*Note: This blog was originally published on Medium for CourseCraft – 4/15/2020
Creativity is a muscle that needs to be worked out!
You’ve seen tons of articles popping up lately suggesting at-home workouts, now that we’re all staying inside for the foreseeable future. While physical health is no doubt especially important at a time like this, there are other parts of our being that need a daily “workout” as well if we’re going to remain balanced and mentally healthy during this period of isolation.
Creativity can feel like a vague concept and is often referred to as a skill for a lack of a better word. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle Ph.D. shares that “creativity scholars can get technical and say that it actually involves abilities, mindsets, personality traits, and self-regulation strategies, as well as a set of conditions in our environments.” Another helpful way to view it as a muscle, that needs to routinely be exercised to get stronger. The longer and more consistently you utilize your creativity, the easier it will be to make art, write, or create pretty much anything else that requires an element of creativity in the future.
Think of these tips as a sort of a “creative muscle” workout plan, that can all be done from the safety of your own home.
Break Your Everyday Routine
Living a wide array of experiences creates a larger pool of inspiration to draw from. Just because you’re stuck inside doesn’t mean you can’t mix up your daily routine!
Do you listen to the same podcast every morning while you make yourself breakfast or while you’re getting your kids ready in the morning? Try switching it up to something you haven’t heard before, it could even be a creativity-centric podcast to get your gears turning as you start your day.
Do you read the same online media every day? Let yourself wander down information rabbit holes about things that have always interested you, but you haven’t previously taken the time to learn about. One good way to start that process is to use your phone’s Notes app to write down keywords, phrases, or the like that pique your interest as you go throughout the day. Wikipedia is often a good place to get the ball rolling.
Changing your daily routine can spark inspiration in unexpected ways, so even if it’s in one or two small ways, try to step outside (metaphorically speaking, of course) of your pre-trodden paths.
Keep Track of Your Inspirations
So what do you do with your newfound inspiration? Keeping track of it in a consistent way can provide a treasure trove of ideas the next time you’re feeling stuck, and even the act of collecting it all in one place can flex that creativity muscle.
There are tons of ways to do this, so try a few out to see what meshes the best with your lifestyle. For some, creating a physical, tactile, way to visualize what inspires them. This can include collage, creative bullet-journaling, or a number of other forms that you can actually hold in your hands. For others, a digital format such as Pinterest, Trello, or Wordpress provides a convenient way to track all of your sources of information.
Whatever way you choose to organize your thoughts, the most important element is what you actually put in it! Make sure to stretch the limits of basic ideas that you like within your own medium of work. For example, if you’re a visual artist, aside from works from other visual artists that inspire you, collect music, fabric, sculpture, the written word and anything else that creates a spark!
Collaborate With Your Household
Bouncing ideas off of and collaborating with other creatives is a great way to grow your own skills, but in the current state of things being in the same room as people outside of your household to make art is off the table.
If you’re fortunate enough to be staying home with a house full of artists like yourself, then the options for ways to works with are virtually endless, but for the rest of us, it might seem less feasible. Luckily there are simple prompts that you can work on with your roommate, spouse, kids, whoever you’re home with!
One classic example has you and your art partner take turns adding to a drawing without seeing what was created before it. While the name of the game, “Exquisite Corpse” may seem a bit dark, it’s fun for all ages and can be played with any medium (pens, paint, crayons, etc) you already have around the house.
Create Constraints to Push Yourself into Different Points of View
Making something harder for yourself may seem counterproductive, but placing restrictions around your work can force you to work from a different point of view. Approaching your art from a variety of perspectives can increase your breadth of work, and serves as a fun challenge while you’re bored at home.
For example, allowing yourself to only use two colors in your next painting so that you hone-in your focus on other factors such as shape, texture, and composition. Following along with a “drawing a day” prompt list (think #Inktober and the like on Instagram) can also force you to work in different styles or on subjects you hadn’t previously given a shot. Play around with making creative boundaries such as time spent, medium used, or subject to see what you’re capable of.
Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you should give up on your creative endeavors!
For many of us, creating is an essential part of maintaining our mental health. While we’re all doing our part and staying home, it can be easy to be overwhelmed by what’s going on in the world. When possible, try to take time to “workout” your creative muscle even if it’s just jotting down a few notes of inspiration, or playing a fun drawing game with your child. Stay healthy, stay safe, and keep creating.
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