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So set a regular time of the day.

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For example, first thing, when you get

up or last thing at night, Or maybe

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it's that moment when you return to your

accommodation from the day's adventures,

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whatever works for you, but just pick

a time to sit down and be creative.

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And remember it doesn't have to

be longer than five or 10 minutes.

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But even that amount of time will

reconnect you to your creative practice.

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You'll probably find it to be quite a

grounding activity, especially if you're

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like me and you're inclined to feel.

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Overstimulated when in a new place

or doing lots of socializing.

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And this tip is really for folks like

me who want to practice every day.

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But if your trip away is specifically to

have a total break in routine, then that's

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okay to enjoy your break without guilt.

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Tip number three, pivot.

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Now I believe the rules on

what you can take on an airline

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now include knitting needles.

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But there was a time back in 2010

when I wanted to knit, but I could

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only take a crochet hook on a plane.

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So I learned to crochet in anticipation

of this flight and I ended up making a

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cute little Buray for my newborn nephew,

who I went to visit in New Zealand.

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And similarly, if it's impossible

for you to practice your preferred

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craft outside your studio.

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Take the opportunity to pick up something

new, even just for the travel period.

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Because of doing something new,

keeps your creative practice fresh

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anyway, and it might bring a new

perspective to your usual practice.

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And this point kind of leads me

to tip number four, take a class.

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Because learning about the traditional

cuisine, the wine or the craft of a

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region is one of the joys of travel.

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So take a cooking class, an

interactive wine making tour.

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A traditional dance class or

a workshop in local textile

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crafts, ceramics, or printmaking.

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Not only do these activities

connect you to the culture and the

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traditions of the place you visiting.

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But you might also get inspired to pursue

a new form of creativity once you return.

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I have nothing else.

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You've nourished your creative

soul for a few hours and possibly

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even have an item you've made

yourself to take home as a souvenir.

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The main part of my trip.

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And the reason I'm going at this

time is to participate in an art

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retreat, led by UK artist, Camilla

Perkins, and it's organized through

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a us based company called ACE caps.

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Travel.

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They offer a wide range of

creative experiences in gorgeous

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locations, all over the world.

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And, oh my goodness.

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Looking at their website, I just

wanted to go on every trip they offer

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because they all just look so amazing.

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Um, this is not an endorsement by the way.

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And of course I'm yet to

actually live the experience.

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Um, I'll certainly report back on

how it all went when I returned.

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But, uh, this is just to say that

there are companies out there who

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offer tours based around creative

interests, for those who want to

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have that focus on their holidays.

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Also Airbnb, as well as

accommodation, they offer experiences.

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You can book wherever you're traveling to.

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And many of those are creative

workshops and events that are

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linked to the local culture.

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I'm sure there must be others.

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You could Google, but classes or

workshops are a great way to keep

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creative while now on your travels.

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Tip number five, just try some new things.

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, You think it would go without saying, but.

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When you're traveling, unless you're

an intentional adventure seeker.

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It's quite possible that we tend to

gravitate to experiences that are not

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too dissimilar to our usual lives.

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Really.

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You know, we want to be comfortable

and stick to what we're familiar with.

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So I tend to see myself as adventurous

with food, for example, because

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there's, there's nothing really in

Western food that I really don't like.

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But if I really think about it, I'd

probably shy away from things like eye

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bowls and crickets, because they're very

unfamiliar and way out of my comfort zone.

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But.

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Outside the comfort zone is a place

fertile with possibilities for the

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most memorable of life's moments.

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And these moments can be the inspiration

for future creative projects.

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So eat the eyeball, go

hike, the unfamiliar trail.

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We'll book, the unconventional,

accommodation, and experience something.

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Uh, other than the main attractions.

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And number six, take photos.

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You probably already doing this

when you travel, but if you approach

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taking pictures, being really

observant, noticing the details.

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Seeing the beauty in vast open landscapes.

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Centuries old buildings

or even super modern ones.

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They can be called to shoot as well.

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Things like a plate of unusual

food, a cheerful table setting

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locals going about their daily

life or bustling vibe at markets.

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What else shells on a beach.

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It takes a creative eye

to notice these things.

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And when you do, you'll start

seeing every ordinary thing is

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beautiful and a lender was stunning.

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Holiday pics.

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Of course, he could go a creative

step further and sketch these scenes.

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Write music or a poem about them.

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But taking photos either with

an SLR camera or your phone

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is an easy and portable way to

keep creative while on the go.

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Tip number seven journal.

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Another very portable and time friendly.

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Creative activity is journaling.

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And when you're traveling, there are

so many new experiences to write about.

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So get it all down on paper, even if

it's just dot point descriptions or

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of your accommodation, the excursion

you went on, or the food you ate.

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Even if your trip is for work or

visiting family, simply journeying

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away from your home and being

somewhere different, brings a new

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perspective, worth noting in a journal.

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And this process could be the start of

a brainstorm for your next big project.

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So that's all for this episode.

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I'll be back in a couple of weeks

and no doubt, I'll be filled to

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the brim with creative inspiration,

not just about the techniques.

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I'll be learning.

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During the retreat, but also

just from immersing myself in the

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Italian culture and the beauty and

the experiences I'll have there.

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Oh my gosh.

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I can't wait.

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And so if you're traveling these holidays

or planning to in the future, I hope

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these tips will keep your creative

juices flowing while you're away.

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It's just a matter of setting

some intentions and doing

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some planning before you go.

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So until next episode in a few weeks

time, keep creative and bye for now.

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I hope you enjoyed this

episode of The Joyful Creative.

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If you did, be sure to subscribe

so you catch them every week.

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And if you can, please take a moment

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friend so the podcast can reach more

people who need support and inspiration.

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Thanks for listening and keep creative.