The inspiration walk
MATERIALS: A MOBILE DEVICE THAT CAN STREAM AUDIO FROM THE INTERNET, HEADPHONES, NOTEBOOK, PEN, COMFY WALKING SHOES
TIME: 15 MIN (+ 5 MIN FOR INTRO AND 15 MIN DEBRIEF IF IN A GROUP)
THANKS: TANIA ANAISSIE & ERIK OLESUND - STANFORD D SCHOOL
LICENSE: CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION-NONCOMMERCIAL-SHAREALIKE 4.0 INT.
The Inspiration Walk is an immersive audio-learning experience designed to help you see things differently. It's an exercise in observation and synthesis that gets your body and mind moving into unexpected territory. Use it to find inspiration, more creativity, or challenge old ways of thinking.
All you need to take the Inspiration Walk is a mobile device connected to the internet that can stream audio, earplugs/headphones, a notebook, and a pen. The walk takes about 15 minutes and we recommend doing it in an outdoor space with some natural elements in it (trees, flowers, etc.). You will be guided throughout the entire experience but you'll choose your own path. At the end of the 15 minutes, you'll have collected inspiration for something you care about and discovered a thing or two about your own creative process.
On your own or with your team, whenever you need a fresh boost of inspiration for a challenge you're working on.
With a group of students, (if you're an educator) either as an activity during a class or as an individual assignment, to hone the skills of observation and show the power of changing one's perspective.
With a group of students, (if you're an educator) either as an activity during a class or as an individual assignment, to hone the skills of observation and show the power of changing one's perspective.
A key component of strengthening your creative confidence is to hone your ability to find inspiration in ways that fuel your design. Use the Inspiration Walk on your own or with a group to practice paying attention to the world around you and to use your environment as a source of inspiration.
Step 1
The Inspiration Walk is a guided audio experience that takes place outdoors, preferably in an environment with natural elements. Carve out 35-40 minutes to allow for setup, the walk, and a group debrief. (If facilitating a group). Each participant needs a mobile device connected to the internet that can stream audio, earplugs/headphones, a notebook, and a pen. And of course, whatever clothing they need to spend the next 15 minutes outside.
If you think you may not be able to stream content, download the audio on your own device using this Pre-download Audio link.
If you think you may not be able to stream content, download the audio on your own device using this Pre-download Audio link.
Step 2
If in a group, introduce the walk to your students:
Setup the Inspiration Walk as an immersive, individual audio experience used to practice your creative muscles.
Setup the Inspiration Walk as an immersive, individual audio experience used to practice your creative muscles.
Step 3
Go for a walk.
Ask participants to make sure they have all materials needed (see above) and ask them to pull out their mobile devices and navigate to this page.
From here, they'll be able to stream the Inspiration Walk.
Once they've pulled up the page, tell them to plug in their earplugs, grab their notebook and pen, and go outside. Once outside, they hit play. Once participants hit play, all instructions for what to do next are in the audiotrack.
Each participant will end up in a different location based on the choices they make along the way. Make sure they know how to get back to the location where you're meeting up after the experience.
Ask participants to make sure they have all materials needed (see above) and ask them to pull out their mobile devices and navigate to this page.
From here, they'll be able to stream the Inspiration Walk.
Once they've pulled up the page, tell them to plug in their earplugs, grab their notebook and pen, and go outside. Once outside, they hit play. Once participants hit play, all instructions for what to do next are in the audiotrack.
Each participant will end up in a different location based on the choices they make along the way. Make sure they know how to get back to the location where you're meeting up after the experience.
Step 4
Debrief:
Decide what you want the debrief to focus on:
The content: the act of changing your perspective, finding inspiration, and applying it to a creative challenge (most teams will pick this).
The format: the act of learning through an immersive learning audio experience (suitable for educators or education students). A common debrief structure we recommend has three layers: What? So what? Now what?
Decide what you want the debrief to focus on:
The content: the act of changing your perspective, finding inspiration, and applying it to a creative challenge (most teams will pick this).
The format: the act of learning through an immersive learning audio experience (suitable for educators or education students). A common debrief structure we recommend has three layers: What? So what? Now what?
Credits
Idea: Tania Anaissie, Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, Erik Olesund, Seamus Harte
Producer: Seamus Harte
Narration: Tania Anaissie, Erik Olesund
Post-production: Erik Olesund, Seamus Harte
Production help: Tania Anaissie, Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, Hannah Joy Root
More from Erik here
This is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence.
Producer: Seamus Harte
Narration: Tania Anaissie, Erik Olesund
Post-production: Erik Olesund, Seamus Harte
Production help: Tania Anaissie, Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, Hannah Joy Root
More from Erik here
This is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence.
