10 Ways to Bring More Creativity Into Your Day
I have a core belief that we are all inherently creative. Some people don’t believe me because they claim they are only good at spreadsheets or math.
I hate to break it to you, but you are in fact, a creative.
Solving problems is creative.
Teaching others is creative.
Being a leader is creative.
Finding new ways to communicate with team members is creative.
Construction or building something is creative.
Being a mom is creative.
You can be creative doing anything, you may just not believe it yet. It is much less about what you are doing and much more about who you are being.
So, I put together a brief list to inspire you. These are some things that I integrate into my life on a daily and weekly basis to keep the creative juices flowing. By no means is it comprehensive, but I hope that it gets you started on what could be a fun journey to learning more about your cute, creative self!
1) Putz. My favorite time of the week (usually on a weekend day) is my putzing time. It’s when I don’t expect myself to get anything done and see what happens. Sometimes that looks like me redecorating or exercising or painting my nails. Sometimes it looks like me going to a thrift store or getting coffee at a new place. Everyone needs SPACE. Your brain creates new ideas, beliefs, projects, what have you, in the space. So don’t put any pressure on this time and just follow the fun. Play. Listen to what your spirit needs and do that.
2) Morning pages. I’ve written about these before, but truly, they are life-changing! The idea comes from Julia Cameron’s classic book, The Artist’s Way. Every morning you handwrite 3 pages in a journal of whatever comes to mind. You don’t think about it, you don’t try to make it make sense. You don’t worry about grammar. You basically brain dump. It’s refreshing and I personally receive lots of ideas each morning through this practice that I didn’t even know were waiting there for me!
3) Don’t follow a recipe. Ok, I mean, you don’t need to do this every day, but it is fun sometimes to just buy food that sounds good together and mix it up! Let yourself create a dinner without worrying about measuring the perfect ratios of everything.
4) Learn something new. Meet new people you would not usually meet or talk to. When you learn something new, you become less afraid of trying something new (hello, creativity). I started pottery classes this year and it has been such a creative release (even though I suck at it so far). I mean, I even started blogging again! Creativity breeds creativity. I also love getting to know my other pottery classmates, people I would never get to meet otherwise. Doing something new and meeting new people opens your eyes and flexes your creative muscle.
5) Follow what feels interesting, exciting or inspiring. Let yourself experiment! Recently, I’ve been excited about training my dog and learning how to use Pinterest for business. It doesn’t matter what it is, just follow what piques your interest at this moment and see where it leads you.
6) Do one thing a day that is uncomfortable. Let’s be honest, the creative life is uncomfortable. It’s hard to put yourself out into the world creatively. It’s vulnerable and scary. So every day I ask myself, “How can I be uncomfortable today?” and see what my spirit says. Sometimes it is things like having a difficult conversation with someone or getting a therapist. Sometimes it’s things like posting a heartfelt thought on social media. It doesn’t matter what it is but challenge yourself to do something uncomfortable every day. It helps grow your confidence and trust in yourself.
7) Wear new combinations of clothing, shoes and jewelry. If you like hair and makeup, try new variations. Mix and match. Stop wondering if they “go together.” Just wear what feels inspiring that day. You’ll be surprised how many compliments you receive!
8) Make a Pinterest mood board for how you want to feel in any area of your life. Use the internet for inspiration. This is seriously so fun! I have a bunch of branding boards, but it would be fun for fashion, home, travel, relationships. Whatever, just have some fun and get some new ideas! You can look to history for inspiration, too. Maybe there’s a decade you are drawn to or a culture that makes you feel at home.
9) Create an environment that inspires you. Rearrange a room in your house or redesign a piece of furniture. Decluttering, feng shui and cultivating an inspiring and motivating environment is so crucial for creatives (i.e. everyone). Check out this new redesign I did of a side table stool. I’m not a beige person, but I liked the shape and size of this stool. So, I spray painted the top and stained the legs!
10) Go out into the world. Life is most inspiring “out there.” You can’t stay at home all the time and expect to be super creative. Go on a new hike, adventure to a new place, go to an art show or a movie, take yourself on a date somewhere new. The possibilities are endless if you just go out, talk to new people and try something new with an open mind.
There is obviously lots to be said about having plans, implementing strategies and all that jazz. But part of cultivating creativity is letting go of “the plan” and embracing imperfection. That is so often where the magic happens.
So tomorrow, try asking yourself, “What do I want to create today?” And see what happens.
It can a new spreadsheet or a new way to organize the pantry or laundry room shelves.
It can be decluttering your closet or rearranging the pictures on your walls.
Whatever it is, trust that you are a creative and that you are becoming more creative each day that you experiment and allow yourself to play with life.
Xoxo,
Em
