Travel sketching deepens the travel experience by encouraging connections and interactions with locals and fellow travelers. The author shares a personal story of encountering a kind stranger in Cuenca, who offered a ride in exchange for a portrait drawing. By using a sketchbook instead of a camera, the author engages with others meaningfully and finds that urban sketching serves as an icebreaker, especially for introverts. Travel sketching not only documents experiences but also opens the door to building community through art.
"No money," he said. "But maybe you can draw my portrait?" This spontaneous kindness perfectly encapsulated the beauty of connecting through art while traveling.
Travel sketchbooks are great conversation starters, especially for introverts such as myself, perpetually afraid of being the one to break the ice.
From Medellín to Amsterdam, just about every major city in the world has a Facebook group for urban sketching meetups, which are not only great opportunities.
Drawings of people, places, animals, buildings, views, and everything else I encounter on my journeys as a digital nomad provide a unique narrative.
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