How to Infuse Creativity into the Rhythm of Your Life
One thing we always like to hold on to is our schedules. If you live in the Western world, your day-to-day life is influenced by productivity, calendars, deadlines, and time. We like to watch “morning routine” videos or “night routine” videos to see how other people schedule their day. We like to build outlines for how we spend our time. We like to get things done. Even more so, there are certain things we have to get done. So in the midst of it all, how can we make our schedule reflect our creative spirits? How can we infuse creativity—our passions–into the rhythm of our lives?
Here are some tips to start developing a creative rhythm in your life.
1. Turn up the volume: Add music and podcasts to your day to inspire your thought process.
Music automatically adds some rhythm to your live—plus it can enhance your creative environment. I’ve been listening to the #createlounge playlist on Spotify for some of my creative projects. I have also been enjoying podcasts lately. To inspire creative thought, I love Elizabeth Gilbert’s Magic Lessons podcast. I always listen to them when I take a walk around my neighborhood, a creative ritual I’ve built into my routine—and you can create something similar in your life with the music and people that inspire you most.
Related: 16 Creative Things You Can Do NOW (Without the Internet)
2. Add creative times to your calendar. Schedule them in.
We are reminded of everything else in our day, thanks to Google calendar and our handy phones. Our creativity is just as important and deserves a spot in our planners, our calendars and to-do lists. Intentionally placing a block of 30 minutes or an hour in our day for creative projects helps us remember them every day.
3. Take a day off. Spend a day connecting instead of working.
We tend to get caught in a trap of busyness, which forces creativity into a small box. Let’s get rid of the busy mindset for one day during the week. Instead of working, focus on connecting. While this could mean connecting with others online, take a step back and disconnect from technology in order to connect more deeply to those around you. Spend time connecting with friends, family and yourself. Re-read old journals or blog posts. Rest. Sit still in reflection.
[bctt tweet=”How do you infuse creativity into your schedule? It starts with the little things…”]
4. Be creative with your meals.
Eating is something we all build into our rhythm. We have our go-to breakfast, our afternoon pick-me-up. Utilize this rhythm of the day to make creative art with your meals. Spice it up a bit. Add lemon or fruit to your water. Find a new favorite mug or cup to bring to work. Create food that makes you happy. Add a little presentation flair to your dish—some basil leaves, some colorful produce, you name it. Brighten up your food and make it an expression of what brings you joy.
[bctt tweet=”Start your day in create mode. It’s one way to enhance your creative rhythm today.”]
5. Start your day in “create” mode.
Write in a journal. Paint a picture. Add stickers to your planner while you write your to-do list. Meditate and say a prayer. Create a mouth-watering breakfast. Infuse creativity into your mind when you wake up. Tell yourself:
“I am destined to create something magical today. I will produce with all my heart. I am confident. I am creative. My ideas matter.”
See also: One Simple Exercise for a Focused, Creative Life
6. Do something different than your normal “work.”
Especially for creatives, we often find ourselves working a day job that’s a little similar to our passion projects or creative hobbies. For example, I write and spend a lot of time on my computer during my day job. The thought of doing that—staring at a computer screen and writing in my free time doesn’t feel like free time. It can lead to burnout. But we can find solutions when we feel like our creative passions get overwhelmed by the demands of our day jobs and schedules. For me, I found that writing on paper and then transcribing my blog posts to WordPress overcomes this. I can practice my creative art, but with a different tool and in a different setting. Ultimately, it lets me relax from my regular work.
Creative projects and creative thinking are things we can weave into our everyday lives. Ultimately, it’s not about finding time to be “creative,” it’s about living in a way that propels our passions into the work we do every day, into our rhythm of living, breathing, giving and reflecting. We can live tuned into the inspiration and the ideas around us. We can live inspired to create change in our world.