Creator + Photographer, Michelle Norris
Instagram: @michellenorrisphoto
tropicophoto.com
Paris, France
Stay at Hotel Les Deux Gares if you love rich colors and interior design, go for a drink at Candelaria, a tucked-away bar that feels like you’re in a cave, visit the Musée Picasso (one of my all-time favorites), see a show at Le Hasard Ludique and enjoy a glass of wine out along the converted train tracks beforehand, stroll through the gardens at the Grand Mosque of Paris after a visit to le Jardin des Plantes, and stop in to get a colorful bouquet or just snag one single unbelievable gradient flower at DEBEAULIEU.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Shop at Saint Claude Social Club for amazing handmade and local designers, eat lunch at Turkey and the Wolf and pick up a cookbook while you’re at it, spend an afternoon swimming at the Drifter Hotel, have brunch in a gorgeous sunroom or on the magical patio at Hotel Peter and Paul, visit the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and rent a bike and take off through the flat, charming streets of the Bywater.
Great Advice I’ve Received
Not to worry. Someone told me that if you worry about something and then it happens, you live it twice. That really stayed with me and made me realize that there's no point in putting energy towards the negative. Instead I try to use that time manifesting good things!
Mexico City, Mexico
Go see the Lucha libre at Arena México, it’s a perfectly campy and exciting time. Take a walk around Chapultepec Park and grab a snack from a street vendor, shop at the Carla Fernández for gorgeous goods by a local designer, eat brunch at Lardo in Condesa or any meal because it’s all amazing, take a Sunday to join the bike ride on Paseo de la Reforma that they close down the entire road for, and visit Casa Gilardi to enjoy breathtaking architecture.
Taking Care of Your Spirit
Spend time with friends and be open to new friendships.
The Importance of Travel
Travel expands your mind and builds empathy.
Beyond surface-level enjoyment, I feel like seeing new places and cultures does good things for your heart. It helps you adapt to changing circumstances and realize that’s what everyone is trying to do. It helps you to accept that you don’t know everything and never will. That curiosity is a nice quality in folks and creates an environment of openness to learning.
Advice for Creative Entrepreneurs
Stick to your vision. You’ve got to go after what you love and feel passionate about, because work will come and go, and your ideas of success and accomplishment will change. The only thing that you can guarantee is that you are making art you feel good about and is true to you.
Sailing Down the Nile
I visited Egypt with my partner last year and it was life-changing. I found everywhere that we went to be absolutely breathtaking and I felt constantly in awe of the history there. I think Egypt feels like a bucket list location for lots of people, but it feels difficult to plan or too foreign or unknown. We felt very safe and right at home there thanks to the tour company that we used, Djed Egypt. My favorite part was going on a dahabiya boat on the Nile. It’s so peaceful because it’s a sailboat and it only sleeps about 15 people. Everyone on the boat shared meals on the deck each day and it was lovely just to watch the beautiful shores go by while learning about the lives of others.
What to Do in Atlanta
Riding bikes or rollerblading on the beltline to Piedmont Park to have a picnic, having a happy hour martini and shrimp cocktail at Lloyd’s, spending a relaxing day at the Korean spa Jeju, meeting friends for dinner on the patio at Fishmonger, going to see a movie at the Starlight Drive-in, and getting dressed up to attend a First Friday at the High Museum to roam the galleries and dance to whichever DJ is setting the mood that month.
Michelle is an Atlanta-based multimedia artist and digital creator. She is a connoisseur of color who loves to seek out joyful palettes, travel, and fashion. She is co-owner of the photography company Tropico Photo.