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Use these five ideas to (re) ignite your creativity this year. You don’t have to be an artist to be creative, but if you need inspiration, try these ideas!.
Updated November 2024
I cannot draw my way out of a paper bag. Paint brushes fumble out of my fingers. Yet, I adore every single thing about The Artful Parent because Jean taught me that it doesn’t have to be perfect – it is the experience of creating with my kids that matters.
As a child I longed to be as talented in art class as a dear friend of mine. As an adult, I finally realized that being an artist has much broader definition than I was given in school. One of my favorite parts of being a mom is finding the opportunity to explore creativity as part of my daily life with my family.
Today I’d love to inspire you to try something new for yourself. Even if we can’t draw, we can still be artists! I hope you will find something on this list that gets your creative juices flowing and excited about exploring something different.
Ignite YOUR Creativity In the New Year
1. Traditional Photography
Are you getting the most out of your camera? Have you been relying on it as a tool for capturing snapshots of big events? There is so much room for creative exploration with a camera like this. Try taking it off auto and learn to control your captures. The best way to do this is to start with a class. Then it just comes down to practice, practice, practice.
Use a creative project for your practice. Whether for a short session like a single week or a full year, challenge yourself to take a photo every single day. The repetition helps improve your technical skills while forcing you to approach your subject from a different standpoint every time. Consider projects like “14 days of Love” in February, “100 Days of Summer” in May, or a full Project 365 and then gather your images into a collage or photo book at the end.
2. Or Use what you have: a Phone!
Not everyone has invested in a full digital camera. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy pursuing photography. It is amazing what our phones are capable of! Try a portable creative project in your pocket. The same idea of a daily project is even more fun using a cell phone.
Play with video minus the hassle of editing. Similar to the photo-a-day project, the repetition of capturing a new bit of video every day sends you on a “treasure hunt” to find something beautiful or interesting to share about your daily life.
3. The Artful Kitchen
We feed our families day in and day out. Is this task something you enjoy or dread? Maybe you feel both of those things in any given week. Why not set aside a longer pocket of time in the kitchen for enjoying the process a little more. Try a new cuisine. Pick an ethnic recipe that is outside of your comfort zone and will require purchasing an exotic ingredient not currently found in your pantry. It’s okay to find a beginner’s version of the recipe, the point is just to experiment with a new flavor.
Or pick a recipe that requires time. Baking bread from scratch comes immediately to mind. Our family experimented with homemade cinnamon rolls over the holidays. It took the better part of a morning, got us covered in flour and sugar, and everyone was sticky from head to toe. Not something I’d do regularly, but it was definitely a fantastic sensory experience.
Have an in-home date. Feed the kids early and set them up with a movie and have an adults-only dinner date right at home. Set the table elegantly, light some candles, and cook something that appeals to just your palette. Try a new wine pairing. Savor your meal with your sweetie. This is the perfect chance to experiment with new foods that may bomb if placed in front of the kids.
4. Fabric Therapy
The way I feel about fabric is how I imagine Jean feels about paint. Mixing the colors and textures into new combinations can be a thrilling experience. I’m never quite certain how a quilt top is going to turn out until it is done. The tactile experience of petting the fabrics and smoothing them through the sewing machine is a soothing experience I would highly recommend. Start with something simple!
Check out RetroMama on Etsy. I adore this shop. You’re sure to find a pattern in here you’ll love. I’ve made several of her patterns and my kids had a blast helping with the details. Look for simple shapes, the rest is easy.
Don’t forget, it’s all about the materials. As with any creative project, the quality of your materials significantly affects the outcome. I would highly recommend seeking out your local quilting shop for fabric. If your town doesn’t have a quilting shop, I recommend the Fat Quarter Shop. You can search by fabric designer or theme or color and they have terrific sales on discontinued lines.
5. Stick a Needle In It
A year ago I went out of my comfort zone and picked up knitting. I find this hobby to be extremely taxing on my brain so I stick to just a simple basic stitch scarf. It makes that downtime feel productive in a good way. I’ve also enjoyed taking my projects along on car trips with the family. Similar to regular sewing, the experimentation with textures and colors for any given project makes it exciting to see how something will turn out. And you only need a very few things to get started. The supplies: 1 pair of knitting needles in basic bamboo size 9 and 1 skein of yarn that appeals to you. For the yarn, stick to something in a traditional weight (not too chunky or with beads or sequins, etc.). Check out your local knitting shop, they are so helpful!
Then, learn how to cast on! You can find dozens of videos on YouTube for knitting, but it is hard to know what you’re looking for if you’ve never knit before. Casting on is the process of getting your knitting started. This video has great footage of getting the yarn onto the needles. Next is the basic stitch: There are 2 basic stitches in knitting: knit and purl. The best advice I got was to not worry about the purl stitch to start. Just do the knit stitch when you are a beginner. This is a great video tutorial of the knit stitch. Finally, learn how to bind off. Once you’ve finished your project, you need to bind off to get it off your needles. Check out this tutorial for binding off.
I hope this has given you some ideas for reigniting or igniting your creativity! This new year is going to be one full of creating and connecting!
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