How to keep your creative spark amidst finals season
Recently, I was asked what I like to do in my free time. While I usually have a million answers to this question, I realized my life became a cycle of work, school, rest, and repeat—with no time or energy for the hobbies and interests I enjoy. Now, I am striving to implement more fun into my day-to-day that doesn’t involve a nap or a movie. Here are some ways to keep your brain engaged with your creative side while at school.
Journaling
Journaling is a great way to spend time with yourself and write out your emotions. I like to look back at my old journal entries and look at how far I’ve come—and of course, laugh at memories I wrote about. You can really unleash your creativity with a journal and follow guided prompts, write poems, song ideas, or something funny that happened during your day to laugh at later.
Making a Mood Board
If you’re a Pinterest fiend, this one’s for you. You can make a mood board to express your feelings, visualize your goals, create a new playlist cover, or just an aesthetically pleasing collage.
Reading
With the weather getting warmer, why not dust off that book you’ve been trying to read but haven’t had the time to? Grab a blanket, a snack, a book, and lay in the sun. It’s a perfect way to work on that tan, too.
Taking a Walk
You might be wondering how this stimulates creativity. Well, my professor once said if you were feeling stuck on a creative project, you should step away from it for a bit, and go for a walk. Going for a walk is an easy way to let the world inspire you. Seeing an interaction outside or hearing an interesting bit of conversation between people around you can inspire your creative writing, too. Next time you’re in a creative rut, get a breath of fresh air.
Doodling
Doodling is one of life’s simple pleasures. Even if you don’t consider yourself an artist, allow yourself the freedom to doodle. It’s an easy way to get some creativity flowing.
Coloring
My friend recently came over with some Lisa Frank coloring books and those fun Crayola twistable pencils we all know and love. I forgot how fun it is to color. It’s also a great way to connect with your friends. We played music, ate cookies, colored, and talked about our lives. 10/10 recommend.
These are just a few ideas to help unlock the creativity you stored away while school is in session. I hope this helps you find ways to decompress and take time for the things you enjoy.