10 Ways to Bring Creativity Back Into Your Life

Recently I wrote about How to Make Time to Be Creative. After hearing the advice multiple times, it finally hit me. You don’t find the time to pursue your passions, you make the time to do them. And this was the truth for me. But getting to that point took practice and also different ideas of how I could be creative in my daily life.

My ultimate goal was to be creative every day, even if it was just for 15 minutes. So I needed ideas to be able to bring creativity back into my life.  For me that included painting, scrapbooking, and other crafting projects into my life.

I found that by implementing the strategies below I was able to bring creativity back into my life on a more regular basis. These methods are ones that I have learned from my friends, other bloggers, and crafting gurus. I tried many of these methods over the last year and it has helped me to be more creative more often. So without further ado, here are the 10 Ways to Bring Creativity Back Into Your Life.

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1. Take classes online

Both SkillShare and CreativeBug offer great content to learn new skills and create projects for a monthly subscription cost.  They both offer a variety of content and work at your own pace classes and projects. This helps to jump on and work in the creative time within your own schedule.

SkillShare is offering 2 months of premium membership for only $0.99 if you sign up through my referral link. Two months for only a dollar!  That gives you a lot of time to try as many classes as you want. CreativeBug currently offers a 2 week trial and has a variety of subscription options after your trial is over.

You can also find great tutorials on YouTube, Pinterest, and other blogs for free. Whatever skill you want to learn and practice, you can usually find it online. Working on your passion using online resources makes it easier to fit into your schedule. You can learn right in your home anytime.

2. Find a 30-Day Challenge on social media

I love to find little challenges on social media. Not only does it provide great inspiration, but it also helps you practice your skills. I’ve done a monthly list challenge, calligraphy challenge, word challenge, photography challenge, and watercolor challenge. You can find a lot of these challenges on Instagram and there always seems to be one going on every month. Also, if you don’t find one you like, you can make one up with your friends. The point is that you are committing yourself to do something fun and creative every single day for a month.

3. Make a list of goals, projects, skills

I found that making a list helped me to see a visual of my creative goals. I knew that if I want to do all of these things I need to prioritize my creative time during the day. The list wasn’t meant to be a dreaded to-do list, but instead a list of my goals and fun things that I want to try. It also helped to have a list when deciding what I want to work and coordinate with the time I have available. Some projects are quick DIY projects and others were practicing new crafting skills.

4. Find a group of like minded friends to hold yourself accountable

This has been beneficial to accomplishing some of those projects and goals from my creative list. Finding a group of friends online who worked on similar projects helped hold me accountable. I found that sometimes not all of my real life friends were interested in the same passions as me. But with Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets, it’s easy to find a tribe for any creative passion. I find that the majority of the time, these groups help to inspire each other to practice and share our creative passions.

5. Keep a notebook and pen with you at all times

I generally have a notebook or scratch paper in my purse, so when creativity strikes I am able to jot down notes or sketch something out. Usually it seems that I get a creative spark in my mind or a bit of inspiration in the most inconvenient places.  Having a notebook with me at all times helps me to jot down and remember for later in the day. If you are thinking about going electronic with this, you can use Evernote or Google Docs to jot down your notes.

6. Keep your crafting supplies in sight and easily accessible

Everyone has a space for their crafting supplies and mine always seem to be out of sight, which means they are out of mind. As silly as it sounds, they could be sitting on a desk or in a drawer in the next room, but that feels too difficult to get everything out at the end of the day. So instead, I brought the supplies closer to my evening routine. For example, right now I’m taking part in a Watercolor Floral Challenge, so I have packed up my essential supplies that I will need and keep them in a canvas bag in the kitchen. And guess what, because the supplies are right there, I sit down pretty much every night for about 30 minutes and practice my watercolors.  Keeping the supplies out out and available is a great visual reminder and more enticing than laying in front of the TV at the end of the day.

7. Give yourself permission to be creative

This one is a biggie for me. Pretty much like every other new mom, I think I can do it all and be a super mom. Clean house, toys picked up, laundry done, dinner made, etc, etc. That just isn’t possible to do everything plus add in creative time. If there is a missed nap or a sick baby then things really go to pot. So I decided that although I like things clean and tidy, I need to give myself permission to do something fun for me regularly. It helps keep my sanity and prioritize time to relax more often than once every few months. This perspective has helped me work towards more balance in my daily life and being creative more often.

8. Schedule it on your calendar

Yep, you read that right and scheduling creative time on my calendar has been critical for me during busy times of the year. Scheduling that creative time helps me to make sure I prioritize my creative time. My days fill up fast with work, meetings, blogging, exercising, housework, mommy time, and so much more. Adding a creative appointment on my calendar was another mental indicator to remind myself, “You are making time for this creative passion that is important to you.”

9. Put your phone, laptop, device away

Lets admit it, we are all addicted to technology. No matter our age, technology is a big part of our world and it helps connect us, but it also distracts us. I have found that I need to get out of my normal routine and remove the digital distractions. It helps me to focus on one thing at a time and heck, even get some real thinking time in. I love Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and finding inspiration online, but I have forgotten how much disconnecting can give me inspiration as well. Removing those distractions and focusing on the creative passion that I want to practice helps me focus in. I am able to spend quality time working on my passions instead of getting distracted by all of my notifications.

10. Give yourself a break from being creative

This may seem like an oxymoron compared to everything else I’m saying here. But sometimes, you just don’t want to be creative or do crafts. And that’s ok too. Just like you need to give yourself permission to be creative, you also don’t want to hold yourself hostage. There are days where I’m tired and I leave both the chores and the creative time until tomorrow. Our brains need a break and that time off can inspire more creativity.

And there you have it – a great take away list to help you bring creativity back into your life. My goal is to be creative everyday and I try most days with these different strategies. I don’t always succeed, but I am happy that I’ve found ways to help keep me crafting and feeling creative.

How do you bring creativity back into your life when you are in a slump? Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear from you!

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Until next time – don’t forget to lead your best creative life today 🙂
Julie

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