CSP 018 - The Flâneur (in a car) - Letting go, creative sparks and Winchester in a BMW 6 Series

And why exploring with no purpose can be a creative spark

Jul 07, 2025

Hey,

I hope you are safe and well. This week’s newsletter (a little late, sorry!), is about being a Flâneur.

I’ve published a YouTube video to accompany this mini-post, in which I explore the Winchester countryside and muse about why letting go of control is hard for me, but essential to generate wonder in the world and spark ideas.

Throughout this newsletter, to bring this topic to life, I will share some photos from my various wanderings.

To Flâneur

To Flâneur is essentially to wander with no purpose, to loaf, to saunter, to wander aimlessly.

"habitual loafer, idle man about town," 1854, from French flâneur, from flâner "to stroll, loaf, saunter," probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Old Norse flana "to wander aimlessly," Norwegian flana, flanta "to gad about"), perhaps from PIE root *pele- (2) "flat; to spread." - Etymonline

I love wandering on foot when I travel but I also do this same activity in the car. I head out with no clear purpose - and I find roads, towns and villages that I have never been to, or down, before.

Of course, in the associated video, I do have a purpose - to film the episode. But, typically, I go out in the car and explore roads I’ve never been down before.

I explore with no purpose other than to see what I find and take in the sights, sounds and serendipity that comes my way.

A churchyard I discovered when wandering

I also “Flâneur” on foot whenever I travel - pointing myself in a direction and taking in the sights and sounds and noticing the world around me, allowing serendipity to play a role.

On these explorations I always generate new ideas. Whether they’re from merely observing what I see, hearing the sounds around me, snapping a few photos or from the mindfulness that comes from wandering, or driving, with no purpose other than to explore.

Taken on a wander around a Barnsley industrial estate

A Flâneur is often called a human photographer, taking in the sights and sounds of what is happening around them. They are building up a lived human gastronomy of life. They are noticing the richness of life.

The reason I wander (on foot, or in a car) is to guard against my natural tendency to want to control my life - the perfect notebook, the perfect system, the perfect routine, the perfect photo, the perfect stationery collection.

As much as routine and process helps me get things done, it can also be limiting in my ability to switch off. There’s always a purpose, always a mission - always something to do in everyday life. I often leave very little room for space, time and exploration - all of which are important to generate ideas; and ideas are the precursor to creativity.

That’s why I aim to find time to Flâneur - to carve out an opportunity to drive a fun car, explore around me and feed my mind with fodder for ideas.

CSP 016 - 30 Days of Creativity - FREE guide

Jun 29

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To Flâneur is to point yourself in a direction, see what happens and capture, in your mind (or camera), all that you find.

To Flâneur is not passive, it is actively engaging in noticing, studying and enjoying the world around us, no matter whether that be city or countryside, or anything in between.

I for one, aim to do a lot more this year.

Mini Personal Creative Soul Project

I’ve been tinkering recently with digital collage.

This week I spent some time messing with an old photo my dad took. I love this photo - so peaceful and aged. I messed about with removing the background and adding a layered coloured background. I’m still learning.