Quarantine Inspiration

As I’ve been putting the final touches on Travel & Culture Salon’s first course and preparing for its launch, I found myself reflecting on my inspiration to create curated online courses in the first place.

The anticipated boom in online learning post-pandemic, combined with the current curtailing of travel, got me toying with the idea of bringing my interest and expertise in history and travel into the homes of would-be travelers and, eventually, of those preparing for a big trip, via a cozy, virtual experience.

I realized I’d finally found an outlet for my lifelong desire to teach but, more so, to entertain in the realm of history, art, architecture, and travel. As I daydreamed about what a “school” would look and feel like, I remembered how much I loved coffee table books as a kid.

For me, a coffee table book is a richly-filled, dark chocolate candy wrapped up in beautiful, shiny packaging. It’s meant to be enjoyed in small, relishing bites. Similarly, a coffee table book is gorgeous with high-quality photos or illustrations, set out for guests to peruse, but usually chock-full of detailed information on a niche topic.

This is exactly how I imagined my courses. Informative and also super captivating--like a coffee table book.

As this little bit of inspo got my creative juices flowing, I started wondering more about coffee table books. The history, their enduring allure.

So what’s the story? Learn more about coffee table books and why I think they offer us a well-deserved pandemic pick-me-up in my recently published piece in The Innovation.