The restorative, creativity-boosting powers of taking a walk are well-noted (here's Maira Kalman on Brain Pickings about walks, and here's some recent research reported by the APA). As a non-sporty, fairly non-competitive person, I love a good walk. And if my work is feeling stale or off, going for a walk immediately helps.
We recently moved to a new neighborhood, and it's interesting to me how quickly we find our landmarks, our visual treats on our territory. I mean the small, odd details that make us feel that a place is ours: the miniature porch swing that hangs from the branches of a neighbor's tree (I'll get a picture of this sometime!), the bay window where a black and white cat is always perched, the bricks in the street and sidewalk that seem so thoughtfully placed when we look at them closely.
Walkers of the world, unite! What's your favorite place to walk? And what activities
do you prescribe yourself when you need a creative break?
