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The creative mind is a hungry mind. This is one of my firm beliefs. No one creates in a vacuum, and creativity whether in the arts or corporate world feeds on the ideas found in one’s surroundings.
We first absorb other people’s work and process it. Then our minds chew on this new information and suddenly releases a new idea. That’s how I came upon my idea for i ALLURE.
My family and I had planned a vacation to Vanuatu. It was there that I wore a silk kaftan for the first time. I loved it so much that I wanted more pieces but in the vibrancy and colour of my stunning surroundings. I wanted the fabulous blues and greens of a calm ocean, the bold tones of the tropical fauna and the soft hues of dusk and dawn. And so I decided to design my own kaftan line.
I was experiencing a brand new landscape and the novelty inspired my creativity. My hungry mind had been aching for something new and different, and in Vanuatu, it eagerly devoured everything it was fed.
Travel is one of the most powerfully transformative experiences that anyone from any walk of life can go through. People always find they have changed upon returning from their travels because they have drunk more deeply from the cup of life and have seen alternate ways of living and doing things. But few are aware that the main reason behind their surge in energy and creativity is because their hungry mind has been pulled out of its boredom and given something new to chew on.
Looking back I can see clearly how my experiences in Vanuatu inspired i ALLURE. I came back from that trip tanned, rested and yet, restless. I was in the midst transitioning from the corporate world to motherhood and the feast of new images, experiences, and people provided a surge of energy in my brain. I was vibrating with creative energy!
Today, travel is part of my regular routine, and it never fails to inspire new ideas. I’ve found that it doesn’t have to be intense and expensive. You don’t need to spend six months in a five-star chalet to be inspired. Even local trips to places you’ve never been can inspire new ideas. All that’s required is that you keep your eyes and mind open, and that you actively seek out the new and interesting.
That’s where I derive my own inspiration. I treat every commute to the office, every dash to the coffee shop and every trip around the world as exciting opportunities to see something new. So feed your brain with travel and it will feed you right back.
Christie-Ann Williams is the creator and director of i ALLURE beach and resort wear (www.iallure.com.au)
