5 MORE Ways to Spark Your Creativity

It has been fun to see how my first article, 5 Ways to Spark Your Creativity, has resonated with so many people from different walks in life. My hope with these posts is that you will be encouraged to start where you are and grow from there.

I admit I am one of those people that want to do things well even when I am in the beginning stages of learning something, but as Jon Acuff so wisely said, “Never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.”

Did you read that? Yes, have heroes. Yes, have mentors. But don’t sigh and walk away dejected when the first attempts at your creative project don’t turn out well. We tend to forget that those who have mastered a subject usually took years to get to that place.

That violin player who breaks your heart with his gorgeous music used to break his siblings’ ears when he practiced. That artist that stops you in your tracks at a museum drew hundreds (more likely, thousands) of portraits before they perfected what you now see.

So give yourself some space. These posts are an encouragement, not a command. Let’s look at five more ways to spark your creativity and let that creative spirit be inspired!

5 More Ways to Spark Your Creativity

1. Set the timer.

Sometimes you need to pull out the timer to get going. Maybe you really only have 20 minutes to work on your project because other things are pressing. Set the timer, work, and then move on with your day. Or maybe you’re like me and actually work better when you’re racing against the clock. I do this with housework too, and it’s miraculous what one can accomplish in 20 minutes.

2. Be a kid again.

Kids naturally play and experiment. And now it’s your turn. Try something new. Try something that you’re convinced you won’t be good at. Honestly, we’re creating here. We’re playing. We’re not trying to solve the world’s problems. I love watching children work on their art projects because they are so involved—humming to themselves, choosing colors, busily scribbling away—let’s add some of that to our own creative practice to breath life back into it!

3. Don’t compare.

I wrote a whole post about how comparison kills creativity, and I cannot tell you how true this has been in my life. One of the surest ways for me to stop dead in my creative tracks is to start looking around and measuring myself up against other people. Back in the olden days (I say this with a smile), we compared ourselves with our friends, family, and those few people out there that we admired, but now with the internet, we have millions of people to compare ourselves with. But I’m here to ask you to stop. Your project does not have to be Pinterest-worthy. You don’t have to make this item perfect so that strangers will walk up to you in the mall and gush over it. Just make something. For you.

4. Include your kids.

If you have kids, you might find that including them in your creative time is a good fit for you. We’re at the stage where I can set my daughter up with playdough and she’ll play with that while I draw as fast as I can. I highly recommend having your children do easy, non-messy crafts that you don’t have to oversee too much unless you want your creative time to be cleaning paint out of the carpet. If you Google “busy bags” you will find so many great (and often incredibly frugal) ideas that will keep your young children happily playing alongside you. For older kids, you can designate a certain time of the day to pull out your projects and turn on the music while you all work together.

5. Don’t self-sabotage.

Okay, this one was written for me because it is one of my greatest weaknesses. I really want to be making things and I love to work on creative projects but when it comes down to it, I often self-sabotage. Meaning, I write a to-do list that is humanly impossible to complete so I have no time to work on my projects. I decide to deep-clean the bathrooms and reorganize everyone’s closets when all I needed was 20 minutes to finish a stitchery. More often than not, I leave my creative time for the very last minutes of the day when I’m exhausted and ready to fall into bed. So don’t follow my example and self-sabotage. Make the time to work on your creative project and then sit down and do it. Let yourself enjoy this moment.

We live in such a fast-paced world that many of us struggle to sit still and enjoy the process of creating. Hopefully, these tips will encourage and remind you that creativity is an important and a worthwhile endeavor.

So, now it’s your turn! What is a way that you make time to be creative? How do you get those creative ideas flowing? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Have a lovely {and creative} day!