With Labor Day weekend among us, we knew we would have an extra day to spend time with each other, and as such we decided to use one day of our three-day weekend to spend time apart and with family or friends. Sarah spent the day with one of her friends sweating it out in yoga, horseback riding, shopping Newburyport, MA. Phil spent the day in Wolfeboro, NH helping his brother at a Farmer’s Dinner event held at the Pickering House Inn. This event is similar to the one we wrote about back in May.

Though we were apart, we actually had similar feelings with our surroundings. You see, we spent time with other creatives and capture inspiration again. As you may know, Sarah does the writing for the blog and most of the captions for our Instagram page–@writetogetaway–and Phil mainly handles the photos and all the editing. Even though we may not feel creative at times, we find ways to become rejuvenated, reinspired and renewed because we know that this blog has become an outlet where we can express ourselves. Some of our go-to ways to remove our creative roadblocks include spending time with other creatives in different fields, watching movies and TV shows, visiting museums, and interacting with various outlets such as blogs, social media, and videos.

One of the most inspiring professions to watch unfold is within the culinary world; we both love being around chefs any chance we can and this week we would like to showcase how Phil found inspiration in a small town resort town. We believe chefs are some of the most creative people out there due to how much they care much about their craft.

Phil’s brother is a chef and through his participation in The Farmer’s Dinner events, we have gotten to know a few others. One of the most impressive parts about these savory occurrences is their commitment to never repeating a menu from previous events. This means the menus they create are done from scratch each time. This in itself is no easy feat, but a challenge they love to attack. It is inspiring learning the process of creating a menu from determining what they want to serve, how they are going to highlight certain aspects of their fresh ingredients, and how to make it different from what someone may have eaten in the past. Seeing how a chef goes from a succulent idea to scrumptious plate is fascinating. A chef’s mind is constantly moving, thinking about the unique variations of what they want to serve and what pairs with what. This process also includes trial and error and seeing what works and what could be improved upon. The best part of being around chefs is watching their technique in action, it is truly a craft and one we both admire. Oh and consuming their creations also has its benefits…

Here are a few key takeaways that we learned from spending time with other creatives:

• Be prepared – preparation is so crucial; it helps us when planning what to write about on the blog and what photos to take and share. Another piece of this, something will go wrong and to try to plan for the unexpected.
• Double check to make sure you have everything you need – how many times have to gone somewhere like a trip and realized you forgot something at home? Chefs have the same issue, but creating lists and checking suitcases or boxes of supplies will help us catch a mistake.
• Try something new – chefs are constantly tinkering. Even with all the recipes out there, opportunity is still there to create something new or produce a meal in a different way. For us, there are so many topics we can write about and different places and moments to capture so don’t shy away from trying new things.
• Remain calm as it will be stressful at times – there will be stressful moments or periods of time where you need to move quickly. Remaining calm can benefit your stress level and improve the whole experience.
• Don’t be afraid to fail – you will fail and there will be setbacks, but learning from these mishaps can only make you stronger.
• Sometimes you need a break – be sure to slow down, to not only take it all in, but celebrate your accomplishments for getting thus far.

We hope to continue spending time around other creatives such as bloggers, writers, artists, videographers, photographers, designers, and many more. Who are some people that inspire you? Where are places you go to draw inspiration from?