Finding yourself stressed out by that infinite to-do list? Overwhelmed by the chores, errands and obligations that never seem to end? Constantly exhausted from running morning till night trying to cram as much as possible into one day? Now is the perfect time to allow yourself to take a step back, take a deep breath, and add a few drops of creativity into the mix. You’ll be amazed at how much clearer and calmer your life can be.
Creativity is the freedom to express that which makes every single one of us unique. It’s a combination of our experiences, our desires and our personalities. It’s accessible to everyone. Even if you think you are the most “talent challenged” person in the world, you can still be creative. The beauty of creativity is that there is no right or wrong.
Even just a small amount of creativity in your day can significantly reduce your stress level and redefine your perspective on life. You don’t need to be an artist, you don’t need any talent, and you don’t need hundreds of dollars worth of supplies.
All you do need is the desire to have some fun, and the willingness to give yourself a break from the routine for just a few minutes or a few hours a day. It doesn’t matter what you do. Don’t strive for perfection. Just remind yourself everyday to just have some fun in a simple way.
Modify the monotonous
- Rearrange everything on your desk or bedside table. We get so used to seeing things where they are, that we don’t really see them.
- Dig a small garden and plant a few of your favorite flowers.
- Build a simple shelf out of wood, and paint it your favorite color. It doesn’t have to match anything. Cover it with pictures, stickers, labels, or whatever reflects your style.
- Paint one wall in your home a really bright color.
- Buy yourself some fresh flowers and display them in something other than an ordinary vase.
- Take a different route to work, school or anywhere you travel on a regular basis. Notice the shapes of the trees, or the colors of the houses.
- Hang something totally unexpected from your rear-view mirror. That necklace that’s way too big to wear around your neck, that old scarf of your aunt’s, a picture of your favorite author…
Cut it out, hang it up
- Make copies of your favorite family photos, cut them into different shapes, and glue them randomly onto a piece of cardboard or heavy paper to make a collage. Add captions under each with a marker or paint brush.
- Find a coloring book and some crayons and allow yourself the freedom to just have some fun. Or draw a self portrait and hang it on the fridge.
- Cut out pictures you like from magazines and glue them onto a piece of wood or cardboard, or pin them to a corkboard. Collect more as you go, and create a “board of inspiration”.
- Grab your camera and head to a local park or downtown and just start shooting pictures. Close-ups, odd angles, different perspectives, panoramas. Pick out a favorite or two and frame them.
- With some paper and a pencil in hand, head out to your backyard or front porch. Sketch just one thing you see-the shed, a tree, a flower, your neighbor. Enjoy your few minutes outdoors.
Take up the Arts
- Take a hunk of clay and let your hands mold it into an abstract sculpture. Don’t think about what it looks like, just see what takes shape.
- Enroll in a class at the local community center or college that you would never imagine yourself taking. Sign up for a short class in woodworking, line dancing or acting.
- Try out that wild recipe you’ve been saving for years.
- Allow yourself to use your imagination for other projects. You know it’s there; you just haven’t used it in a while.
Before you know it, you’ll be seeing things differently. You’ll start noticing things that you’ve never noticed before, getting excited about this new creative genius you’ve now unleashed, and all the new projects you’re going to start. That’s what living a creative life is all about; having fun, having something to look forward to, and having something to get excited about. We all have the ability to be creative.
