2018 is a new year and a new your, or so the cliches goes. This year instead of trying to change who you are to be a "better" person try embracing who you are and expressing it. There are small things we can do every day to remind ourselves of who we are and to express our creative side. Instead of getting all tied up in working out, eating right, and going out more (which is healthy and needed sometimes) try your hand a resolution that will help you be you, but more creatively.

1. Listen to Musicals

Standard pop rock tunes are great, but they don't always insight that level of creativity that you crave. There is something about tying a story in with instrumental pieces that are mesmerizing. Musicals have a way of transporting you into another world in a way no book, TV show, or movie can.

Thanks to the developments on Broadway in the past 20 years with the innovations of rock-musicals and rap-musicals, there is a musical out there for everyone, you just need to find it. Check out Playbill's list of the best selling musicals of all time to start with.

2. Write a poem a day

It's amazing what expressing yourself a little bit each day can do to the soul. The poems don't have to be works of art or even good for that matter. All they need to do is express how you are feeling/ what you are thinking at that present moment.

Poetry can be intimidating, and understandably so, but it doesn't have to be. Try your hand at free verse and see how it goes before you start trying to work within a set meter or rhyme scheme. For more help with how to get started writing poems check out this blog post.

3. Learn calligraphy

Words are beautiful, art is beautiful; so what if you put those two together? Calligraphy, or handwriting as it is sometimes called, is a skill that is slowly being faded out by computer-generated fonts. But there is something perfectly beautiful about being able to write in a script that is not necessarily natural or inherent.

The curves and flourishes on the letters transform the words and almost breathe new life into them. Learning and practicing calligraphy may be just what you need to distract you for a bit from the doom and gloom of the world. It may also be that skill that lets you meditate on significant words and phrases.

This skill is not an easy one to master, but all the best ones are challenging. For all the basics of calligraphy check out this website .

4. Try your hand at photography, drawing, or painting

Words are one thing, but not everyone sees or understands the world through words. Sometimes you just need to sit and draw or paint, other times you need ot get out and capture some moments on your camera, and other you need to sit down and write out a poem.

There is beauty in thinking in pictures and then being able to express that, be it through drawing, painting, or photography. Creating and capturing images can be theraputic as well as gratifying. There is truly nothing like seeing a fine piece of yours.

5. Make a bullet journal

Bullet journaling is the trend of the year. It combines organizational tools (calendars, lists, charts, etc.) and creative expression all in one. All it takes is a blank journal, some colorful pens and a Pinterest account to get started on a journal.

You can do basically anything in a bullet journal. You can organize your life and use it as a planner, or use it to express all your thoughts via words and images throughout the day. Either way, get your thoughts out of your head and on paper so you can have a good look at them before they get trapped in there.

6. Sing

Listening to music may move your soul, but there is nothing like singing a song that truly resonates with your soul. Singing, whether you consider yourself good or not, is a way of not just expressing your feelings in the moment, but relieving stress. We often sing things that we would never be able to say in real life, so in that sense, it is a release.

Singing in your car, in the shower, or on a stage, all do the same thing. It expresses how you feel. So take the time to sing out what you are feeling. You don't even need to stick to the lyrics of a popular song. You can write your own songs.

7. Redecorate your space

It's important to make sure that you are in a clean space that lets your mind run wild without hitting any roadblocks. It should be a color scheme and theme that relaxes you and expresses how you feel, or rather, how you want to feel. Take the time to practice your interior designer out and see what they have to say about your space (be it a bedroom, apartment, house, dorm room, or office).

Make the space your own, even if that just means some new photos on the walls or de-cluttering and getting back tot he basics. Surround yourself with what is beautiful and what lets you be your creative self.