Day 23: Be Creative Today

Many adults say "I'm not creative." Usually what they mean is "I'm not a professional artist" or "I was told I couldn't draw when I was nine." But creativity isn't limited to painters and poets. It's what you do any time you make something new, solve a problem in an original way or put things together in a way that pleases you.

Today's challenge is to make something.

Why it's worth it

Creative activity can be absorbing, relaxing and satisfying. In a 2018 study, psychologists Tamlin Conner, Colin DeYoung and Paul Silvia asked young adults to keep daily diaries for nearly two weeks. On days when participants spent more time on creative activities, they reported more positive emotion and a greater sense of flourishing the following day.

Creativity also tends to get people into what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called "flow", the absorbing state where you lose track of time because you're fully engaged in what you're doing.

Lower the bar

The biggest barrier is perfectionism. If you expect a masterpiece, you'll never start. Today, the goal is simply to make something. It can be bad. It can be silly. It can be something nobody else ever sees.

Twenty ways to be creative today

1. Draw what's in front of you for ten minutes.
2. Write a short poem about your morning.
3. Cook something without a recipe.
4. Rearrange a shelf or corner of a room.
5. Take a series of photos around a theme, like circles or the colour red.
6. Write a letter to your future self.
7. Make a playlist for a specific mood or memory.
8. Doodle while listening to music.
9. Make up a bedtime story for a child.
10. Knit, crochet, sew or mend something.
11. Plant some seeds or arrange flowers.
12. Write the first page of a story.
13. Build something with Lego, wood or cardboard.
14. Learn three chords on a guitar or ukulele.
15. Design a birthday card for someone.
16. Make a collage from old magazines.
17. Invent a new game for your family.
18. Try a new hairstyle or outfit combination.
19. Redecorate an old object with paint.
20. Solve a household problem in a new way.

Make space for it

Creativity rarely happens in the cracks of a busy day. Block out twenty minutes, put your phone in another room and gather what you need beforehand. If you have children, invite them to join you: kids are often natural creative role models.

Notice the feeling

As you make something, pay attention to how it feels. Do you lose track of time? Feel calmer? Frustrated? All of it is useful information about what kinds of creative activity suit you.

Keep going

If you enjoy today, consider making a small creative habit part of your week: a sketchbook, a weekly new recipe or a monthly photo theme. Our article on why you need an ideas book is a good next step.

Today's challenge

Spend at least twenty minutes making something, anything. Don't judge the result. Note how it felt.

Related: it's picture day and create your future using a vision board. Tomorrow: plan your meals.

Sources and further reading

• Conner, DeYoung & Silvia (2018), Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing, Journal of Positive Psychology

Questions people ask

I really can't draw. What should I do?

Pick a different medium. Cooking, arranging a room, writing a short poem, making a playlist or building something with your hands are all creative. And if you'd like to draw, a beginner's book or video will improve your drawing faster than you'd expect.

Should I share what I make?

Only if you want to. Private creativity counts just as much. Sharing can be motivating once you've built a habit, but there's no need to put today's experiment in front of anyone.