20 Ways to Be Creative
That isn’t making art
Good morrow fellow readers! I know the world is a collective dumpster fire, but that does not mean we can’t aim to feel more joy in our own lives.
I talk a lot about creativity and art, but not everyone wants to pick up a pen or a paintbrush. There are so many ways to be creative that don’t involve visual artmaking. We have the power to integrate creativity into our everyday lives.
I compiled this list as a starting point for you: Take some of my ideas and figure out how you can be more creative when you are getting ready in the morning, when interacting with your friends, and even at your job.
My journal entry from last night
Please feel free to create your own list or edit mine to fit your life. If you only want the list and don’t want my editorial thoughts, you can scroll to the bottom or watch the YouTube video.
1. Wear colorful clothing or clothes you feel confident in
These don’t need to be fancy clothes. I have a Spiderman shirt I sometimes pull out when I feel down because Spiderman is my favorite superhero. Hi Tom Holland ;)
2. Painting your nails a fun or different color
You don’t have to spend $150 at the nail salon to feel good about your nails. I’m partial to Sally Hanson and OPI nail polish while painting my nails at home. I can’t tell you how often painting my nails a pretty color has helped me get out of a funk.
3. Play with your makeup or hair (alt for masculine people, lining up your beard, etc.)
I know that makeup can sometimes feel like a patriarchal tool, but I’m talking about really playing with it. Find a lipstick shade that helps you feel like a bad bitch. Wear the sparkly or iridescent eye shadow. Or don’t wear any at all! Your face is yours and you can decorate it how you choose.
4. Funky Earrings, or other fun accessories
For Christmas, I bought a bunch of funky earrings on Etsy from ElliebearAccessories. I LOVE these earrings and have been wearing them every chance I get. They are so artsy and colorful, and they are also great conversation starters. Earrings are my favorite accessory and I feel suddenly dressed up and put together when I wear them.
5. Jewelry with an emotional connection
I’ve always been weird about jewelry. I’ve never cared much what was trending, designer, or what I “should” wear. I really only want to wear jewelry that I have an emotional connection to. That might be friendship bracelets made with and by my girlfriends, rings that connect me to my grandmothers, or necklaces that remind me of my family and my favorite fictional character. I don’t consider most of my earrings in this category, because the majority of my earrings I buy because they are colorful or fun, not because of a familial connection.
6. Journaling (or writing on Substack!)
I’ve been journaling for several years, and there are many things I like about it. It’s just good to get it out of your body and onto the page. I’ve got a writing journal, an art journal, pocket journal, and a business journal. Substack is a new type of writing and expressing that I’m still trying to figure out. I’ve never really written anything that I wasn’t assigned to write. But I am really enjoying writing for myself and the small audience that I have here. (Hi Mom, sissy, and my friends!) Writing is another tool in my expression handbook, and with ADHD I need a minimum of 1 million expression choices.
7. Dancing and listening to music
Have you ever seen a baby or a toddler dance? When they feel the music, they move their bodies without abandon. Smiling, bobbing up and down, and truly embodying the music. But as we grow up, doing that same thing is seen as childish. Well, FUCK THAT. Feel the music, move your body, and be fully immersed.
I often use music to help shift or meet my mood. I can very easily get stressy and depressy, and playing music can help me not sink further into that mood and even shift my outlook on life. I have a playlist titled “I’m Okay” that is filled with songs that make me feel better.
8. Singing (even if you’re bad)
This really goes with #7 because you can catch me doing all three at the same time. Sing, even if you suck. Sing, even if you don’t know all the words. Singing also activates the vagus nerve, which can help reduce stress and build resilience.
9. Walk/ hike outside
I cannot emphasize how important it is for us to touch grass and get some sunshine on our faces. Even if you take a slow walk outside that isn’t more than 1,000 feet. Even if you just step outside to put your face in the sun and do some stretches. Moving your body in small or big ways and facing the sunshine for a couple of minutes can feel life changing. And all the flowers, trees, and plants always inspire me with their colors and how they change values with the height of the sun.
10. Mindfully drinking a cup of coffee or tea
You’ve heard it before, and you’ll hear it again. I get it, starting the day without technology is hard. Our phones and other devices are embedded our lives so that starting and ending the day without them is a challenge. BUT I feel better when I drink my tea outside in the morning, with no stimulation except for the hot mug of tea in my hand and the fresh air. Try it once, and see how it feels. You may even find that slowing down brings you creative inspiration.
11. Play
I know from reading all of Brené Brown’s books (I was a little obsessed for a while), that play is essential for a full life, even for adults. But what does play look like when you’re older? It’s not Barbies and monster trucks (although if you play with your young children, it might be!) It’s playing fetch with the dog or enticing the cats with a laser toy. It’s playing music as you cook a meal, or telling a joke to a friend. It’s planning an outing that’s fun with your friends or even wearing silly earrings. Play will look different for everyone, every day. Somedays for me it’s collaging or painting. Some days it’s playing music in my headphones or planning a crafty activity with my friends. However you do it, I implore you to find some play in your lives.
12. Yoga
I love yoga. It forces me to slow down and be more present with myself and the world around me. I especially love doing it outside, when it’s sunny, with a great playlist on. I keep mentioning moving your body because it’s so important. That doesn’t have to be yoga for you, it could be any movement that feels good. And I’m not talking about movement for aesthetics or a “goal” body. I’m talking about movement that feels good in your body.
You may notice that as I’m listing, I’m talking about combining two or more of these creative acts simultaneously. That’s what works best for me. I’ve got a brain that needs more than one thing going on to occupy it. You gotta do what works best for your body and your brain.
13. Being in community (especially in person)
Call your friends on the phone or on Facetime. Make plans with friends to meet in person. Human beings need connection to survive and thrive, and being with those you love, or meeting new people can be an act that fires up the brain and the heart. I know in these post-Covid times it can still feel a little scary to see people in person. I’m not saying to not be safe by not wearing a mask, or to not be picky if you want to hang out with only vaccinated people. Be as safe as you can, while being in as much in-person community as you can.
Me and my friends with their littles
14. Having conversations
Don’t ask me about the weather, ask me about the universe, how love is possible, and why the grass is green. Talk to me about art history and what you’re struggling with. Talking with others can help us feel seen, heard, and inspired. You can even send this article to a friend and then have a conversation about it!
15. Creative problem solving
“But I’m not creative like you. I can’t draw. My job isn’t in the arts.” I hear your reasons, and I reject them. Creativity lives in all of us because to be human is to be capable of creativity. Even if you think your job or task ahead may not be creative, I bet you’ve had to solve some problems by coming up with a creative solution. That’s creativity babe!
16. Cooking/ trying a new recipe
I love cooking with my mom or my friends. I’m spending time with others, creating nourishing food to eat, and taking pride in what I’m cooking. Mix it up by trying a new recipe, or adding a new ingredient to a tried and true recipe! (If food is not an area you currently feel creative in, maybe find ways to make your comfort meals more creative. Eat outside, put it on a different kind of plate, make it a picnic. :)
17. See a performance
Go see a play, go to a movie theater, an exhibition, a craft fair! Sometimes these cost money, but I know in my city there are many free options. See if you can follow your local city’s Facebook group or be added to the email list of a local arts collective. You might be surprised how many cool things are going on in your city.
18. Intentionally slowing down
This goes with the tea drinking a little, but it’s more generalized slowing down. Instead of rushing to the grocery store, go the speed limit, walk slowly to the front, and take your time shopping. How much time are you actually saving when you rush? 4 minutes? 10? Is four minutes worth sacrificing your nervous system for?
19. Consciously consuming content
Doomscrolling feels like it’s sucking out my soul and making me feel horrible about myself, the world, and yet it’s just a wonderful way to avoid how I’m feeling. Try to be more conscious about the content you are consuming. Maybe you post and ghost. Maybe you don’t watch 8 hours of a show you’ve seen 6 times (I love New Girl, what can I say?) Maybe you watch a slower show on PBS, or make an event of movie night. I know I feel better and have more time to be creative when I am more conscious about the content I consume.
20. Creating content
Yes, my writing this article is creative. Making YouTube videos is creative. Pandering to the Instagram/TikTok/doomscroll trending algorithm makes me want to punch someone in the face and claw their eyes out. I am still figuring out how to make content that I like and that feels authentic, while still getting noticed. Because like it or not, we are in late-stage capitalism, and I need to be making some money with these creative endeavors.
However this article finds you, I hope you are able to take some of what you read today and experiment with it in your own lives. Remember that creatively living is a practice and there is no right or wrong way to do it. Even though I am providing you with this list, I still struggle a lot. I spent the first hour and half of my morning on my phone today and it made me feel like shit. But two days ago, I was a model of the list before you. Practice, not perfection.
If you prefer to hear me talk about this, rather than read you can do so below.
The bare-bones list for you:
20 Ways to Be Creative (that isn’t making art)
1. Wear colorful clothing or clothes you feel confident in
2. Painting your nails a fun or different color
3. Play with your makeup or hair (alt for masculine people, lining up your beard, etc.)
4. Funky Earrings, or other fun accessories
5. Jewlery that has an emotional connection
6. Journaling (or writing on Substack!)
7. Dancing and listening to music
8. Singing (even if you’re bad)
9. Walk/ hike outside
10. Mindfully drinking a cup of coffee or tea
11. Play
12. Yoga or any movement of the body
13. Being in community (especially in person)
14. Conversations
15. Creative problem solving
16. Cooking/ trying a new recipe
17. See a performance
18. Intentionally slowing down
19. Consciously consuming content
20. Creating content