This moment of discovery is the magical “a-ha” moment, the point at which an idea leaps into consciousness, a moment that is sudden, abstract and seemingly without logic.

There is abundant anecdotal evidence for the idea that some creative individuals produce their best known masterworks during or following a stint abroad (e.g. Ernest Hemingway and his The Sun Also Rises). In fact, all four winners of the Nobel Prize in literature spent significant portions of their lives abroad. In addition to writers, many famous painters, (e.g., Gauguin and Picasso) and composers (e.g.,Handel, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, and Schoenberg) created many of their most admired works while living in foreign countries.

All of these examples suggest that there may be something about the experience of living abroad that is important for the creative process, that spending time in new cultures can transform individuals into more creative beings.

As the Creative Director, I am a Danish and French speaking American-Australian. I have lived and worked across Denmark, France, and England, so I’m well acquainted with the benefits international travel has on a person’s creativity. It was important for me to build an in-house team with diverse, international backgrounds and ensure we look to the international landscape for inspiration, not just local influences.

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