The summer holidays are speeding by but we hope that you’re managing to find time to take part in the Creative Summer Challenge to keep a visual journal of the summer. As it’s summer (in the UK), which is a time for holidays and living life a little differently, let’s act like a tourist for the week and see if different experiences can inspire us to fill our visual journals.
If you wander around a big city, you can easily spot the tourists who are in a constant discovery mode. Tourists look around at everything and stand in awe, while everybody else passes by without looking, absorbed in their daily routine. Jump on the train and as tourists gaze bright eyed out of the window or excitedly plan their day with their friends, the commuters sit silently reading their newspaper or scrolling through their phones, oblivious to the passing countryside and towns.
You may be on holiday this month, in which case you won’t need any ideas for how to act like a tourist.
But if you’re at home you can still be a tourist in your own town. If you have children it can be fun to play at virtual holidays by pretending to be in a different country each day, learning some phrases, eating the food, wearing the right clothes …
A TOURIST IN YOUR OWN TOWN
Grab your camera and actively seek things to photograph or sketch in your local area. Here are a few ideas for some activities that might provide some inspiration.
Go into town using a different mode of transport to usual or take a different route
Visit the local museum, art gallery or historic house and linger for a traditional afternoon tea
Take a walk down paths or into villages that you usually just pass by
Raise your eyes above the shop fronts to see the different buildings along the street
Pack a picnic and explore a local country park or forest
Pose for a selfie in front of your favourite building or sit on a bench and watch the world go by
Design a tourist trail for your area
Make a set of postcards like these
PROMPTS
If you enjoy the challenge of using a prompt to fill your visual journal, here’s the list for this week.
VISTAS AND VIEWS
ABOVE MY HEAD
WISH YOU WERE HERE
EXPLORE
DOORWAY
JOURNEY
WEARING
There’s no pressure to share your work online but you can post it onto our Facebook page, tag @Slamseys in Instagram or leave a link to your blog in the comments below this or any of the Challenge posts.
For more information about the Slamseys Creative Challenge for Summer 2018, read Introduction to the Creative Challenge
SLAMSEYS 
I’m reading all these ideas with great interest, Anne – and tomorrow I’m off to London so I shall be playing the tourist as you suggest above!
Where is the first photo taken Anne? It is fascinating, like a storybook photo. This is always a good idea, there are many in things in our local area that we are yet to discover!
It’s Bodiam Castle in Kent. Not only is the setting beautiful, but in the summer you can visit by steam train.
Must admit that I pinched the Tourist in Your Own Town from you 🙂
I do need to get out and about more with my camera … especially in our local town! Great idea .. thanks Anne 🙂
I felt ridiculously conspicuous with my camera and kept expecting someone I knew to ask me what I was doing.