Make Your Creative & Graceful Return

When you come home from a trip of any length, you’re not the same person. You’re just not. It’s impossible to go out into the world and not be affected.

If you’re like me, you want to make the most of what the world has given you. You embrace the gifts of the journey – new possibilities, insights and confidence.

But it’s easy for all that to slip away into the ignorosphere – that place where your ideas and possibilities exist but you don’t do anything about them.

I’m just off the plane from Paris – actually two trains, three planes and two busses, not to mention airport shuttles.
I’m still in motion. It’s like that feeling you get stepping off a moving walkway, still cruising but off-balance while you try to integrate the new pace.

But I’m happy to be back in the office and using my tools from my e-book The Graceful Return to get my footing. In this week’s newsletter I want to share what I’m doing to cull the juice from my trip to Paris.

It would be easy to pull an article together from the e-book, and I often do that. But this time I’ll share what I jotted in my journal on the way home.
What does a graceful return look like?

I’m figuring that out with every return. There’s always the argh! factor to deal with – for me this time it was missing a call where I was the guest speaker. I had the wrong time for another appointment and obsessed over jagged fingernails. A spoiled lemon in the fridge….

You have your version of this upon your return. For my part, I try to cope with the snafus with compassion and self-forgiveness. No real crimes were committed with my blunders and no one was hurt. It’s being patient with myself as I get a grip and seek grace in every moment.

Making My Graceful Return

The day before I left Paris, I took a long walk. I strolled for hours and spent a lovely few hours in the Père Lachaise cemetery.

I asked myself these questions:

1. What ideas, beliefs, new goals or desires am I bringing home with me?
2. What was the gift(s) from this trip?
3. How will I make use of them once I’m home?

I let the questions sift in my mind as I strolled, then sat in a café and made notes. I also made videos while walking, sharing my thoughts in my favorite spots in Paris.

Your Graceful Return Practice:

Before you return home, ask yourself a few questions that allow you to sort and contain your inspiration.

Harvesting Creative Ideas

Travel stimulates our creativity tremendously and this trip was no exception.

I generated tons of new ideas for my art: a show of my illustrated journals, new ways to share the journals online, at least 3 dozen ideas for videos. It’s a whirl of excitement in my brain and heart – the French say ‘esprit’ to mean both mind and spirit. My esprit is completely charged up and exploding with possibility.

For Original Impulse, I got a slew of new ideas: fun ways to give more treats to you, a new teleclass idea, a possible excursion in Paris in October, new illustrations for my web site…the ideas are endless for my work, too.

If I didn’t write them down, I’d go nuts with possibility and then nothing would happen. During my balade (long stroll) in Paris, I’d pause to make notes and generate a list. I’ll expand on the list with a mindmap and an action list.

Your Graceful Return Practice:

Make a list or mindmap of creative ideas and things you will to act on when you return. Bring your pie in the sky ideas down to the page!

Physical and Emotional Self-Care

A friend told me that I was probably storing up all the emotions and energies from the trip. Once home, in my comfort zone, I’d probably feel them more and perhaps experience a post-trip meltdown of sorts.

I usually cry on the plane and feel very emotional en route. I’m not always comfortable, I’m eating bad food and my body is going through this bizarre thing known as transcontinental travel.

So when I get home I need to make sure there’s a nurturing environment for my body and esprit.

First off there’s my favorite cappuccino in the morning! I make sure to relish my lotions and new body care products that I bought. I plan a yoga class for the first day or two after I come back and I’ve got a massage scheduled for next week. And I make sure to get my vegetables and make a delicious first meal at home.

Your Graceful Return Practice:

Make sure you’ve got as much self-care rituals in place as possible, and choose at least two – good food, bubble bath, yoga, whatever – for that first day back.

One last practice

However your graceful return looks, be sure to leave at least a day buffer between your journey and your re-immersion into your routine. If you can, make an appointment with yourself to continue making notes and plans. Keep juicing the muse’s gifts from the journey.

I’d love to know about your best practices for your graceful returns. Please leave a comment here sharing your strategies.

For more strategies on how to make the most of your trip once you’ve come home, check out The Graceful Return.