20 ways to jumpstart your creativity
For anyone who wants to dissociate with something, anything.
Hi, Kat here! I’m going to go ahead and speak for the group and say we’re a creative bunch. Be it writing, photography, crafting, problem-solving, costuming, or piecing together the just-right combination of Doritos and Mountain Dew — our talents know no bounds, OK? But… where there is creativity, there are dry spells, especially when you live with a physical or mental health condition that can never just choose a damn path and stick with it.
So for any of you like-minded folks with big imaginations who need a jumpstart or distraction (or anyone who has the itch to dissociate and try your hand at something, anything), here’s a roundup of — you guessed it — creative ways to spend your time outside of a multi-hour doomscrolling sesh. Let’s get into it!
Skyler:
I love Pinterest. It’s the only social media platform I visit these days. Pinning recipes, dream home decor, and vintage-inspired outfit ideas is relaxing. I’m also a big fan of all things writing, arts, and crafts, so I’m always saving journal prompts, ideas for crochet projects, and tips for creating collages and zines. While I find all of this inspiring, I have a hard time actually following through and doing the darn things, rather than just saving the ideas to my Pinterest boards. (The effects of chronic stress and burnout are so real by the way, and sometimes doing more creative projects — especially writing when that’s what contributed to the yet-to-be-resolved-burnout in the first place — does more harm than good.)
When the writer’s block gets especially bad, I’m lucky to have the BFFs to turn to for guidance. Back when we all worked for the same company, I dealt with a creative block that interfered with my ability to get work done and left me super discouraged. Thank goodness Kat, Ash, and Jess always provide a safe and supportive space to talk about mental health and personal challenges. And they happen to be creative geniuses with great advice. So while I don’t have great advice for what to do when creatively blocked, I hope you find the other BFFs’ words of wisdom helpful! (I sure do.)
And just for fun, here are some creative prompts I found around the web that I really dig and think you will as well:
Artist Carolyn Swiszcz has a treasure trove of free resources for anyone interested in creating a zine (or several!) on her website.
Here’s a great one-pager about different collage techniques I saw on Pinterest:
And another one by the same creator about composition:
Every Sunday in writer and artist Suleika Jaouad’s newsletter, The Isolation Journals, you will find a thoughtfully curated prompt for the week. Here are a few of my personal favorites:
From Tamzin Merivale in the May 14, 2023, issue: “Write about all the beds you’ve ever slept in — the beds that felt like home, those that felt like hell, the beds you can barely remember and those you’ll never forget. What memories float up? How did you feel in different beds? And what beds do you hope to sleep in one day?”
From Erica Berry in the June 4, 2023, issue (as a bonus, the prompt reminds me of amazing conversations with my sociology advisor in undergrad): “Think of something so quotidian that at first glance it seems too small, too insignificant, too boring for anyone’s attention. Carrying your groceries in from the car, catching a stranger’s eye in a dark shop window. How can you write into that moment? How can you explore and expand it while still adhering to the truth? As a sociologist once told me: Our job is to make the familiar strange.”
From Anne Francey (Jaouad’s mother!) in the May 12, 2024, issue:” Using whatever tools you’d like — pen, pencil, crayons, markers, watercolors — begin making marks in the margins of your journal. Let it be intuitive and expressive. Accept whatever is happening; resist the urge to judge. Let the marks spread and guide your imagination toward something you hadn’t even planned. For 10 minutes, simply trust that you can.”
Ash:
Find joy through your camera! Once a day for however many days, weeks, or months as you’d like, take at least one photo of something that brings you joy. Perhaps it’s a pet, your makeup or outfit looking flawless, a blooming flower, or the fall of snow. Create an album on your phone with just those happy things to look at when you need a reminder of the good in the world.
Break something down into little pieces and give yourself rewards at each milestone. P.S. Break it down as thoroughly as you’d like, we know how overwhelming “big” tasks can feel.
If you usually work or create in the same spot, relocate yourself. You can even move a few feet away just to get that slight shift in scenery.
Ask yourself, does working on a project through this emotion help or harm? Will it help me get out my feelings or will I place them into what I’m working on and feel bad about it or myself? If you feel like it will help, push yourself into it. If you feel any little bit of harm, do something else instead. Even if you have a deadline, pushing through when you feel that harm often will cause more frustration, perhaps forcing you to redo it all later.
Kat:
One of our love languages here at Alive and (un)Well are internet quizzes (yes, namely Buzzfeed). They don’t really make a lot of sense sometimes — I don’t know what color scarf I’d be in an apocalypse, alright? — but they sure are fun, and great for passing around to coworkers, friends, siblings, or spouses in need of an LOL or WTF.
Here are a few of my favorites, plus my results:
Find out your aesthetic on the *inside* (I got Bubblegumcore. I won’t be taking questions at this time.)
Find out which “Schitt’s Creek” character you are (I got David and I love that for myself.)
Which Disney archetype are you? (I got The Hero. My dog agrees.)
Jess:
Whether I’m creatively blocked or in a funk (or both? both.), I tend to turn to the same sorts of things to get out of that stuck feeling. A few faves:
Dance and/or sing it out: Wander around the house screaming MUSTAAAAAAARD. Belt out whatever lyrics are on repeat in my head. Change up the rhythm and key. Have fun with it. Grab a cat (one that likes being held), hold it baby-style, and dance around singing to it. Make up a song and start singing to all of the cats — they gather around at my house and I feel like Snow White. It’s great!
Watch funny videos or talk to a friend and laugh until I’m snorting and can’t breathe, and then laugh some more because now everything is so stinkin’ funny!
Take a bath or shower with hot water that is straight from the fiery pits. (If you do this, just remember to moisturize after cuz hot water can be a menace to skin!)
Floor time. I pull out my mat and my foam roller and things, and while I may or may not actually do anything — floor time can be magical.
When all else fails, go the eff to bed.
Took the schitt’s creek and Disney quizzes. I got Alexis and The Villian, and I love everything about this 😂😂