» 10 Ideas To Spark Your Creativity

Simply Serenity

Inspiration for inner peace and love by Lauralyn, a yoga and angel therapist.

10 Ideas To Spark Your Creativity

February 18th, 2012

Creativity is an important ingredient to a balanced life. Creativity supports the health of the sacral chakra which governs digestion, emotional boundaries, reproductive organs and feelings of joy. If this chakra is weighed down by stress, you may find yourself prone to drinking or eating too much, feeling depressed or feeling like it’s hard to say no to people and practice loving self-care.

You don’t have to think of yourself as a creative person to express yourself creatively. Here are 10 relatively simple ways that you can discover the joys of creativity that resonate most with you. Try any one of these ideas and see if you find yourself enjoying more joy and balance in your regular routine.

1. Paint. Painting is a peaceful, quiet meditation in itself. Painting can include a traditional canvas and brush, touching up the paint around your home, or painting an old picture frame to change it’s look. There are so many things you can do with paint, and so many ways it can add color and a fresh new outlook to your day.

2. Scrapbook. Affordable and easy, this creative project can take up to 10 minutes or hours of your day as you find a personalized home for all those ticket stubs, loose photographs and other memorabilia that otherwise collects clutter. Scrapbooking is a wonderful way to organize meaningful memories so they’re easily accessible and easy to share with others.

3. Sew. If you’ve got creative hands, there are so many fun sewing projects you can make for yourself, your pets, your home and as gifts. A few years ago, I designed a Chakra tea cozy and it’s still one of my favorite tea accessories. If you need some inspiration, check out Etsy. You could even sell your creations if you want to earn some extra cash in a really fun way.

4. Take pictures. Photography is a great hobby for observers. If you’re someone who loves noticing the details in nature, admires the angles in architecture or the brightness of a baby’s smile, why not capture those special moments so you can cherish them anytime you’d like? You can create artwork out of your photos by blowing them up to canvas size, framing them, or publishing your own photography book. Apple and Sam’s Club are some of the stores that offer these services.

5. Re-Decorate. Do you have a piece of dull, drab furniture that you’ve had forever or that you bought for a discount but didn’t really love or that’s been passed down to you? Do you often dream of the kind of fabric you’d love or color that would match your decor? Home decorating will get your creative juices flowing and bring a breath of fresh air into a stagnant, dated home. Refurbishing an old piece of furniture with a fresh coat of paint or new fabric can really change the look of a room and costs fractions of what replacement furniture would. You can change the fabric on your kitchen chairs, add a stenciled design on a table, paint fireplace brick, try a new color scheme, new curtains or hanging new artwork on the walls. Change feels and looks good!

6. Write. You don’t have to be a “writer” to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of writing. Keeping a journal, writing positive affirmations on post it’s, creative storytelling and poetry are all beautiful ways to release pent up thoughts and emotions. Writing can also include emailing a friend to catch up, sending a card to someone you’re thinking about or writing a love letter to share how you really feel about someone. Writing can also include a vacation, home project or business plan. It can also include a blog. Lots of people take their laptops to Starbucks and make a creative date with themselves to write away from home distractions, and feel part of the community. Some people prefer writing in the serenity of nature. And for others, their couch, home office or bedroom suits them just fine. Choose a location where you feel most creative and let it flow.

7. Cook. Cooking is a creative art that teaches you how to trust yourself and take risks. Unless you’re a baker, then it’s a precise art. If your table has lost inspiration, try searching online or through cookbooks to motivate your culinary arts again. I find my best creations happen when I have only a few things left to choose from in the house. I pretend as if I’m on a TV show and have to make something delicious out of the few ingredients I have. I also like trying new restaurants and being mindful of what I’m eating to see if I can recognize the ingredients and try it at home.

8. Garden. Gardening is a favorite creative art for nature lovers. There are so many ways you can express yourself through gardening. You can plant your own organic mini herb and vegetable farm. You can plant your favorite flowers. You can plant specific flowers that will attract birds you’d like to invite to your garden. Gardens require TLC, but if you have that green thumb, you may find that pulling weeds, pruning and planting seeds will lead to your own beautiful and colorful private oasis.

9. Find new ways to better organize things. Organizing is a creative skill. If your home has become overrun by papers, boxes of unidentified things or those things you’re holding onto because you may just need them someday, it’s time to get organized. Clutter is a big Feng Shui no-no. It stops the energy flow in a home that can lead to feelings of anxiety, fatigue and stagnation for it’s residents. There are lots of creative ways to organize. You can use all sorts of organizers from wicker baskets to metal frames and plastic bins, depending on what your style is and how much room you have in your home. Organization tools shouldn’t create more clutter, they should help neaten everything up so you can label them, easily find them and no longer be wondering where something is. An organized home functions easier and feels more relaxed to live in. Use your imagination to find a place for the things you really need or want to hang on to, and trash the rest. Simple rule of thumb: if it has meaning or use, keep it. But find a place for it. For example, if you love a family heirloom instead of shoving it in an attic collecting dust, why not frame it or make it an artistic display? Family pieces provide historical and meaningful artwork with meaning. If you never use it and don’t love it, trash it. Don’t convince yourself you will wear it someday or will use it – having a clear, stress-free space is more valuable than hanging onto odds and ends you will probably never use and are easy to replace.

10. Play an instrument, dance or sing. You don’t have to be a musician to enjoy the creative freedom that music and dance stir in the soul. You can take a dance lesson with a loved one, try a dance-inspired exercise class or dance around your home. You can sing in the shower, in the car or with friends. You can try karaoke, take a guitar or singing lesson. You can make a video to a song you like and post it online to share. You can visit a drum circle or jam with friends. Try playing your favorite music while cooking, cleaning or hanging out with friends. Stay inspired by discovering new bands and downloading new songs – there’s a lot of cool music out there.

Lauralyn is a certified yoga teacher, angel therapist® and reiki master. She is currently providing yoga therapy to the wounded warriors at Fort Bragg.

www.simplyserenityyoga.com

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