New Places
From a very young age I always judged a place by the simple question: Would I want to live here?
If I had followed through on all the places that made the selection I would have lived in Barcelona, at the Lago Maggiore, in Copenhagen, St. Moritz, Vienna, Dubrovnik, Tokyo, and the list goes on and on. The connection between all of these places was a feeling of inspiration. Maybe even foreseeing a version of myself in those places I wanted to accomplish at that time. Just recently during our trip through Asia, I realized again, that imagination has no limits and I still ask myself the same question when I visit a new place. However, in the meantime, I have turned some of those ideas into reality and collected experiences and references that made me think about it more.
What makes a place an inspiring place? Is it the environment, people, culture, and visual stimulation?
Living in a globally connected world, does being in the same place and the familiarity of it kill inspiration over time?
Why do we feel more inspired in some places than others? Is it about experiencing newness and the unknown or making deeper connections to what you already know?
Is inspiration tied to our need for productivity and purpose (e.g. via working, learning, or teaching)? Are we more inspired by a place if we contribute to the people and communities there? Does inspiration lead to belonging?
Are we capable of inspiring ourselves without triggers from the external environment, only from within, and being with ourselves? And does a certain way of living spark inspiration? Is it about the signals we share and receive with the world? Are we in a state of awareness and live with intention?
While I move between places and spend time in different cultures I came to realize that I pay more attention to detail.
The time I wanted to live in Barcelona I loved the idea of a city by the ocean. The time I chose St. Moritz it was all about the outdoor activities. Big cities like Tokyo were interesting to me for so many reasons. Paying attention to detail in this context mostly means paying attention to myself in new places.
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