Really enjoyed this piece Lou. Indeed, I also used to travel to write, indulging my fantasies of being an writer/artist-in-exile, hanging out with other bohemian, soon-to-become famous aesthetes in glamorous locations like Cap d'Antibes. But if Covid and my awareness of the increasing climate and ecological emergency (CEE) did anything good for me, it's been to force me to use my imagination and research skills to inform my protagonists' journeys; to swap my carbon-intensive flights for travel for slower, more sustainable modes of travel when possible (which I wrote about last year - https://www.unsustainablemagazine.com/real-fear-of-flying-train-vs-plane); and to consider the value of thinking globally but living / being connected locally. There is so much beauty in nature to explore and adventure to be had right on doorstep, if we look for it. And what, really, is a writer's job, but to use our minds and talents but to create new worlds for readers to enjoy, purely through exercising our imagination?
Really enjoyed this piece Lou. Indeed, I also used to travel to write, indulging my fantasies of being an writer/artist-in-exile, hanging out with other bohemian, soon-to-become famous aesthetes in glamorous locations like Cap d'Antibes. But if Covid and my awareness of the increasing climate and ecological emergency (CEE) did anything good for me, it's been to force me to use my imagination and research skills to inform my protagonists' journeys; to swap my carbon-intensive flights for travel for slower, more sustainable modes of travel when possible (which I wrote about last year - https://www.unsustainablemagazine.com/real-fear-of-flying-train-vs-plane); and to consider the value of thinking globally but living / being connected locally. There is so much beauty in nature to explore and adventure to be had right on doorstep, if we look for it. And what, really, is a writer's job, but to use our minds and talents but to create new worlds for readers to enjoy, purely through exercising our imagination?
Thanks, Jane! I have bookmarked your piece on sustainable travel too. Happy writing in situ :)
Thanks Lou - much appreciated!