Living a more creative life makes a huge difference to how I see the world now and I’ve come to passionately believe life is better when there’s more creativity flowing through each day. The challenge can be in figuring out how to make this happen, especially with how busy daily life gets.

Happily it’s much easier than feared and the secret is in the little things. So to help I’m sharing what I find works so you can take it and make it your own.

Let it flow….

How to Bring More Creativity into Life

Here are ten ways to bring more creativity into daily life:

1.  Go to where makers and artists hang out.

An easy pace to start is at your local artisan markets and fairs. Don’t have one in town? Then plan a girls weekend.

2. Do at least one creative course each season.

Whether it is a four hour workshop or a weekly class any combination is great. It’s the doing that matters so don’t over complicate it, find a way to have some wins.

3. Style with locally handmade.

This is so easy to do if you’re heading off to artisan markets and fairs. Style your wardrobe, your work space, your home with original and quality handmade designs and you’ll be delighted with the ideas they spark.

4. Give handmade presents.

Whether you make them yourself or mix it up with pieces made by talented local makers and support their efforts. The key is being around creativity and putting it out there in your world.

Celebrating the artist

5. Add it to your daily routine.

This another combo idea, make up a reading list, write or make a mark each day – explore and play with creative activities that push you a bit. Think about what you listen to while in transit – car, train, bus. Can you read on the way to work? What do you have on when you’re working around the house? Can you mix in some writing or making time with the kids doing their thing too? I have hanging on the bathroom backdoor a hand-pieced fabric bag covered with part of my brooch collection and love looking at it and find the designs quite inspiring.

6. Dive into a 30 Day Instagram challenge.

Post a daily photo of something that you find inspiring and creative. This is great for making you look around for ideal content.

7. Have a creative playdate with a friend or the kids.

Pick a craft you’ve been wanting to try out and give it a go, this could be going to a workshop or even learning from a You Tube video.

8. Do a wardrobe stocktake for quality vs quantity.

Often the clothes that make you feel your best come from a place of quality rather than fast fashion sweat shops. An easy place to find beautifully made and finished outfits is at local fashion markets and fairs like The Rocks Markets.

9. Give yourself four hours per week for creativity.

This can be a class, making time, visiting the local art gallery, writing for your blog, art trails, maker markets, painting sessions – any combination that lights you up.

10. Write 300 – 500 words each day.

This can be a great way to clear internal blockages and focus on what matters to you. The good thing is the quality of the writing itself doesn’t matter. Creativity loves to flow so help it get moving.

Have some fun with this joyful heart long necklace

Creative Stages

At every stage in life there are new opportunities for exploring creativity. What works when the kids are little and getting into all manner of crafts is different to when they’re teenagers and want their own space. This at least means you have plenty of scope for your own space too.

I’ve found that the differences come from the little things that are constant rather than the big things that are rare. Holding a hand thrown pottery mug to drink your morning cuppa from and appreciating the handmade qualities of it is a great way to start the morning. It’s a little thing and it matters; it makes a positive difference.

But I’m Not Creative

The number of times I’ve heard people say to me at market that they’re not creative stuns me. We are all creative, just in different ways and we’ve been told different messages about our own creative talents since we were kids. I was lucky, I have a mum who always told me I was creative, I was arty like my grandmother and her sisters. She also tells me when something I’ve done isn’t my best and that’s good for me too.

The thing is, we all have this thing called creativity within us. We don’t all get the opportunity as adults to feed and nurture it and it can feel like a great big gapping hole within us, as if something is missing. The way to resolve that gnawing feeling is to recognise with have a creativity soul and to feed it.

This doesn’t have to be about leaving everything we’ve built in our lives for some full on creative arts degree or all consuming endeavour, it’s much more simple than that. It’s about exploring and playing with different things that light us up. Why do you think those cooking and gardening shows are so popular? Both are all about creativity.

Numbers and science are also really creative, so too is marketing and problem solving,  pattern making and building, computer coding and designing databases (see what I learned in the IT world?).

We all have some form of creativity within us and life is better for each and all of us when we nurture and feed it in our own ways. I’ve found that having other people’s works of art and creativity around me inspiring and rewarding. Incorporating creative activities and objects into my daily life to bring meaning and satisfaction. So give it a go, add some more of it into life and make every day creative.

Bringing more peace into the world the Long Peace Bird Necklace

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