City Escapism

City life is vital for our daily inspiration, the constant hum and buzz provides us with the energy we need to create and give back to others, adding to a vibrant current of ideas and thoughts. Art and culture, talks and words, our fellow humans – all is an inherent part of our daily life and creative process that we choose for ourselves deliberately, to make us who we are

Disrupting routines 

At some point in our hectic lives we have become so stuck in routine that we go through our daily jobs and tasks automatically. We adapt to the fast pace of the frantic city, running back and forth to meet people and requirements, not once stopping to gaze at the world, to listen to our own breath. 

We’re constantly facing an overload of information, media, sounds, both on- and offline. All day long, we need entertainment. Let’s face it: life in the city is loud. The constant sound of people screaming, cars honking and rushing by, dogs barking and construction sites hammering away from dusk till dawn. Our view is blocked by buildings, restricted to looking down streets or looking up to catch a glimpse of the sky above through the canopy of concrete and glass.

And once in a while, all of it simply becomes too much. Too many words, too many sounds, too many people. What we love becomes a nuisance, draining our energy and creativity. And suddenly, all we want is to: disrupt, leave and escape! Away from the buzz of the city that doesn’t know sleep. We long for a place where we can just be. No expectations, no deadlines, no phone calls. A lost place to clear our head and tune out our inner voice that constantly tells us to do something, go somewhere and be someone.

Peace of mind

Leaving the city behind, the distance growing with each minute and mile, with the silhouettes of skyscrapers appearing smaller and smaller in the rear mirror, it’s finally time to switch off. It’s here, in the midst of nowhere that we start to feel and be ourselves again. 

Walking and motion. How much we need it after the hours we spend sitting on a desk, a sofa, or lying in bed. The human body is made to move, to run wild and free. Outside, you choose your own pace. Walk if you want to walk. Pause if you want to pause. Run if you want to run. Scream if you want to scream.

Take a long walk along a shore accompanied by the constant sound of waves as rhythm to your steps. Driftwood piles up on a wild, untouched beach so quiet and secluded it’s almost unreal. In the woods, the soft ground covered in moss, the old trees crackling above you, the wind that softly whistles, you can find the utmost peace and serenity. Nothing else. The beauty of summer meadows, bees humming, birds singing, the rich scents of flowers hovering in the air, miles and miles of only green, and the bluest sky above. 

Let your mind run free

Take the time to stop for a moment, soak up the environment and breathe the fresh air. During long, aimless walks through the wilderness, the chaotic voices in your mind miraculously fade, and after a while, all there’s left is silence and peace of mind. A feeling of inner balance. It is in this mental state that we can doze off, let our thoughts drift without interference or direction, and let our minds run free. 

Creativity and powerful ideas are so often born out of boredom, of letting go, of doing nothing. When the head is clear, our mind rests, finally making room for new ideas. The thoughts that come and go – take the time to look at them, keep them or toss them. Play with ideas unconsciously, but don’t cling to them, let them come back to you, and surely they will.

In these moments, everything else and especially the city seems incredibly far away and one minute can feel like forever. As important as the daily buzz, this exact opposite is just as crucial for our inner balance. We all love the city, we need it, and we will return eventually, when we are ready – revived, inspired, and full of new ideas.