From Inspiration to Innovation: Slow Thinking in Ljubliana.

The photos by Alexandra Mateus capture the Coffee area of the Museum of Modern Art in Ljubliana, Kavarna Moderna. June 2023.

I am sitting outdoors at the Kavarna Moderna in Ljubljana, waiting for my Slovenian friend Katja to join. I decided to get a new blend of cultures and tune in with my creative self.

Thus, time after time, I check in with my inner self in a different cultural or natural context and immerse myself in slow thinking.

Without slow thinking, we constantly get distracted or involved in areas not aligned with our values or interests. That could lead to feelings of overwhelm, stress, and burnout. It can create disconnection, impacting our overall mental and emotional well-being and leading to unfulfillment.

Dedicating time, energy and space to slow down is a personal practice and a catalyst for collective growth, making me stay in lane.

So, whenever I return to my daily frenzy challenges, I feel energised and think faster and more sharply.

Here’s the approach I use to help me develop stillness, awareness, and tune in to my creative self:

1. Cultivate Awareness: Pay attention to my surroundings, the people, and nuances of the cultural or natural environment where I find myself encourages me to engage my senses fully and observe with curiosity.
2. Practice Deep Observation: Observing and absorbing my surroundings deeply makes me notice the details, interactions, and subtleties of the culture or natural setting. It avoids rushing to judgments or assumptions; I seek to understand and appreciate the context’s unique aspects.
3. Embrace the Present Moment: Slowing my thinking by focusing on the present moment makes me let go of distractions, worries, and preconceived notions. It is being fully present and immersing myself in cultural or natural experiences outside my context that I better engage in activities to help anchor myself in the present moment.
4. Embrace Curiosity and Openness: By adopting a mindset of curiosity and openness to new cultural or natural contexts with a willingness to learn, explore, engage, and ask questions to understand different perspectives, I feel receptive to new experiences. Embracing a learning mindset allows me for deeper connections and insights to emerge.
5. Reflect: Setting aside dedicated time for reflection to process experiences and thoughts makes me engage in travel journaling or simply sitting in silence to allow my mind to process and integrate the new cultural or natural insights I’ve gained.
6. Engage in Meaningful Conversations: Seek opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations with locals or fellow travellers who have a deeper understanding of the cultural or natural context and actively listen to their stories, perspectives, and insights is a dialogue which can broaden my knowledge and provide valuable insights and challenge my thinking.

Dedicating time and energy to slow thinking makes me collect stories in different contexts, understand more about myself and feel in flow. Once I return to my usual context, I feel more still to hear, create, iterate and produce outcomes more mindfully.