The lull of summer always brings a few weeks of contagious monotony for me. It's easy to get into the routine of necessities and forget that even the most boring days are still days meant to be lived. Being home for a few months has thrown me out of my previous schedules and into new ones; although they're different, they're just as full. There are always weeks that leave me feeling so unfulfilled because nothing extraordinary is happening, and I've realized that the days nurtured with bits of creativity are always the more satisfying ones. This, I believe, is every artist's dream—to incorporate imagination and artfulness into their everyday lifestyles. We all know at least one person who seems to naturally breathe art; the way they live paints a picture of who they are as a creative individual. Incorporating creativity into our lives isn't just a way to keep things interesting (although it does that, too). Finding forms of expression in the ordinary is a sweet release for the creative mind. Right brained people know what I mean—we can live a little closer to our full potential when we choose to live creatively.
1. Listen to music.
This seems like an obvious demand and something lots of us probably already do, but try going music-less for a day and you'll understand how stimulating it truly is for the creative mind. Change what you listen to, play certain songs to satisfy your mood, or even focus deeply on the lyrics. Listening to music is a form of art appreciation.
2. Use social media.
Don't just use it to tell the world what you had for breakfast—social platforms are great tools to build online portfolios. Post videos of your talent on Facebook, design your Instagram feed with photography to match a certain style, share thoughts and ideas and inspiration on Twitter.
3. Wear clothes purposefully.
Sure, dress for the weather or the occasion, but also dress for you. Dress to satisfy your personal identity, to create a piece of art to display to everyone throughout the day. Fashion is art, too, and every day is an opportunity to be a brand new canvas.
4. Start a project.
Whether it's beginning a short story, starting a painting, redesigning your bedroom, making music, or something else, having a long-term task ahead gives you an outlet for creativity at any free moment. Working on something creative each day allows positive, inventive energy into usually mundane routines.
5. Watch a movie.
Once again, this seems like such an obvious and ordinary time killer. In order to incorporate creativity, watch a movie with purpose. Focus on the cinematography, the acting techniques, the background music. Theorize about the goals of the director; imagine possible movie endings.
6. Find your niche.
Creativity is often fed in unexpected places. Maybe your creative space is at your desk, but maybe it's outside or in a closet or on the roof. You'll never know until you seek inspiration elsewhere.
7. Cook for the eyes.
It's normal to cook for the stomach, right? After all, that's where the food ends up. But try making your next meal tasty to eat and look at. Food presentation is an art. Get fancy with your next bowl of mac and cheese.
8. Find your aesthetic.
My friends and I always joke about refusing to make a purchase because the product "doesn't fit our aesthetic," but in reality, it's completely true. I like to make all of my purchases—from clothing to art to kitchenware to miscellaneous—purposeful, unique, and fitting to my own personal style. When I go on a picnic, my blanket, basket, and everything else match the picnic theme I'm going for. It seems a bit over the top, but finding pieces to fit your aesthetic make everything flow a bit more artistically.
9. Write things down.
I have the strange problem of being overwhelmingly inspired when I'm in bed trying to sleep. I come up with some great line for a poem or idea for a story and I have to drag myself out of the covers, find a pen and paper, and write it down. I know if I don't put down my thoughts at that very moment, they may never come back to me and I'll have lost something possibly amazing. Write down any strange or innovative thought that comes to mind during the day. You never know what ideas will become works of art.
10. Draw on your coffee cup.
And your hand. And your receipt. And the random trash in your car. Doodle on whatever you can find just to see what's hidden in the back of your creative mind. Sometimes having an unexpected canvas can spark new inspiration.
11. Read a book.
Yes, reading is an obvious source of creativity. But as mentioned before with watching movies, don't just read for the evident story. Familiarize yourself with characters, history, setting. Sneak notes and doodles onto the pages and make the book your own.
12. Be an interior designer.
Don't actually go out and design people's homes (or do—it's whatever), but make your space your own. Decorate the walls with the things that inspire you, personalize things with photographs and handmade creations. Having a space uniquely your own is not only appealing to the eye but also helps feed the artistic mind.
13. Broaden your vocabulary.
How inventive would it be to start sprinkling in new words to your vocabulary? Words are just as much art as a painting or piece of music is, so use them cleverly.
14. Go to a museum.
Call it boring, traditional, or unoriginal, but a part of being creative is appreciating the creativity of others. It doesn't have to be a national gallery—go to a sketchy alley and appreciate the graffiti artists's work, too. Art is everywhere! Don't let it go unnoticed.
15. Appreciate mother nature.
Like I said, art is everywhere. And if you let your eyes unglue from the Internet and out the window, you'll realize that God is the greatest artist of all. Spend some time outside and let the natural world impress. Art and real life go hand in hand, and so much of it is inspired by the great outdoors.
