Creativity comes to those who pay attention, I’ve found. If you want more creative ideas, ask for them and act on them. Your mind will start providing you with lots more ideas on how to be more creative. The challenge, then, is finding the free time to act on those ideas.
Many years ago, when I worked in an office, I dreamt of the day I could stay home full-time. Then, I would have sooo much time to do whatever I wanted. For example, finishing all my creative projects.
This September was odd for me because it was the first time in many years we were not hustling around getting ready for school to start. My son finished homeschooling last spring and passed all his GED exams over the summer. He started taking online college-level classes, but he’s grown up now and no longer needs my help.
So where’s all my free time? The house still needs cleaning, the dog needs to be taken outside, and meals need cooking.
If doesn’t matter if we work full, part-time, or not at all, it’s still easy to get to Friday afternoon, then look back on our week and wonder what we’ve accomplished. Or sometimes, we get stuck and can’t figure out what we want to create or how to learn new skills now that we’re not in school anymore.
Whether it is coming up with an idea for a new painting, sculpture, or sewing project, we all need creative ideas.
Even the most creative people sometimes fall into a slump, and we must restart our creative engines. Also, creativity is more than just a skill valuable to artists and writers. Scientists, engineers, and many other fields need creative people to develop new, original ideas.
How to Be More Creative: 7 Ideas to Implement Right Away
1. Read on a wide variety of subjects.
When my local library closed for over a year, I discovered e-books you could check out online, the Project Gutenberg website, as well as Archiev.org. Michael Hart started Project Gutenberg in 1970 to make plain text versions of books available to everyone. It’s a great place to find out of print books to read for free!
2. Take afternoon naps
It worked for Edison, one of America’s most gifted inventors. Before lying down, think about a problem you want to solve or a subject you want to gather ideas about. Then let your subconscious work on it for a bit. Naps can get our creativity flowing.
3. Spend some time browsing other artists’ work
Go to a gallery. I’m lucky to live near a village with several small art galleries, but even an online gallery will work. In addition, I love collecting art books from shows I go to. Then I can flip through them and recall my impressions of paintings I saw at the museum.
4. Start a dream journal
Allow yourself time to daydream. It’s a great way to find new and original ideas. But, unfortunately, daydreaming isn’t valued in our society. Just like gazing out the window is viewed as a waste of our time. Nonetheless, these are great ways to allow our minds to develop original ideas.
5. Take a hike and spend the afternoon outside
Even though it might be cold and rainy, don’t let that stop you from taking long walks. Just bundle up and grab your umbrella. There are so many advantages to spending time outside, but one of the best benefits is it increases your creativity by allowing you to develop new ideas. Ideas generally appear when you are doing something else.
6. Schedule Regular Brainstorming Sessions
Mark it on your calendar, and spend 15 minutes coming up with ideas. Also, you can brainstorm anywhere. Keep a small notepad in your pocket for when ideas pop into your head.
7. Go ahead and start on a project
Don’t worry if you don’t know how it will turn out or all the steps involved. You can always go back and make a plan later.
How I Created a Miniature Version of the Blue Times Dollhouse:
Last Christmas, I received a Cute Bee dollhouse kit. The kit I received was called Blue Times. Cute Bee and a couple of other brands are miniature house kits that you can assemble on your own. Lots of how-to videos can be found on YouTube.
Even though I’d watched a few of these videos, I didn’t realize how tiny the house was. Tiny, as in too small for even my dollhouse-sized dolls. I was a little disappointed but decided to put it together anyway. I’m not as fast a crafter as many of the YouTubers I watch, and midway through, I got the idea to build my own house. From scratch. One that would fit the tiny polymer clay dolls I make.
Constructing a House with Foam board
Since this is just for fun rather than something I plan on selling, I created a duplicate of the Cute Bee Blue Times house. I could have chosen to make this out of thin wood, which I will do with the next one because my 17-pound Ragdoll cat, Oliver, has already claimed the house as his and decided to move in. I don’t know how long my foam board will stand up to him, rubbing his chin on the edge of the window. But foam board is relatively inexpensive.
The house’s base is made out of 3 sheets of foam board. I recreated the triangle wallpaper from the kit in Photoshop, enlarged it, and printed it on a good color printer at the library. The flooring and lower floor walls are from scrapbook paper I found at the craft store.
I used a paper cutter to make really clean cuts and match the pattern. For the windows, I used thin strip wood from the hardware store. Some of these my husband cut with the scroll saw. I cut the rest with a small hand saw. The “glass” is cut from the tops of lettuce containers. Next are the stairs. I’m working on scaling them up now.
Hopefully, I can cut each size as two pieces on the scroll saw.
Plans for the furnishings
I think I’ll make the refrigerator out of either paper clay or polymer clay. The kitchen counter, the table, the chairs, the nightstand, and the desk will be out of thin wood. Hopefully, it won’t take me as long to create the furnishings as it has the house.
But I always have too many hobby projects going on at the same time.
My Next House – What I’ve learned and would do differently
First of all, the next house will be out of wood so it will last. However, I’m glad I tried it with foam board first. Foam board is great – if you don’t have a cat who wants to help and then decides to move into your doll house as an afternoon napping spot.
Also, I don’t think I will have a bathroom with see-through walls. That’s somewhat strange. Since my houses are just for photoshoots, I think I’ll leave the bathroom out. I’ll leave that for when my husband and I make the diorama for my BJDs, who I can photograph in the tub.
These tiny dolls have felt bodies, so I couldn’t stick them in the tub for a bubble bath without using fake bubbles. Another thing is I will use heavier plastic for the windows. Such plastic sheets can be purchased at craft stores, hardware stores, or online.
Conclusion:
Engaging in creative hobbies is essential to promote a balanced and healthy lifestyle. These hobbies allow us to take a break from our daily routine, de-stress, and recharge. It is vital to take the time to enjoy activities that we love and find fulfilling. Hobbies like crafting, painting, or building miniatures, such as my recent project, allow us to explore our creative side and exercise our minds in different ways.
Moreover, these hobbies are also a fantastic way to enhance our problem-solving skills, patience, and attention to detail. Incorporating creative hobbies into our weekly routine allows us to take a break and provides numerous benefits for our mental and emotional well-being.
Remember, creativity is not just for artists and writers but for everyone. So there is always time to start exploring your own creativity and see where the journey takes you.