Unlocking your creative potential to find your inner artist can sometimes feel like trying to button your coat up using chopsticks; tricky, perhaps a little bit comical, and yet, strangely rewarding when you finally get there.
I’ve spent years exploring my own inner artist, usually with smudges of paint on my hands and an optimistic belief that absolutely anything can become ‘art’, including that old bee costume haunting the back of my loft and my infamous, unfinished Christmas jumpers, which I carefully wrapped up for family and friends with the knitting needles still attached!
Since then, most of my creative outlets have been dance, drama and performing arts, which have really allowed me to channel my inner artist in many different directions – choreography, drama, set building, costumes and props – they’ve all allowed me to express myself through artistic channels. And I’ve loved it!
For anyone keen on building a joyful life, reconnecting with creativity adds so much nourishment and vitality to the everyday adventure that I heartily recommend trying to find something you like in the creative world.
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Why Creativity Matters for Well-being
Creativity isn’t just for people who can paint masterpieces or write prize-winning novels. We are all creative beings at heart, and I see it as our natural way of expressing our infinite souls, which is, after all, why we are here in the first place.
It doesn’t matter if you’re doodling on a scrap of paper, creating a masterpiece that “Bake Off” would be proud of, or arranging flowers on the windowsill. The simple act of making something can help you feel more present, playful, and open to new inspirations. And it’s a great way to forget all your worries and be ‘in the moment’ too.
Studies in positive psychology show that regular creative activities help lower stress, improve mood and give a boost to overall well-being. Many people find them a form of meditation and they can adjust your brain waves to be calmer and more open to inspiration.
Even just 20 minutes dedicated to making something can leave you more energised and uplifted. If you’re ever in doubt, try dancing in the living room to your favourite song; it’s highly effective, and even better if someone else joins in!
Getting Started: Connecting To Your Creativity
Most of us were creative in some way as children, but somewhere between growing up and managing daily life, activities like silly scribbles or daydreaming get pushed aside. I’ve been lucky to have worked in a creative field all my life, and I honestly can’t imagine really being happy if I had spent my life not doing that. But many people spend years suppressing their own creativity because they don’t believe they have time, or worse, they think that they are not very good at being creative, so don’t try.
The truth is, we are all creative – we dream of things we want to do and be, and that in itself is creating your own life. There are so many different ways to be creative, so the trick is just finding the one that is right for you.
If you’re wondering where to kick things off, here are a few practical steps that can help you reconnect with that joyful, playful energy that we are all made of:
- Forget perfection: Nobody gets it right all the time, and perfection doesn’t exist – what is perfect to one, is flawed to another, so just follow your own ideas. My cookery is a well-known disaster zone in my family, but I make fantastic table decorations and place names!
- Start small: Five minutes of doodling, writing a haiku, or snapping a photo on your phone all count as being creative. So does gardening, DIY and playing Dungeons and Dragons. Creativity doesn’t have limits.
- Follow your curiosity: If you’re not sure what to try, just start with something you’ve never done before and things that you think look like fun. If a friend invites you to a felting workshop or you see an advert for a pottery class, why not take it as a sign and give it a go?
Simple Ideas to Find Your Inner Artist
If you’re stuck for something to do, have a look through this list:
A to Z of Creativity
A – Acting, Animation, Architecture, Aromatherapy blending
B – Baking, Bookbinding, Body painting, Balloon modelling, Brass rubbing, Blacksmithing
C – Calligraphy, Collage, Cake decorating, Comedy writing, Crochet, Costume design
D – Dance choreography, Doll-making, Digital art, Drumming, DIY, Dressmaking, Decoupage
E – Embroidery, Event organisation, Eco-crafts, Etching
F – Filmmaking, Flower arranging, Furniture upcycling, Face painting, Fly making
G – Graphic design, Graffiti art, Garden design, Game creation, Glass etching
H – Hand-lettering, Hairstyling, Home staging, Haiku writing
I – Illustration, Interior design, Ice sculpture, Improvisation
J – Jewellery making, Junk modelling, Journalling, Jigsaws
K – Knitting, Kintsugi repair, Kite design
L – Landscape photography, Lino printing, Logo design, Light installations
M – Music composition, Mosaic art, Mixology (creative drinks), Mask-making, Macramé
N – Needle-felting, Novel writing, Nature mandalas
O – Origami, Object theatre, Orienteering
P – Pottery, Poetry, Podcasting, Puppetry, Pyrography, Painting, Prop making
Q – Quilting, Quick-sketch urban drawing
R – Resin art, Role-play character creation, Recycled craft
S – Sculpture, Songwriting, Scrapbooking, Stop-motion videos, Shadow puppetry, Spoon carving, Set design
T – Textile art, Tarot deck designing, Typography
U – Ukulele decorating, Upcycling, Urban gardening
V – Voice acting, Videography, Virtual world building, Vegetable/Fruit carving
W – Wood carving, Watercolour, Weaving, Wax seal design
X – Xiangqi (Chinese chess) strategy composition (creativity in logic)
Y – Yarn bombing, YouTube content creation
Z – Zentangle drawing, Zoom theatre performances
Remember that this is not exhaustive, and there are even more ideas out there if you really want something unusual.
Common Hurdles (And What I Do About Them)
Bringing creativity into your daily routine isn’t always smooth, and you may find that there are some old beliefs or sneaky negative thoughts getting in the way. Here are some familiar challenges and a few simple ways of getting past them:
- “I’m not really an artist”: This stubborn thought pops up in many of us, and often stems from what we were told at school – or rather, what we told ourselves at school. To counter it, remind yourself that creativity is part of everyone, and you don’t have to share your creations with anyone if you don’t want to. Just do it for you
- Lack of time: Life gets busy. Children need feeding, and most of us need to earn a living. But you can be creative on the go if you grab a sketchbook or a notebook, your knitting or your embroidery and take it with you. One of my favourite things to do is to write a journal and set my thoughts down at the end of the day. You can do this in the last 10 minutes before bed to fit it in
- Not feeling inspired: We can all feel a little depleted and have off days, and these are OK too, as they are just part of the journey of life – the constant ebb and flow which allows us to be inspired one minute, and reflective the next. I find that taking a walk in nature works wonders when my mind needs a fresh idea, or sometimes I just head to a coffee shop and ‘people watch’. You can come up with lots of ideas just by doing this.
Self-Compassion Is Important
Some days, nothing flows. But instead of forcing yourself, remember to practice a little kindness. Sometimes, a break or chatting with another creative soul is all it takes to refresh your spirits. Inspiration often returns once you stop chasing it and let it flow through you.
Make A Creative Space
Having a cosy space can help you slide right into the creative groove, and it doesn’t matter if that space is a favourite chair, a kitchen table, or a sunlit conservatory. I’m lucky enough to have a small cabin in the bottom of my garden that I have been refurbishing to make my own “Creative Cabin”. It’s a great space to retreat to, and lose myself in something creative.
Here’s what I’ve learned along the way:
- Keep tools handy if you can: Out of sight, is often out of mind, so keep pens, paints or a journal nearby. We have some ‘doodle drawers’ in our kitchen that are set up with things like pens, pencils, scissors, glue, and we like to keep interesting craft items (usually recycled) to use in projects here too
- Create your own rituals: Play some relaxing music, make a mug of herbal tea, or put on your best apron and tell your brain that it’s time to create
- Personalise your space: Add photos, vision boards, decorative and useful items that inspire you
Advanced Tips for Growing Your Artistic Skills
Once you’re ready to take things up a notch, experimenting and stretching beyond your comfort zone really helps. Here are some things to keep that creativity growing:
Try new mediums: Jumping from watercolours to collage or dabbling in digital illustration will shake up your habits and bring new possibilities into the mix.
Try recycled art: This is a great way to live more sustainably, and tread lightly on the Earth and find your inner artist at the same time. See our post on recycled Halloween decorations for a few ideas.
Join creative circles: Connecting with others, whether in person or online, can give you fresh perspectives and a gentle nudge. There’s nothing like spotting someone else’s finished project to motivate you to finish yours, and you’ll make some great friends along the way through your shared interests.
Share your work: Sharing work can be scary at first, but when if you post images on your social media accounts or in other supportive spaces, you’ll find your confidence grows and your sense of achievement deepens.
Creative Expression and Spiritual Connection
Many people feel that making art, music, or dance opens the door to their intuition and deeper wisdom. For me, creativity has always been something that is deeply connected to my spiritual side. When I’m completely absorbed in the act of creating, my worrying thoughts settle, anxieties shrink, and I enjoy a kind of peaceful connection to myself and to something larger than daily life.
When I was choreographing dances, I used to say to the students that it was not me, but I had images of people dancing in my head, and as soon as I heard the music, they would just dance around and that would be the choreography – much to the annoyance of the students when I asked them to do particularly complicated or difficult routines. (They loved it really!)
When you are doing something you love, it’s easier for your energy to flow directly, so creativity often feels inspired, and that’s a great feeling.
Beyond painting and drawing, I consider gardening, DIY, and dancing as my favourite forms of creative connection. But that’s just me. The trick here is to discover your own.
So go on, give it a try – what have you got to lose?
Let me know in the comments below how you get on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need special skills or expensive tools to be creative?
Absolutely not. Creativity can flourish with pencil stubs and empty cereal boxes. The biggest challenge is simply giving yourself permission to begin.
How can I stay motivated without losing enthusiasm?
Break goals down into small steps, and cheer for the tiniest wins. Mix things up if boredom sneaks in. Doing creative stuff with friends helps keep things fresh and fun, too.
Can creativity really help with my spiritual growth?
Lots of people say that making things gives them a deeper sense of meaning and connection. In my experience, it’s one of the most joyful ways to explore spirituality and manifestation without getting bogged down in overthinking, and it opens up a direct channel to Source energy and your Higher self.
Go on… what have you got to lose?
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