Watercolor by Josh Johnson
Here are 5 old school ways to be creative without benefit of WIFI, wires, keyboards, or kilobytes.
Watercolor
Watercolors are cheap, portable and easy to use. A few bucks will get you a watercolor set and a few more will get you a decent brush. In the hands of a master, watercolor is a magical medium indeed. In the hands of the rest of us watercolor is both fun and forgiving. I created the watercolor above while watching the sun set in Krabi, Thailand.
Collage
Take ordinary objects from the world around you and arrange them to tell the story of your journey.
Ticket stubs, jotted notes, newspaper clippings, currency, postcards…anything that offers a glimpse into the world you are inhabiting will take on an especially exotic air after you return to your seemingly mundane “normal life”.
Sketch
As our Journal Pages feature shows, sketching is a powerful way to flex your creative muscles and immortalize the moment while traveling. You don’t have to be an amazing artist, you simply need to grab a a pencil and start doodling.
Music
If you are traveling with a guitar or bongos on your back this is obvious, but making music shouldn’t exclusively be left to musicians. We all have the ability to drum a rhythm or hum a tune. Here’s an idea, grab some friends milling about the hostel or campsite and have an impromptu drum circle or sing along.
Music is perhaps the oldest art form and has been a part of building community, telling stories, relaxing and expressing creativity since times unremembered.
Poetry
Poetry grants the poet freedom to express beyond the limitations of form to express beautiful and abstract experiences. Your travel poetry need not be long or formally structured. Boil an epiphany down to a few raw ideas and words that evoke emotion.
Community Connection
What are your favorite no-tech ways to get down with your creative self? Share with us in the comments. And holy amazing analog creativity Batman, check out these journal pages!
About the Author
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14 Comments... join the discussion!
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Do any sort of painting pretty in frequently, I usually am just inspired to do something. I think I have watercolored only a couple times. The thing is watercolors are like 2 or 3 bucks so it makes the perfect little travel kit.
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Well you must have some natural talent! Your watercolor inspired me to buy a set and do the same……I went to bed that night ashamed and pissed off haha.
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Josh, beautiful watercolor! It reminds me of sunset on the Pacific coast. Thanks for sharing your talent!
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Great ideas Josh! I especially love the drum circle. So many people forget that musical expression can be a great creative outlet while you’re out on the road. It’s amazing how listening to a familiar tune from home can help you get over minor bouts of homesickness or help you connect to those around you. By the way, that watercolor is beautiful!
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There is something about singing together that is very powerful; Song is at the center of ritual in all cultures and spiritual traditions.
I’m a singing fool. I always got a song trying to jump out of my throat…
I remember singing amazing grace around a campfire and you could see that everyone is feeling it and some people are crying because they feel it. Songs can be so true, so healing.
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Josh, awesome picture! I don’t have that kind of talent, but I think you’ve included a good range of options here. Everyone can beat down on some bongos and hum a tune, right?
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Thanks Hal! You’re right; between any group of people there are probably dozens of songs ( or at least a chorus or two ) that everybody knows. I like to beat box and make up silly flows about the day or the people around.
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The watercolour piece is amazing, but trust me not everyone has the talent to just make something like that. I think i’ll stick with the collage.
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Gorgeous watercolor, Josh, and good call about going offline to create some beautiful travel memories.
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I really liked your article..
A good idea for music, is a harmonica, it’s small, light and brings people together..
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Greetings from Buenos Aires!↵ -
Hi Josh-
Cool post and definitely respect the reminder of the offline.
One thought to add –There seems to be a bit of a come-back story for the “don’t think, just shoot” non digital camera. Pick up a Lomographic Lomo camera or any of the old school cameras and head out for an afternoon.
No joke. It seems to be quite trendy in Shanghai. Here is the link: http://www.lomography.com/
Cheers,
Peter
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I recently went to a couple African countries, and whenever we would visit local tribes or villages for a night, they would always drum and sing for us, then invite us to sing one of our songs for them. I was always sad at how few people were willing to share with them. Western cultures must seem so boring and non-communal sometimes.
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Thanks for the collage idea Josh. I am putting together a newspaper clipping montage (in a frame) for a gift and need some creative ideas. Do you have any other suggestions?
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