Link List: Creative Inspiration

Please check in here if you need inspiration or a pick-me-up. We encourage you to reach out with your own stories and experiences too. (Last Updated April 13, 2020)

Join A Zoom Conference . . . With A Horse
The team at VisitLEX got creative and invited its audience to join a Zoom conference with a horse! They got some press in Adage for this clever idea.

See The World's Most Visited Landmarks
Take free virtual tours of some of the world's most visited tourist attractions including the Coliseum, Machu Picchu, and more!

MoMA's Online Art Classes Are Free
From fashion and photography, to modern art, take a free MoMA course online.

A Content Care Package
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center is offering a Care Package of poems, meditations, films, and "cultural nutrients."

Stream Live Shows from Jackson Hole's Finest Musicians
The Silver Dollar Showroom in The Wort Hotel is hosting Live Streaming Music Sessions on Facebook. Don't forget to tip the performers.

Watch Every Episode of Bob Ross (Free)
YouTube has every happy little episode for you to enjoy!

Need A Change of Scenery?
Try these walking tours of Tokyo, Paris, and NYC. 

Uplifting Updates from St. Paul, MN
The Visit Saint Paul team is blogging about all the good news and community support in their area.

That moment when you’re working the ER and @Lizzo surprises you by sending over some lunch! 😲❤️

If anyone else wants to help our valiant workers during this #COVID19 crisis, here’s a list of what you can do ➡️https://t.co/ejQ8n1UUjA #homegirl #thankyou #healthcareworkers pic.twitter.com/RAqN2GVhc7
— M Health Fairview (@MHealthFairview) March 30, 2020

Sharing Small Business Resources with Your Partners
We see Destination Organizations like Meet Minneapolis building hubs for their community partners and sharing resources like Google's Small Business resources and Yelp's COVID-19 resources page. 

Just Add Photoshop
Travel influencers turn to photoshop to post "fauxcation" photos on social media.

Supplying Serendipity 
For extroverts who miss those little interactions and random encounters throughout the day, Quarantine Chat will pair you up to chat with new friends. 

A group of 200 filmmakers creates a message of Hope.

While this moment may be fraught with uncertainty and worry, a global group of 200+ filmmakers spent the last 10 days making a message of hope to share. I was lucky to be among them. Please pass #choosehopestory along!https://t.co/teOrhj9Ph1
— Mø (@mofro) April 7, 2020

Destination-Themed Zoom Backgrounds
Show your love for a favorite destination on your next Zoom meeting with this list of place-based zoom backgrounds.

Creative Mornings Talks Go Global
Drop-in on any Creative Mornings chapter around the world as this creative speaker series goes virtual.

Free Daily TED Talks
TED Connects is hosting free daily talksfeaturing incredible minds from around the world. 

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Visit Pittsburgh Says: "Hello Neighbor"
Visit Pittsburgh turns to its own Mister Rogers as a guiding light of good news and neighborliness during troubling times.

Virtual & Drive-Through Experiences
Visit Roswell in Georgia, shares an email with its visitors and locals showcasing unique virtual and drive-through experiences like a farmer's market pick-up and a drive-in concert!

Security Guard Star
The National Cowboy Museum lets security guard Tim Tiller takeover its social media accounts and he becomes an overnight sensation.

Morning! Just catching up with a coworker on what they did this weekend. Sounds like a bunch of bull to me. Lol! #HashtagTheCowboy Thanks, Tim pic.twitter.com/Sc41zG826N
— Nat'l Cowboy Museum (@ncwhm) March 30, 2020

Tell Your Story: Destinations Responding to COVID-19
CrowdRiff is crowd-sourcing some amazing community stories of DMOs responding to COVID-19 and also keeping its Live Blog updated daily. 

A Message to Carry On
Visit Colorado Springs developed a "Carry On Colorado Springs" platform to support the local community. 

5 Tourism Promotions Striking The Right Note
Skift highlights these five tourism promotions for striking the right tone, including a "Philadelphia From Home" post by our friends over at the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. 

Meet Minneapolis' Community-Focused Content
Meet Minneapolis is sharing a hub of community-focused content for supporting local businesses and safely enjoying the city while social distancing.

Destination Organizations As Community Assets
Jack Johnson, Chief Advocacy Officer at Destinations International, recently posted about Destination Organizations being seen as community assets during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Inspiring Travel Films and TV Shows
Condé Nast Traveler is posting a ton of inspiring travel content to enjoy from home, including the best travel films of the past 50 years and 18 travel shows to watch right now on Netflix. 

A Little Box of Joy
In Philadelphia, several local makers came together to create a care package of "the essential non-essentials" to offer indulgent comforts to family and friends in an uncertain time.

Comprehensive Restaurant List
Visit Roswell updates its list of open restaurants daily, linking directly to the restaurants menu or order pages to make it easy for locals to find options and support local businesses.

Community Relief Funds 
We are seeing so many heartening examples of relief funds for community members (Berkeley, CA) and workers impacted by COVID-19 (Philadelphia, PA). 

Examples of Destinations Supporting Their Communities
Travel Pulse shares more inspiring stories and examples of destinations supporting their communities during the COVID-19 crisis.

Travel-Themed Zoom Backgrounds
Give your co-workers an inspiring view during your next meeting with a San Francisco-themed background, or a "Hang Like You're in Vegas" background.

Wonder From Home 
Atlas Obscura’s Wonder From Home series features inspiring travel content to keep couch-bound wanderers happy.

Zoom Backgrounds for Foodies
Hold your next meeting with a dim sum halo hovering above your head with these truly quirky food-themed Zoom backgrounds from The Infatuation.

Stay tuned for more inspirational links and please feel free to share your experiences and stories with us. We hope to connect with you soon on an upcoming webinar.