If you are anything like me, you might find your creative inspiration waning after two months of quarantine. You’ve worn holes pacing in the backyard or circling your block. Maybe you have hardly even stepped outside.
You’ve binged all your favorite shows, read every book in the house, twice and three times to your kids. You’ve discovered cooking genes you didn’t know you had in an effort to add some variety to eating at home 3 emails a day – for the first time ever.
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You are ready for a creative break and some fresh inspiration but don’t know where to start.
Did you know that 15 to 30 minutes of creative play a day can boost your mood, reduce anxiety and relax your body and brain?
We’ve all been in a heightened emotional state whether we realize it or. Stress, anxiety, worry, fear about the future are all simmering and sometimes overflowing. In my house there have been moments of joy and laughter, deep depression, tears, anger, and the need for extra hugs and cuddles. It’s been a rollercoaster!
5 Reasons Why you Should Engage in Daily Creative Play:
- Your brain needs a break from work and worrying and it doesn’t know how to create one
- Your heart longs for a way to express and release all the swirling emotions.
- You will find new answers to problems you’ve been trying to solve (I promise, this works like magic!)
- Your mood will be lifted causing your body to relax, your shoulders to soften and your family to want to spend more time with you.
- You will connect to your innate child-like sense of awe and wonder and see your world, your day, your life through eyes of curiosity.
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What Do I Mean by Creative Play?
I define creative play as any activity that invites us to engage our imagination and curiosity, to express our feelings and thoughts visually and to get lost in the activity itself without noticing the amount of time going by.
What are some examples of creative play?
There are many ways to engage in creative play on your own or with others. I am loving the sidewalk chalk trend I’ve been seeing everywhere since the beginning of Covid 19 quarantine.
I’ve seen others painting rocks and planting them around our neighborhood for people to enjoy.
Someone started a hearts in windows campaign to entertain children on their walks around the neighborhood.
Perhaps my favorite example of silly brilliant creativity is the couple in the UK who set up a video camera and a sign in front of their home telling people they are entering the Ministry of Silly Walks. They have hilarious videos of people walking as silly as they can imagine past the front of their home. 🙂
Me personally? I keep it more simple.
My Favorite Ways to Engage in Creative Play:
- Taking flower photos on my walks around the neighborhood. It’s spring and everything is blooming. You could simply step onto your front porch and snap a few photos of anything that catches your eye. Trying getting up really close to something or taking a shot from an unusual angle or capturing just a portion of something colorful. You can see many of my flower photos on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/drminetteriordan
- Practicing drawing. I draw shapes, mandalas, fun characters, doodles, Zentangle® inspired art, faces… and anything else I can dream up or find examples of on Pinterest. I went through a sketchnoting phase and found all kinds of fun things to draw like arrows and stick figures. I’ve started a new Facebook page where I am hosting live 15 minute creative play sessions 3 times a week to help you get started. Come play with me here: www.facebook.com/15minutecreative
- The simplest, easiest way to get started on creative play for inspiration is to put color on paper! Grab some crayons or markers, a few sheets of paper and take a deep breath. Connect to your feelings and emotions, pick a color and just start scribbling. The bigger the paper, the more fun this process is. And if you are feeling adventurous, you could do this with paint instead of crayons or markers.
What all of these activities have in common is they use what you have at home, or can buy for only a few dollars. They take no artistic skill or know- how. You don’t have to think too hard. You just have to be willing to dive in a play. This is about enjoying the creative process & finding your inspiration – not about making art!
Engage your childlike sense of curiosity and wonder and give yourself permission to play. You will be so glad you did!
Inspirationally Yours!
Dr. Minette
Dr. Minette Riordan is a risk-taker and curiosity seeker who loves jumping feet first into business building and art making. Her mantra is, “how hard can it be?”
A modern day Renaissance woman, Minette is an artist, writer, award-winning entrepreneur and advocate for creativity as essential to the well-being of all people and our planet.
She has built several successful businesses and published 3 books including her best seller The Artful Marketer.
She believes that we are all creative and when we become disconnected from our inner creative fire, we lose sight of our passion and purpose.
She is not alone in these beliefs. Recent studies by IBM and LinkedIn cite creativity as the single most important trait for today’s leaders yet only 1 in 4 people believe they are creative.
Minette helps leaders and their teams reconnect to their innate creativity. When we are all working in our highest and best creative genius, we can solve all the world’s problems.
When she’s not traveling to speak or lead workshops, you will find Minette in her studio making art that’s beautiful and inspiring. Learn more about her creative adventures at www.minetteriordan.com
