Recent research supports what exchange students and expats have known for years: living abroad stimulates creativity.
This video summarizes the study, but here are the high points:
1) spending time abroad stimulates creative problem-solving skills
2) it does not appear to be simply a matter of creative people being more likely to live abroad
3) short-term travel doesn’t count–it’s really about spending significant periods of time immersed in another culture
4) “significant” may vary–for those who are truly immersed, there may be more benefits than for those who remain in a cultural bubble for a longer period
5) it’s possible to have a cultural immersion experience in your home country if you happen to have a community in which you can connect deeply
6) the earlier you go abroad, the more you are likely to be affected by and benefit from the experience
As I put it in The New Global Student: Go early, go solo, go long, go deep. In my next book, I’m looking at how moving abroad stimulates creativity and writing about what happens when new expats rediscover their talents and possibilities abroad.
You can bet that employers are paying attention to this study and that they’ll be looking for employees who have spent time abroad–and looking for ways to ensure that their current employees have more opportunities to spend time abroad as well.
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As a teacher, I’ve always wondered how you can teach creativity. I don’t know if creativity can be taught, but it can be awakened. I don’t know of a better way of awakening yourself than going on an epic journey.
My first trip abroad landed me in Santiago, Chile, and when I walked out of the airport and headed down the street, hearing strange voices, smelling strange aromas, and seeing the snow-capped Andes in the distance, something within me awoke.
I hope others can find the moxy to do something similar, because I have yet to meet someone who regretted their adventure.
I can’t wait for the new book, Maya!
Amen. I have lived 20 of my 43 years in 4 different countries and found that in addition to boosting creativity, by living in another country you supercharge your learning abilities.
Then, if you ever do return home, re-learning your home culture is a piece of cake, and your expanded awareness allows you to see opportunities that most locals are blind to.