Creative outlets have always held a position of high standing in my mind, but now more than ever they shouldn’t be overlooked. With so many unkowns and the days changing drastically from one to the other, it’s important to root yourself in activities and hobbies that allow you to express yourself. They don’t have to be complicated and you don’t have to be wildly talented creatively to do them. These are the five simple things I do every day to keep the creativity flowing.

Take a Daily Photo

Whip out your cell phone and snap a picture every day. It doesn’t have to be good, artsy, or shareable. Just take a picture of something that documents the day for you. Even after just one week you’ll be surprised at how many little things you’ve accomplished. Sure you aren’t going on crazy adventures like you might have in the past, but the little activities and moments do still add up.

Brain Dump

Now I wish there was a less gross term for this…anyone have anything better they call it? There’s so much value in getting everything out of your head and onto paper. Things as simple as clean the litter box can clog up your brain and stress you out by trying to remember it all. Getting it down on paper takes away the stress and you won’t have that gnawing feeling like you’re forgetting something.

Gratitude

Sure it’s hard to be grateful all the time and I’m the first to admit that lately it doesn’t feel like there’s that much to be grateful for. Try to take a moment every day to write down something you’re grateful for, even if it’s as small as getting through another day. Over time these small gestures of gratitude will help you get through the tough days even if you may not realize it right away. 

Journal/Write

Whether you’re writing a letter to a friend or journaling about your feelings in a notebook, put pen to paper. It takes you away from a computer or social media and has you focus on your personal, individual thoughts. You don’t have to write anything prolific. Hell most of the time my journal is filled with me complaining about stupid things and work. Just like writing out a list of everything clouding up your head, journaling helps to get all those pent up emotions out. And there sure is a lot to be emotional about these days…

Read

When our local library opened up I couldn’t place holds on books fast enough. After hours a day in video meetings and staring at a computer screen, I’m so excited to turn it all off just to read for a while. Plus books are well known for letting the reader escape into other worlds. It’s probably the best form of travel anyone can do right now.

It’s simple. You don’t have to be a brilliant painter or have some crazy creative talent in order to be creative on a daily basis. These five simple acts give me clarity during days that feel like they’re just constantly repeating themselves. We could all use that right about now…