The biggest hurdle to any new habit is finding the space + the time to get started. Today, we're sharing our 5 best tips for making time for daily creativity practice. We've both been practicing design + creative thinking for years and years, but find the simple act of making something small, daily just for ourselves is a favorite part of the creative journey.
1. Keep supplies visible + accessible. Having pencils, paints, your camera at the ready removes the roadblock of having to set up each time. Both Shay and I have small vases and containers of pencils, pens, paintbrushes, markers and bins of paper and stickers at the ready at all times. It's great for us and our kids when any moment of free time or boredom strikes, to just grab a tool + go. It also serves as a great visual reminder to make time to make.
2. Be an explorer. Take note and photos of EVERYTHING. Note anything you see that inspires you. Make lists of things you want to research more - a book, an artist, a shop. Store business cards, feathers, fabric swatches inside that inspire you. Snap photos of interesting color combinations, an artfully arranged store display or meal and any type of art that speaks to you. Think of this journal + photo roll as your Rolodex for creativity. When you sit down to create - you'll have ideas at the ready to help get your wheels turning.
3. Set a schedule. As with any habit, setting aside dedicated time to practice is key. Especially at the beginning. When I first started building my practice, writing 3 morning pages daily was a morning ritual alongside my coffee. Now that my practice is more developed, I build it into my schedule where it fits at the beginning of each week or day, but still find mornings tend to be my favorite time to create. Build a writing practice into your morning coffee routine, set aside a 15 minute break in the afternoon and get sketching, pull out your crayons or colored pencils and draw with your kids after dinner.
4. Don't worry about the outcome. You'll hear us say this a lot at The Color Kind. We practice creativity for the process. The health benefits and the sense of joy it brings us is all we need to be hooked. The outcome? Sometimes it's good, most times it's terrible - but it's never the point. The process, the practice, the calm + focus it brings to our days - that's our WHY for making time for this daily.
5. But do share your work. It may seem counterintuitive to say this after the last statement, BUT, just like with any new practice - sharing your work + your journey is an important motivator to just keep going. Share it small + privately, posting it on your wall daily so you can see your progress. Share it big + boldly, talking about your practice and sharing photos on your Instagram feed. We also have a private Facebook group just for you to share your work in a group of like-minded kind, also sharing their creative journey. Wherever you choose to share, the point is to see visual progress of your results, and to remind yourself when you've skipped a day or two to get right back to it!
We know finding time to fit in ONE more thing can be overwhelming. But, we promise, building in a bit of time to practice creativity every day will bring you such joy + fulfillment, you'll be looking forward to the small bits of time daily. Start small, start where you are, but just start. Most importantly - HAVE FUN!
