Refilling Your Creative Well Through Travel
Fulfilling the Apple Hair Dream—Visiting Seoul!
Welcome to the Apple Hair CANON!
Here, I’ll explore creating a fictional universe, and I’m hoping you’ll follow along with your own world. I’m by no means an expert, so let’s discuss how to create a believable, magical, and captivating world. Let’s be storycatchers together!
Want to read Apple Hair, the boy band fantasy novel, from the very beginning? You can start here! Apple Hair is a fictional, Asian American boy band from Hawaiʻi.
Welcome to the newsletter, and I’m excited to lay down the foundations of our storyworlds together, one word at a time.
Hi, storycatchers! In the last edition, I talked about dialogue that pops! In this edition of the CANON, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite topics—refilling your creative well. I’ve been walking the streets of Seoul this past month, and I’ve learned a lot about myself as a creative. One thing that I’ve learned is that I’m… still a homebody. Also, that travel can refill you in various ways.
Traveling to another country solo never felt very achievable for me. Because of finances and various mental health issues, there were many barriers. But I knew that when I got the chance, I would take it. Going to Seoul for the first time was so eye-opening. There are so many things that are different from Hawaiʻi.
A lot of what I experienced in Seoul made it into the first Apple Hair book. And I decided to return in 2025. This time, I’m experiencing the Apple Hair dream once again by traveling throughout the familiar yet unfamiliar capital of South Korea.
In Apple Hair: A Boy Band Fantasy Novel, the boys of the band struggle with a darkness that invades the entertainment company. It seems like everyone is against them. As a writer, I feel like I go through a similar challenge. Debut for Apple Hair looks unattainable, and so does “making it” as a writer.
Getting through this slog is a challenge. As I go through South Korea and live as a traveling writer, I had to confront this mindset. On the busy metro station, and in the loud cafes, I searched within and reminded myself to enjoy the journey. With every single word that I write, I’m living out my purpose. And that reminder refilled me.
Yes, we can refill our creative well through reading a variety of genres, and by watching shows that move us. But finding a new setting will remind you about the dreams that you carry with you, wherever you go.
The boys of Apple Hair would love to go to Seoul. They have a lot to learn from the entertainment companies here. Although I’m on a completely different path, I can admire the freelancers here who carve out their day through the busyness of the city. In the cafe, I work harder and feel inspired.
Through the lonely times, the dark times, and the questioning times, I remind myself of who I am, who God made me to be. One word at a time, and one day at a time. Although my steps forward seem slow, a novel eventually will form. A new story and a new start.
What is one place that you’re desperate to travel to? What do you think that you’ll learn in that place?
For the homebodies out there, or if you’re unable to travel far right now, what is a place nearby that you haven’t yet explored?
Thank you very much for joining the CANON this week. What would you like me to discuss in the next post? Comment below. Or jump into my Chat or on one of my Notes, and I’ll be happy to hear your input. Let’s try to find a new place that will spark our creativity this week!