What does the future hold for ex-pats living in Spain?

Everyone has a hidden talent, sometimes it just takes a while to find it. It’s easy to get swamped down in a 9 – 5 job where you sit in front of a computer screen all day with no room to think. Escaping to a villa with pool in the Costa Brava can help you tap into your creative side in more ways than one – you just have to know where to start.

Think of the things you are interested in trying. Do you enjoy photography? Do you get a buzz from architecture or prefer to indulge your artistic side sketching pictures of landscapes? You can do it all here.

If you fancy painting your own pottery these are some of the best areas to purchase good quality, solid terracotta pots, paint them with scenes from your stay in your family villa in Spain or take them home and design from memory.

Take photographs of everything which interests you, if it’s the local wildlife or churches, document them in a scrapbook or an online page where your friends can view your trip through your eyes.

If you love music and play an instrument immerse yourself in the local culture, visit bands, see how Spanish guitars are made, visit the opera house in Barcelona – anything to get those creative juices flowing. Who knows you may return to your Catalonia villa rental and write a world class hit!

Perhaps you are mad about art and architecture, you are sitting by the pool in your villa in Spain daydreaming of the fabulous spires and flying buttresses you saw in that quaint, inland church in Catalonia. Bring out your sketchpad or your paints and give it a try.

Many of the most famous artists, designers, architects and composers in the world have come from this region of Catalonia. Try and tap into that energy and see where it takes you, it may be a poem about a place you visited, or a festival you have been to. You could write a book about the cobbled streets of the Gothic Quarter or film from the cable car leading you to Montjuic in Barcelona. There are so many places in Catalonia to inspire your creative talents, it was good enough for Gaudi, Dali and Picasso and it’s there for the taking - so if you need a break from the old day job, head to Spain and unleash the creativity, you never know where it will lead!