I don’t often think of myself as a naturally creative person, but I do find that every time I do something creative, I have a little boost of energy for the next couple days. Even so, “doing something creative” can be a daunting prospect. Trying to think of what you can do, gathering materials and then working up the energy to actually start it are sometimes enough to completely discourage me from doing anything creative for months at a time, especially when you’re super busy. Creativity is such an expansive concept, and for me, it means anything you do where you are physically making something—anything, not necessarily—or doing something artistic.
As midterms season (and finals) approach, here are five things you can do for all the benefits of being creative without making it complicated.
- Color!
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Coloring pages and coloring books are NOT just for kids. They’re a great way to make something pretty with minimal time and effort needed to prepare. All you need is something to color and something to color with, whether that’s crayons, colored pencils, markers or even regular pens. You can buy a coloring book, or you can find lots of free coloring pages online. Finally, a use for all those printing dollars that never get spent by the end of the semester!
- Collage!
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Collages are another great creative activity. Similar to coloring pages, you need minimal supplies (and you can even use some of that printing money, too, if you want to print out some of your own pictures to use). There’s something so freeing in just cutting up a bunch of stuff and gluing it onto something, and the end result is always fun.
- Bake!
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I might be a little biased because I love to cook and bake, but I think baking is a great way to be creative in a pretty low-pressure, low-effort way. You don’t have to go crazy and make something elaborate and complicated (although that’s awesome too). Just throwing together a box cake or brownie mix, and then maybe adding some sprinkles on top that make you smile or using some store-bought frosting on top to draw a little smiley face is creative enough.
- Dress up!
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I don’t mean really dress up, just wear something a little bit outside of what you normally wear. Keeping in line with the theme of this article, this one is pretty low effort too. Putting together an outfit outside of your comfort zone doesn’t have to mean wearing something elaborate or uncomfortable. Make some small changes, like a pair of shoes you haven’t worn in a while but still really like, a shirt that’s a different color than you usually wear, or putting together two items of clothing in one outfit that you’ve never worn at the same time before.
- Accessorize!
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This is a little bit like the last one, except kind of the opposite. Wear your favorite comfort outfit, or your “daily uniform” but switch up the accessories a little bit. Whether that’s jewelry, a belt, maybe your hairstyle, or even some fun socks, putting together an outfit that’s a little bit more intentional and allows you to wear something fun can give you a little boost for the day.