I’ve just returned to Melbourne after 12 weeks travelling around the USA and Canada and it’s time for me to create a happy, creative space for me to get my big ideas in order and get to work on them. I thought I’d share with you the things I found essential in creating a happy work space.

• Get a bookshelf for all those books that you use for inspiration and take the time to set it up in a way that makes you happy when you look at it and makes it easy for you to find the things you’re always looking for. Shelves make it easier to spot what you’re looking for than boxes

• Invest in pretty stationery. It’s much more fun to write your notes on a pretty notepad in brightly coloured pens, than it is to scribble everything down on the back of used envelopes and napkins. Allow yourself to get a notebook for each of your big ideas if you prefer to handwrite. It keeps everything together in one place and you can add it to your bookshelf.

• Add some artwork to your space. Having pretty cards or prints in your creative space makes it a much nicer place to be when you’re on a deadline or you’re itching to get outside.

• Have a calendar or diary (that works for you) and make it as colourful as you wish. I find it’s easier to plan a timeline on paper, so I like to have a calendar on my desk with colours signifying different things. It makes it easier for me to see how things fit together. Even if you’re more an online calendar person, most will allow colour coding for you to see how your plans and projects come together.

• Have a place for everything. If you can get creatively messy like me, you’ll know how great it is to have somewhere to put everything when the working day is over. There’s nothing like walking into an organised work space in the morning and knowing where everything is. It’s much better than one where you walk in and feel instantly overwhelmed. Having somewhere for your projects to live whilst your working on them can make your space happy and welcoming for you.

I found that these helped me to feel more at home in my new, much smaller, work space and feel less overwhelmed with getting back into a working frame of mind after 12 weeks exploring North America. Even if you are already settled in your work space these could help you to check that your space is working the best it can for you.

Dannielle is a blogger, serial organiser and passionate traveller. She has a secret love of 90s teen movies and can often be found on Twitter. In 2013, Dannielle packed up her life in Melbourne into one suitcase and moved to Canada to make her crazy dream of a more adventurous life happen. But she quickly found the inspiration she was searching for was in Melbourne and has recently returned home. You can find out more on her blog.

I’ve been travelling across the USA and Canada for about 8 weeks now, and whilst my plans to stay long term in Canada have changed, I’ve been doing my best to keep my creativity flowing on the road so I’m refreshed when I get back to Melbourne after 12 weeks away.

The novelty of travelling and living out of a suitcase can get old pretty quickly, especially if you thought packing light was an amazing idea and now you’re just sick of wearing the same outfits over and over.

Here are my top tips for staying creative on the road:

• Have a packing system. Know what you’ve got and how to pack it easily. I roll everything I can and put an elastic band around it to keep it small, and keep my shoes in the dust bags they give you with handbags (then you don’t have to worry about dirt in your suitcase). A tidy suitcase takes the stress of packing a suitcase explosion on checkout morning and allows you to fit more goodies you pick up along the way.
• Walk where you can. You see more of the everyday activities that go on in a place if you walk around it. Take the time to wander. Look in the shop windows and see what you find. It may surprise you.
• If the weather is good visit the local park or garden. Take a book or sketchpad and allow your thoughts to wander. Listen to the sounds and people watch. If it’s winter and snowy, visit an ice skating rink and just soak up the atmosphere.
• Visit a book shop, an independent one if you can find one. Find your favourite section and take the time to see what titles they have on the shelves. See what’s popular, it may just spark an idea that you never would have thought of at home. If you’re feeling adventurous, pick a section of the bookshop you’d never visit at home and see what pops out at you.
• Get your camera out. It doesn’t have to be a top of the range, bells and whistles camera for you to stop, look around and see your surroundings. Use your phone if that’s what you’ve got. Make a point to see where you are and be in that moment. It’s amazing what you see when you look. Extra tip: Don’t forget to look up! (I must have walked through Flinders Street Station a million times before I stopped to look up and see the beautiful ceiling)
• Buy a local magazine about something you’re interested in. Even if you can’t read the words, it’s always interesting to see how other cultures approach things and how they present them.
• Keep your headphones off and ride the public transit. If you’re in a city with good public transportation, pick a place to go and take a ride. Listen to the sounds, the conversations and hear how the people live. Even if you can’t understand a word they say, enjoy how the sounds are different to what you’re used to.
• Take a break and be kind to yourself. Travelling gets tiring, especially when everything feels go, go, go. Pick a night or a weekend that’s just for relaxing. Put on your favourite music, grab that book you’ve had no time to read, order in something delicious and just enjoy the break.

If you can do a combination of these you may feel more inspired and relaxed while your away and carry that through to when you’re back home. I know that I have felt more inspired on this trip than I have in a long time. But even if you’re not travelling, some of these tips would work at home as well.

Dannielle is a blogger, web designer, serial organiser and passionate traveller. She has a secret love of 90s teen movies and can often be found on Twitter. In 2013, Dannielle is packing up her life in Melbourne into one suitcase and moving to Canada to make her crazy dream of a more adventurous life happen. But she quickly found the inspiration she was searching for is on her way back to Melbourne. You can find out more on her blog.

By Dannielle Cresp

Since I was fortunate enough to attend the design and blogging conference Altitude Design Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah in January, I thought I’d start this new column off with some tips on how to get organised for a conference like Alt.

Get Ready

• Look at the schedule as soon as it’s released and choose the sessions that are the best fit for you
• If you’re looking to talk with sponsors: know who they are ahead of time and choose a couple to make time to speak with
• Go with an open mind. A conference like Alt is a great place learn about things you hadn’t considered for your creative business or blog
• Pack your business cards and your smile. Business card exchange is a big part of Alt. It’s a great way to start a conversation with other creatives and to make some new friends
• Have your elevator pitch for your creative business or blog ready. The question you will get asked most after ‘Do you blog?’ is ‘What’s your blog about?’ If you’re not a blogger you can read this as ‘Tell me a bit about your creative business’. Have something that can get a conversation going.

When You’re There

• Even if you don’t know anyone, take a deep breath, smile and say hello to someone new. Ask if they’ve been before and about what they do.
• Take a breather when you need it. Not all conferences are the same as Alt where they have a lounge for you to take a break, but if it’s getting too much, allow yourself some space.
• Take a notepad, pens or the electronic device of your choice to the sessions and take all the notes and photos that you want to. There’s so much going on you’ll want a memory trigger later, to remember what you saw and heard.
• Put your hand up. If you have a question for the speaker or the panel, ask it during the Q&A at the end of the session. It’s your chance to ask them and there’s probably someone else who wants to ask it, but hasn’t found the right words.
• Go to the parties or evening events, even just for a short time. If you’re shy like me, you might not want to, but the networking that comes from them makes it worth feeling a little out of your comfort zone.
• Keep non-attendees in the loop. If you’re on social media share a photo or a quote from your favourite speaker. Ask your followers if they have a question that they’d love for you to ask on their behalf.

After it’s Over

• Take a day or two to come down from it. It can be a really heavy feeling after a big conference, and you don’t want to let the inspiration slip away, but you don’t want to get burnt out either. Take some time to chill after and you will be able to turn that inspiration into something awesome easier than if you’d forced it.
• Follow up. Email that sponsor you had a great conversation with. Add your new friends to your Twitter or follow them on your preferred social media network. Email them for a catch up.
• Share your experience with others. In person, on your blog or website, on Flickr or social media. Attendees, the organisers of the conference and non-attendees alike would love to hear/see how you found the conference from your point of view

Most of all remember that being ready for a conference like Alt allows you time to have fun and soak it all in. After all, you went there for the whole experience. I hope this helps you enjoy your conferences like I enjoyed Alt.

Dannielle is a blogger, web designer, serial organiser and passionate traveller. She has a secret love of 90s teen movies and can often be found on Twitter. In 2013, Dannielle is packing up her life in Melbourne into one suitcase and moving to Canada to make her crazy dream of a more adventurous life happen. You can find out more on her blog.