| There's a certain kind of traveler that loves | | | | or 'writing' but to engage in the world |
| art and beauty. She seeks it out and spends | | | | through art and writing. The process, not the |
| hours trolling through museums, wandering | | | | product, is what is valuable here. |
| around cathedrals and looking, seeing so much | | | | |
| that she may develop a sore neck, or worse, | | | | What's the result of all this paying |
| Stendhal's Syndrome. Stendhal, a 19th century | | | | attention? When we slow down, connect to our |
| French novelist, was so overcome with the | | | | creative core and really see, we are more |
| beauty of Florence that he developed symptoms | | | | present. The whirl of impressions doesn't tug |
| of disorientation - dizziness, sweating, and | | | | at our senses, clamoring for attention. A |
| overwhelm. Over the years, others have | | | | reflective peace settles us deep in the |
| reported similar symptoms when faced with so | | | | scene, allowing us to become part of the |
| much beauty. The lover of art and beauty is | | | | landscape, rather than skimming over or |
| forced to take refuge in café breaks and | | | | passing through. It is no coincidence that |
| deep naps at the hotel. Art, however, can | | | | both Franck and Goldberg are Zen |
| provide the solution for too much beauty. Not | | | | practitioners. And while we don't need to |
| viewing it, but doing it. | | | | become Zen masters to experience the world |
| | | | deeply, adopting the method of slowing down |
| Simple art exercises provide a way for a | | | | and seeing can enrich our travels and our |
| traveler to absorb the splendors of travel in | | | | lives at home. |
| a deep, meaningful, and lasting way. Quick | | | | |
| sketches done as a drawing or a brief writing | | | | Using art as a means to engage with a place |
| of details offer an opportunity to slow down | | | | empowers you, not just as a witness, but as |
| and really soak up a setting. Artist | | | | someone who is involved in the creative act. |
| Frederick Franck, in his book The Zen of | | | | Journey of the Senses, an American tour |
| Seeing, encourages drawing as a way to turn | | | | operator, leads tours that focus not on a |
| overwhelm into depth an intimate way. | | | | stream of sights, but on engaging profoundly |
| "Atmospheres build themselves up out of a | | | | with a few experiences. The trip to Provence |
| million imperceptible micro details, elements | | | | includes a visit to a goat cheese farm, an |
| often too minute, too fleeting for the | | | | olive oil tasting and a wine tasting. In |
| conscious mind to pick up. The eye-heart-hand | | | | California, participants are invited to |
| reflexes notes down, so that the buildings, | | | | connect with the landscape. Redwood forests, |
| and even the faces that form themselves on | | | | beach coves and grassy hills become the |
| the paper become unmistakably Roman, Indian, | | | | guides for slowing down and seeing. Alongside |
| Parisian, or Japanese." | | | | the visits are lessons in gesture drawing and |
| | | | free writing. Using these creative tools, |
| By pausing to capture impressions, a traveler | | | | participants get closer to the experience and |
| becomes more than a sponge, absorbing | | | | take home not only a guidebook of their own |
| paintings, sculptures, and dramatic | | | | design, but a memory that holds them more |
| buildings. When you pause to create something | | | | deeply. Drawings and free writes provide a |
| in the moment, you are able to connect from | | | | more personal chronicle than photos. Looking |
| the deep well of yourself to the thing you | | | | over a notebook from the trip that includes |
| are drawing. A Provencal place, an array of | | | | your art and words is a visceral reminder of |
| vegetables from the local market, and a | | | | place and atmosphere. |
| crumbling pile of Roman ruins come alive | | | | |
| under the gaze of an artist. The world | | | | Cooking instruction is another branch of art |
| becomes more vivid when you look to see what | | | | that can deepen a traveler's experience. |
| you can draw or capture in a paragraph. | | | | Dozens of cooking abroad programs can attest |
| Everything can be interesting, when you are | | | | to the power of food as a way to explore a |
| willing to truly see it. | | | | region. The palette of a region is a |
| | | | reflection of its unique history, art and |
| Franck's books on the subject of seeing more | | | | heritage. The French call this 'gout de |
| through drawing are delightful. His drawings | | | | terroir' or taste of the earth. A participant |
| are expressive and well wrought. The sketches | | | | in Arles bemoaned the fact that her bakery in |
| leap off the page and bring the viewer into | | | | California couldn't make baguette with the |
| the scene. It may be intimidating to the | | | | same crunchy texture. The gout de terroir, |
| novice artist to see such craft. People often | | | | which includes the method of growing, |
| claim that they 'can't draw a straight line', | | | | cultivating and cooking foods, provides a |
| meaning that their artistic talents are nil. | | | | unique and regional flavor. Through market |
| The same is true for writing. Postcards home | | | | tours and a gradual building of palette of |
| often don't stray from the formulaic | | | | flavors, techniques and local ingredients, |
| recitation of events. Franck insists that | | | | travelers literally take in the sense of a |
| 'seeing' rather than 'looking at' is the key | | | | region. |
| not only to better art, but richer life | | | | |
| experience. Capturing the essence of a place | | | | A fun art exercise is to have participants |
| or a moment doesn't require great artistic | | | | wander a city's streets, choosing one detail |
| talent or extensive polishing. Simply slowing | | | | to draw. In a Journey of the Senses tour in |
| down, paying attention, and releasing | | | | Arles, participants sketched the doors found |
| expectations of 'good' drawing or writing is | | | | on one street. This allowed them to gain a |
| the recipe for expressing something that | | | | deeper understanding not only of the |
| months later will recall a special experience | | | | architecture of the city, but of themselves. |
| from a trip. | | | | "When I stopped to draw the doors, I saw so |
| | | | much more. I thought I had a perceptive eye, |
| Natalie Goldberg, author of Writing Down the | | | | but it was only when I slowed down to draw |
| Bones, applies similar concepts to writing. | | | | did I realize that I could see more detail, |
| Her technique, 'free writing', invites the | | | | and get closer to what was around me," said |
| writer to choose an object or a subject and | | | | Sherell, a 2005 participant. |
| write without stopping. No editing, pausing, | | | | |
| crossing out or judgment is allowed in the | | | | In a world that constantly calls for more, |
| process. When using this as a travel tool, | | | | more, more, using art as a travel tool is an |
| you are able to engage with the details of a | | | | invitation for deeper, deeper, deeper. We |
| place. Your verbal snapshot of the bartender | | | | travel to escape our normal routine. We |
| at the local café, or of the taxi driver | | | | refresh our spirits in the face of great |
| who zoomed you through the streets of Paris | | | | beauty and achievement. By bringing ourselves |
| become vivid reminders of a moment. Rather | | | | into the creative dance, we give ourselves a |
| than write about a day in which you took in a | | | | richness that surpasses the photos we take |
| thousand new impressions, you can zero in on | | | | and the treasures we buy and bring home. A |
| one or two experiences and chronicle them in | | | | renewed sense of confidence, a more sharply |
| a deeper way. Like Franck, Goldberg insists | | | | honed eye and an appreciation for the simple |
| that the work be allowed to unfold without | | | | things are treasures that we can use again |
| judging it. The point is not to produce 'art' | | | | and again in our own town and on other trips. |