Journeys of inspiration: Working artists’ reflections on tourism

•Examines the touristic modes of working artists in the context of creative tourism.•Working artists adopt anti-tourist practices informed by romanticism.•Artists integrate work and tourism through an aesthetic-reflexive positionality.

While much recent research has been focused on aspects of creative tourism, relatively little has paid attention to the views of creative residents. In this paper we argue that romantically informed modes of travel are important to working artists. The findings, generated through qualitative research, suggest that many working artists adopt anti-tourist perspectives informed by romanticism and based upon temporal, spatial and behavioural touristic distinctions. The desire to ‘not be a tourist’ however becomes challenged by a desire for an integrated and inspirational engagement with the elsewhere developed from their educational experiences. This is demonstrated as a core aspect of the identities of working artists as creative residents in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.