A student referred me to a fascinating article in SMH this weekend by architect Chris Johnson. He talks about a radical approach to documenting travel.
Chris Johnson has an old-fashioned – and in that, perhaps radical – approach. The former New South Wales Government Architect and now CEO of the developer representative group, Urban Taskforce Australia, is by no means a man without time pressures.

Yet, when on the road, he takes great joy and solace in finding a quiet moment to sketch. He says it connects him to a destination in a richer, deeper way. Sketching. That’s how he records his travels. No cameras or digital images. Just a sketchbook, pen and a pair of eyes.

A photograph is instant and quick, whereas drawing beauty, you start seeing things differently." However, Johnson never takes longer than 15 minutes in his attempt to capture the "essence" of place, as Lloyd Rees his art tutor emphasised during those uni days. "I quite often do drawings while in a vehicle or bus and later when I get to the hotel, I get out my watercolours and enrich the work," says Johnson.

Many a wellness expert has expounded the virtues of slower, more meditative activities. Drawing is said to not only calm the mind, but help concentration and attention to detail. As the world gets faster and the onslaught of information even faster, it's an antidote to all that – and for Johnson, who deals in big, vital projects, that's important.

Meditative. Therapeutic. Relaxing. Happiness. Sounds like us!