Reminds me of a quote I saw today: "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes" - Marcel Proust
I suspect that seeking new landscapes (the external voyage) is infinitely easier than becoming aware of the extent of one's subjective interpretations and learning to see new perspectives. . . the real voyage. As a voyager yourself, would you say that travelling often results in "new eyes." -- This is not universal, of course. I have a relative who came back from Paris and said it was "boring," but I'm curious what you and other well-travelled people think (humanodon, the peripatetic flagamuffin, others in the hubskiverse?) mk once wrote: "Something about travel unlocks the present."
Yes, I was talking with a very close friend about this two days ago. She recently went to South America and we were trying to pin-point what makes traveling such an opening experience. People say "you should travel", but really, for what reason? I don't know if we came to a definitive answer, but "new eyes." was definitely part of it. It's interesting that mk said "travel unlocks the present", because to me traveling means putting the present on hold, so that you can reflect and learn. In terms of new eyes, the trip that I took last year was probably the best thing that's ever happened to me.
I myself wouldn't say I'm wildly well travelled. Outside of the UK I've visited France a few times, Austria, and California. For all those occasions, excluding maybe California, I was perhaps a bit too young to actually appreciate that fact that I was somewhere else in the world. I'll be heading out to Canada for 3 weeks later this summer visiting Vancouver, Jasper, Kelowna, Edmonton, and Banff. That'll be my first time abroad for about 5/6 years, so I'm really excited for it. I do however think the sentiment of that quote can apply to something I'm reasonably experienced in, and that's art. For me, trying to create unique pieces of music is about seeing seeing unique patterns and themes within the sounds and styles already around me, rather than explicitly trying to create or seek a new 'landscape'. I think that through that endeavour, you can bring new life to known 'landscapes'. On other hand, I don't think the you can be as black and white as the quote makes out. Experiencing new places can indeed unlock your perspective in ways you might not have imagined. Sometimes you need that external voyage to click into place before you can delve deeper into your own subjective existence. They inform one another.
For me, trying to create unique pieces of music is about seeing seeing unique patterns and themes within the sounds and styles already around me
Yes, in writing and teaching as well. I treasure those moments where something familiar takes on a new mystery. I'd give specific examples, but I'm writing on the run.
"New eyes" is a good way to put it. I feel like travel allows one to remove oneself from all the attachments of their everyday life and to relate to living. Knowing that one is alien in whatever context can also help people to see things that those who have acclimated and acculturated might not. I'm actually traveling myself at the moment and already I'm starting to feel like I'm freer and a bit more outside of myself.