Traveling outside of one’s culture has been known to be one of the greatest agents in awakening creativity.

The Blue Lagoon, Portland

Travel has the ability to take simple lessons and transform them into moments so powerful they can define a worldview forever. As we travel and investigate another’s culture, it seems we broaden our knowledge as well as learn some important lessons about ourselves. I began my summer rendezvous with a trip to my homeland Jamaica where I enjoyed time with family on the north coast before moving on to Portland where I participated in the 6th Annual Maroon Conference in Charles Town. The conference deepened my understanding of the Maroon society, a group that has withstood the effects of imperialism to hold steadfast to its African heritage and assert its identity.

Natural Beauty!

During my time in Portland, I stayed at the Goblin Hill Villas, a place so beautiful and pristine, it seems  lost in time. Goblin Hill brought me both spiritual tranquility and visual pleasure, reminding me of the how important is for us to step away from the often harsh routines of our daily lives and savor the simple pleasures of nature. The landscape delighted my senses with its magnificent beauty and charm. Truly, I have never before beheld such beauty.

Marvalous at the Piazza Venezia at the foot of the Capitoline in the heart of Rome.

Within a couple of days after returning from Jamaica, I jaunted off to Southern Europe to visit Greece and Italy and engaged in yet another experience which delighted the internal space of my creative imagination. In Europe I visited sites of  ancient cultures that have exerted significant influence on the arts, sports, politics, language and philosophy of the rest of the world. Greece, a legend among nations and an inspiration for creativity held me spellbound. I reveled in the knowledge that this is the place where the gods of fire, wind, earth and sky once roamed the earth, and here I was, walking in their footprints.

The Vatican City: Experiencing Religious Traditions in a Place of Holiness

In Italy, I experienced inspiration at every turn. As I viewed the grand monuments of the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica Rome, I was enthralled with the creativity of Michelangelo and his peers. I wondered about the hearts, hands, and minds that crafted such magnificence.  My trek through the Coliseum evoked memories of school days studying Julius Caesar and learning about the lifestyle of great emperors and the glory days of Rome. Now I truly understood the phrase, Rome was not built in a day!

Refreshing Great Minds With Savory Greek Cuisine:Members of the Creativity Team

Not only did my travels disrupt the habitual ways of thinking that dominate my life but I was ever so gently nudged to pause, digest, and reflect. … And think about the creative flair  I will bring to next steps in the larger journey of my life.