As a writer, Hugo Sebastian Hirsch is always in search of inspiration. The founder of several successful blogs, Hirsch is considered an expert in his field and is often the go-to source of information and advice for beginning and experienced bloggers alike. Hirsch therefore has a keen understanding of the value of uncovering the experiences and circumstances that stimulate the kind of sustained productivity necessary for the success of any writer regardless of the subject or area of expertise. For Hirsch and countless others, travel is the most effective — and often most enjoyable — method for finding inspiration.
“Experiencing places and cultures different from my own has enabled me to adopt new and interesting perspectives in my writing, allowing me to develop a deeper understanding of the many factors that influence the manner in which we all see the world,” says Hirsch, a writer whose travel experiences include many off-the-beaten-path destinations, though he also enjoys any place that is of cultural or historical significance. “When I travel, I do not do so with any specific intent — unless I am on assignment, of course. Instead, I carry the journal I take with me everywhere and simply write notes about what I experience each day so that I can reflect on it later with greater depth.”
Hirsch says that he finds it best to write about a place after having left it. He believes that this practice enables him to see the contrast between people and places all the more clearly, and it also allows him to enjoy the experience of travel. After all, what can someone really experience if they are spending all of their time working or thinking about work?
“Hemingway famously spent a lot of time writing as an expatriate in Paris, but he also said that most of his writing there focused on the time he spent in Michigan,” says Hirsch. “When he returned stateside, Hemingway was able to write about his time in Paris with the benefit of reflection and the passage of time, and who am I to disagree with a man whose writing reputation is so sterling?”