ART OF TRAVEL
Hundreds of thousands of miles flown in the past year and most of it just jumping pond between California & Hawaii for work. My art has turned into a full-time job as the demand for the artwork has gotten higher but also my balance between working in two different states.
Once a month since October I have been going back and forth. It is straining to say the least, but worth the stress because my bigger pieces can't physically be made in Hawaii until I figure out better shipping. So if anyone has some tips please throw them at me from shipping massive 80 pound pieces from the islands of Hawaii.
Back to the art of traveling. It is an art one has to master & once you do, it will feel like a breeze!
Traveling light because I fly standby and if you don't make a late night flight you better have your toothbrush and some warmer clothes. But as an artist having to bring a lot of my supplies (sander, mask, paints, brushes and other supplies), I usually have to dedicate a whole suitcase to the cause. Bobby & I were gifted those roller hardshell suitcases for Christmas and its been a lifesaver. Sadly now everyone has jumped on the white hardshell suitcase bandwagon so its time for me to splash paint all over mine ;)
How I like to pack and what I bring for the plane ride:
- rolling up all my clothes real tight
- wearing my flare pants to keep the ankles warm
- noise canceling headphones
- face mask to block out light
- small memory foam rectangle pillow (many uses always comes in handy)
- I love to wear a flowy cardigan or scarf to use as a blanket or to hide from everyone haha
- hard shell carry on usually holds all camera / art stuff :: then I check all my clothing in another
- briefcase or duffle for my art notebooks, laptops
- I recommend getting yellow tinted glasses for screen time on the plane so you don't strain your eyes. I balance between screen time, meditating (sleeping if I can), or just good old fashion journaling/book reading.
The list can go on and on. But one thing I can say is I always keep all my bags empty once I get to my destination and clear on a carry-around bag. It has come in handy when I have to couch hop or pack a suitcase to carry around art stuff for an event. Even mini roadtrips in california I'll leave some stuff at family's home and come back to it.
This is how it goes: I paint and go to the gallery and do lots of web stuff in Hawaii then pack and go with a day or two's notice to the mainland and start up or finish a piece in California. Then the day that piece is finished, I head back to Hawaii. I will say, I am getting the hang of it and I truly do enjoy the art of traveling. I am understanding how my body works and the recovery time it needs before and after each flight. Some day Bobby and I will live 6 months on and off from these two homes of ours, but for now its jumping ship as often as my body will allow!
let me know below what questions you have and I can do another post sometime in the near future about this traveling and tips. There is just way too much to talk about when it comes to this subject.
see more about this artwork above: click here