Creativity Reloaded: Why You Should Try New Creative Activities
How do you build new creative muscles? I’m not talking about flexing the ones you already have, be they writing, graphic design, web development, or illustration. I’m talking instead of completely new creative activities. Why? They’ll help you be a stronger creative person. And that’s good for you and your day job.
Lessons Learned
For example, I’m a writer who just started sewing. It’s been a fascinating experience. Granted, some would say that following a pattern isn’t a hugely creative act. But it’s been the seed. I’m already thinking ahead of patterns I’d like to design, and different kinds of fabrics I’d like to try. I’ve also been exposed to a new group of creative people.
I’ve learned the value of being very precise, to prepare heavily in advance, and that continuous incremental work can pay off. These are all important lessons for a creative person. But, most importantly I’ve had tons of fun.
Fight Creative Exhaustion
When you have to be creative on-demand in your day job, things can get very tiring. Adding new creative muscles will help you feel and think differently, especially if they’re in a totally different field. There are lots of benefits to taking up a new art:
- Feed your need to be creative without worrying about making money.
- Make creative connections and be exposed to new influences.
- Take a break from working on a screen.
- Learn things that’ll influence your day job.
Where to Start?
The key to success is to choose something new, but fun. And don’t worry about being good at it, just try something. Here are some ideas:
- Try photography or photo manipulation.
- Make an object by sewing, knitting, or some other craft.
- Try stop-motion animation with clay and a digital camera.
- Not a writer? Take a writing class.
- Not an illustrator or designer? Take a drawing class.
What new creative activity would you like to try?
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Learning a new programming language or following a tutorial has worked for me.
i am a web developer and am planning on signing up for a pottery class in the coming weeks to try and get out and work with a more hands on form of art – great article
I was just putting this into practice over the past weekend. I really needed some time away from the screen but still wanted to exert some creative energy. So I decided to make my own custom wall art. Not only did I get to be creative but I got to feel productive by creating something to display at my house that would be a lot cheaper than buying at the store. So I went to Michael’s, bought some canvases and acrylic paint and went to town. It felt good to do something creative that didn’t involve a computer for once and I got back to work this week feeling refreshed!
Photography and art stuff is good for developers. For those who doing that already(Art etc.) programming is an good option
I’m a web designer, so I get a lot of opportunity to explore creativity with pixels. For me, the most relaxing and refreshing thing is to just get out in nature… hike a mountain, ride a trail, sit on a rock by a river. Sometimes I forget that there’s a much bigger world out there than what I see on my laptop/screen/smartphone/tv/wii/etc.
Martha here. I just spent part of last weekend at a manufacturing plant in the midwestern United States.
Now, you may be thinking that I just visited the dullest, most uncreative place on the planet. And you would be wrong.
Why? Because this place make things that took a lot of scientific and engineering creativity to devise. And the machines that make it didn’t come from off the shelf at Acme Manufacturing Equipment. They had to be designed and custom-made to the specifications of this plant.
In short, I saw a lot of creativity in this place.
Good post, I agree with the article. Working too much on your own skill can sometimes get a little stale, so it’s always good to change it up a bit and draw inspiration from other things.
Great article and great reminder. I do a lot of club flyers for rappers and DJs, but have branched off into designing for small businesses, so I can push myself in another direction and develop new skills and perspectives. Tutorials help a lot also, I felt I was burning myself out with using too many images in my designs, so I started studying typographical layouts and have been loving it. Good luck with your new creative venture!
Scrapbooking! I’m a web designer, so scrapbooking is a great way to get away from the computer, but it still keeps me thinking about layout, balance, even whitespace.
Sometimes I get so sick and tired of being a corporate writer that I would switch to poet or Dear Diaryist in order to reload my creativity. It’s always fun and fulfilling in a way.
I agree that doing something totally different has a huge amount of benefits.
I teach IT skills to corporate organisations and many people find new technologies very hard to learn. By learning something new myself I realise the amount of hard work, perseverence and motivation that is required. As the writer has also said – it does make us more creative and in my case helps me use different learning approaches.
Great advice for people. I fancy myself as a web developer, and feel I have a lot of pent up creative energy. Several years ago, I too found sewing. I’ve always loved Halloween, and I wanted to be the one with the bad@ss costume. So I taught myself to sew. I’ve done Captain Jack Sparrow, two versions of the Joker, and several Star Wars costumes for my son. While following patterns might not be creative, I think the research that goes into it is. You find your reference material. Then you pour over fabrics looking for just the right color and just the right drape. Then you have to mod your patterns to suit your needs.
I find sewing VERY creatively liberating and VERY rewarding.
Excellent advice!
I’ ve worked in many areas that have all infomed/ improved the others: for example V. M., styling, writing+ art direction. So what I’ m saying is I agree – definitely operate beyond yer current arena. Gardening, cookery, model- making+ interior design are all things that cost little to do+ are creative+ fun+ in the case of food – YUMMY!
Hi,
I have experimented switching from one activity to another & it really works.
In fact, this makes it easy to identify activities one loves the most.
Please do post links to more resources for ‘eLearning’ for people who do not have the luxury of going out to a writing or a pottery class.
You guys are blessed.
Cheers.
I agree it is fun doing creative things outside of your field. I’ve always enjoyed decorating new places and putting together / painting furniture. I find it’s a way to be creative that you can enjoy all the time (living in the space). I also want to get involved in graffiti (legal) style painting.
Yes, I agree that succumbing to our creative side for personal pleasure can take the monotony out of what we are used to. As for me, I have recently discovered the art of making modern, detailed sculptures – out of bath soaps. I’d say it’s a new experience for me ( something that smells clean and fresh as well ).
Oh my goodness I have had an overwhelming urge to buy a sewing machine and start sewing this past month. And I’ve never sewn anything before. I dont know where this came from. Oh well, one of these days I’ll find the money to get a sewing machine. It’ll happen.
Judy – listen to the urge! There are lots of great used sewing machines out there to get you started.
For sewing inspiration, check out http://www.burdastyle.com
Nice headlines really,Creativity Reloaded,what that really means?want to know how they are related here?
Thanks for the comments everyone. It’s great to see so many people working on creative projects on the side in addition to running a freelance business!
I am a web-designer now. In the past I’ve been a DJ. So it is not really something new to me, but I like to mix some music for a change of creativity. It’s a good way to change my focus form websites to music and still being creative.
I’ve started learning how to draw. I’m doing some digital classes and it is working nicely. I even bough a Wacom tablet and professional drawing supplies.
As a 100% programmer, this is working amazingly for me.