During the school year, it’s easy to get caught in the constant cycle of classes, studying, and tests. Sometimes staying on top of schoolwork can leave the creativity dominated right-brain neglected, making it hard to find time to take a step back and find a creative release. Maintaining creativity is beneficial to the educational process because it allows students to develop skills such as organization and problem-solving. It’s also a great way to decompress and de-stress during a chaotic semester, If school work is taking a toll on your creative spirit, here are some ways you can stay in touch with your creative side.
Participate in “Inktober”
“Inktober” is a creative art challenge started by artist Jake Parker. During this month long challenge, artists are asked to create one drawing for each day for the month of October. This challenge prompts artists to focus on improving their skills and creating more positive drawing habits. Though “Inktober” has technically already began, it’s never too late to start! Though Inktober is primarily focused on drawing, Parker prompts artists of all mediums to participate. If you fall victim to artists block, a list of prompts for each day is provided. You can also do pieces every other day or even once a week if everyday pieces is unrealistic. While there are “rules” to Inktober, the main objective is to grow as an artist and share your art with others!
Bullet Journaling
If you constantly find yourself making lists, Bullet Journaling is the perfect creative outlet! While bullet journaling is kind of hard to describe, I’d describe it as a log of any and everything you want to include in it. It’s summed up in 4 concepts: Indexing, Collections, Rapid-Logiging, and Migration. Indexing is separating the journal into parts, almost like a table of contents. Collections can be a series of lists, drawings, brainstorming, or any series of items that come together to form a group of related items. Rapid Logging is a logging of tasks, events, and notes. Migration is the process of organizing your tasks and events for clarity for future entries. Bullet Journals are used by those who want to be more organized and productive. There is no right or wrong way to create entries for your journals, the main objective of bullet journaling is to keep track of your thoughts and activities in an organized, coherent way.
Make A Blog
Blogging is a phenomenon that was created more than 20 years ago. Since then, technology, the internet, and digital media as a whole have all evolved, but blogging has remained a constant. Blogging is a great form of expression that allows you to talk about your life and interest and possibly connect you to a larger online community of like-minded individuals.There are many types of content to share on a blog from lifestyle and food, to fashion and music. Making a blog is the perfect way to create consistent content while sharing your voice in a private or public online forum. If you’re considering making a blog, finding a platform that works for you plays a large role in how to share your content. Websites like Medium and Wix makes it easy for bloggers to create their own website or domain.
Keep A Sketchbook
Sketchbooks are perfect for visually inspired people who are always on the go! Some may think sketchbooks are for only for talented artists who fill the pages with elaborate drawings. Sketchbooks can contain drawings, lists, thoughts, poems and whatever other portable content you may want to record. Keeping a sketchbook is a perfect way to quickly create when random waves of inspiration hit. It’s also a great way to practice and develop your drawing skills. Moleskine and Blick are great websites to find high-quality sketchbooks under $10.