To start off this article, I want to explain this theory I have. I have a firm belief that everybody is creative in their own kind of way, no matter what it is or how it is channeled. When I was younger (specifically in high school), I always watched my friends willingly take ceramics and drawing classes for electives, and wondered what it would have been like to be “that creative”. I think that there’s a stereotype about creativity: that it solely exists in hobbies related to art or music. Speaking for myself, I know neither of those disciplines are my strong suits. However, as I’ve gotten older and went on the road to self-discovery in college, I’ve learned that creativity means more than knowing how to draw a still life of a fruit bowl instead of a stick figure.
I believe that creativity is a feeling that makes you seem temporarily separated from the “real” world around you. Recently, I discovered the passion I have for writing and storytelling, which is why I’m writing this article in the first place (duh). Whenever I am stressed out or feeling weighed down by the endless pressures of reality, I take time during the day to do something that separates me from them. Something that provides me a temporary escape. And like I said, that “something” is usually related to writing.
Whether it’s writing my weekly article for Her Campus, daydreaming and taking notes about that book I want to write in the next five years, or even editing the text displayed on my personal website, these activities allow me to temporarily forget whatever is going on around me. When I get my hands in front of my laptop, I could literally type away for hours on end about nothing. But, this “endless nothing” is my favorite way of channeling my creativity.
I’ve tried method after method to help me relax and calm down after I begin to feel overwhelmed, and personally, nothing has made me feel better than doing something creative. Of course, writing may not be your thing either. My advice to you is to self-reflect. Think about what activities make you effortlessly happy and reduce stress.
Even if you are not “creative,” here are a few creative tasks to get your brain flowing and stress going down:
1. keep a daily journal
In this journal, you can jot down memories from each day, or use journalling prompts from Pinterest or some of your favorite influencers. This doesn’t require that much effort, but it’s a good start to your path of creativity.
2. Scrapbook
During the original COVID quarantine, I decided to print my favorite photos of me and my friends and paste them all into a notebook. I decorated each page with stickers, caption bubbles, and glitter. This is one of my favorite things to do, especially when each semester rolls around and I can print new pictures and paste them in!
3. doodle
As dumb as this sounds, sometimes when I’m bored I will literally use my iPad and Apple Pencil and doodle on the Procreate app for hours at a time. Sometimes it’s fun to remind yourself of how carefree it was to draw as a kid, especially when we rarely have time to do so!