Today’s post is one that brings me pride.
I started 2022 by taking on a challenge to post to my blog every day for the entire month of January. According to my calendar…it’s January 31, 2022. That means…Goal Accomplished!
There were some days that I was working up until the clock turned 11:59 pm, but by golly I did it. Ok…there were two days that I didn’t post until another day, but with the completion of this post, I now have thirty-one posts within thirty-one days.
Challenge Taken – Goal Accomplished
This challenge was a great kick off towards a productive and creative New Year. I sitll have 11 more months to discover new techniques and create so many pretty things.
I decided to join this challenge for one BIG reason. To kick my year in gear and build excitement and inspiring others towards being more creative in 2022.
There’s a part of me that wonders that since I just created 31 posts, am I going to be able to to have enough creative ideas to continue? LOL
There were many days, when I had no idea what I was going to write about, but thankfully got inspired by a variety of different actions. There were times when I started writing about one thing and the final post ended up about something completely different. That’s the beauty of creativity. It’s very fluid and often comes out of the blue.
There is so much to learn and when creativity is manifested.
Learning to be more confident
Learning new techniques
Learning to deal with fear and rejection
Learning to manage time better
So much more…
Ways To Be Creative
No matter what your skill level or creative genre, being creative can come in many forms. Sometimes it comes from having serious thought and sometimes just being a bit silly, will bring about some pretty amazing ideas.
Below is a random list of ways to bring about creativity:
Commit yourself to creativity
Make something from an online tutorial you’ve had bookmarked for some time
Make a tutorial from something you created yourself – share it with a friend
Clear off your entire workspace and then reorganize it – However, don’t put anything back tin the same spot – changing your creative view can open your eyes to new things
Carry a notebook and pen with you everywhere you go – jot down things you observe
Fill an entire photo album with anything but photographs – This is of course AKA a scrapbook, but totally think outside of that box that everyone keeps talking about
Use your paper scraps in new ways OR throw them away – Both ways can bring change which opens up new ways of doing things
Donate unused craft supplies to a charity that could benefit from them – Acts of Kindness open our hearts in many ways
Write a happy message on a sticky note and leave it for someone to find it – someone left a “you are special” sticky on my drivers side window and it absolutely made my day
Make up a story about people you see walking on the street – I’ve done this with my kiddos, but it is also such a fun creative activity when you are out and about – Make it silly or outrageous
Choreograph a dance – Remember the song by Lee Ann Womack, “I Hope You Dance” – Life is precious so…dance.
Journal or write something somewhere every day
Making a paper chain to count down the days to an upcoming event or occassion can build excitement
Have an art picnic – Don’t know what that means? Then make it up
Select one of the five senses and document everything you experience with that sense for one day
Listen to music instead of watching TV
Make a mass handmade gift to give everyone for Christmas or some other holiday (personalize eac one)
Teach someone something (or make your own tutorial)
Celebrate weird and unusual holidays. Here’s a list, just in case you need some help with this one
Have an unbirthday party for someone
Execute an elaborate Random Act of Kindness – This can be for someone you know or a complete stranger
Incorporate every color of the rainbow into your outfit
Journal for ten minues straight – do not stop writing
Write thank you cards for your friends family, or coworks – not for gifts, or anthing else
Have a yard sale where you sell handmade things not just a rummange sale
Plan a surprise for someone
Bedazzle something
Measure something really large with something that’s not a ruler or other traditional form of measurment
Decorate mirrors with dry erase markers – Just make sure you use the dry erase markers 🙂
Dress up super fancy on ordinary days – sometimes doing the unordinary on ordinary days can offer you a multitude of more ways to celebrate life
Make paper snowflakes out of colored paper
Document your week in paper scraps – Spell words, make pictures or anything that comes to your mind
Meet up with other people who want to be creative and create a group project or just brainstorm ways to make pretty things for yourself or others
Daydream – allow your mind to just freely wander and have fun – This is actually very therapeutic
Take a road trip somewhere within 90 minutes, but to somewhere you’ve never been before
Doodle – Did you know that Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan were doodlers?
Play video games with your kiddos
Become an Expert – Decide on something that you want to learn and then commit time, daily for multiple weeks – Document your progress by dating any writings or videoing visual progress
Take risks – When it comes to building your creative skills, you need to be willing to take risks in order to advance your abilities. While your efforts may not lead to success every time, you will still be boosting your creative talents and building skills that will serve you well in the future.
Keep a creativity journal – Using either blank or lined papers follow your creative process and track the ideas you produce. A journal is a great way to reflect back on what you have accomplished – This journal can be used to save ideas that can later serve as future inspiration.
Challenge yourslf and create opportunities – Remember to not only thingk big, but it’s also okay to think small as well – Meaning all ideas create opportunity
Make time for creativity – You won’t be able to develop your creative talents if you don’t make time for them. Schedule some time each week to concentrate on some type of creative project
Brainstorm new ideas – AKA do a brain dump – Set yourself a specific amount of time and just start writing all the things you want to make or do or see – This is not about the how it’s going to happen, it’s all about the ideas
Look for inspiration – Never expect creativity to just happen – Look for new sources of inspiration that give you fresh ideas – Ex: Read a book, visit a museum, listen to your favorite music – Utilize whatever strategy or technique works best for you.
Now that January 2022 is in our past, where do we creatively go from here? That’s the exciting thing. There is so much creativity waiting to be explored and well, created.
Your personal creative journey is waiting.
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