10 ways to inspire creative mindfulness

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There are so many ways we can look after our wellbeing. The last year I’ve spoken a lot about looking after our wellbeing during lockdown however, as restrictions start to ease again, it’s just as important to be mindful and prioritise our wellbeing.

Mindfulness is a buzz word which we throw about all the time. I know all the benefits to meditation, but personally it’s something I’m still really working on and struggle with. But we can find meditative states in other ways and use our creativity to improve our wellbeing.

And before you tell me you’re not a creative person, I’m here to tell you that’s not true!

You might be mentally scared from art classes at school (I’m with you on that one!) and you might think you can’t draw at all. But we can be creative in so many ways and I promise you you’ll find your creative self.

What is creative mindfulness?

Mindfulness is all about being aware of ourselves and paying attention to our emotions and thoughts without passing judgement. I also think that it means different things to different people. I use mindfulness as a way to manage my anxiety; it makes me feel calmer and also helps me sleep a lot better.

Mindfulness doesn’t have to be sitting and meditating though. My new favourite way is through creative mindfulness. For me, this means spending time sat doing something creative without distraction. Whether it’s painting, drawing, colouring, journaling – there are so many different ways to be creative. I find it so much easier to practice mindfulness this way as I’m being active and there’s an end product! Plus it’s really fun and it’s helped my mental health loads.

10 lockdown activities to inspire creativity

There are so many different ways we can inspire creativity inside ourselves. Whether you’re wanting to escape through a creative outlet, try something new or find some inspiration for a new project, here are 10 lockdown-friendly activities which will help you.

1. Create a scrapbook with all of your memories in
   How many pictures have you got on your phone and computer which you keep meaning to print off, but never quite get round to. I’m constantly terrified of loosing photos so slowly but surely, I’ve started printing them off and creating memory boxes and scrapbooks.
   I’ve loved making creative page spreads and walking down memory lane. Something I’m not that great at is calligraphy (or neat handwriting in general!) so I’ve been using the free fonts website Font Bundles to write quotes and headings for my pages and it’s been a lot of fun!
2. Colouring books
   If the thought of a blank page terrifies you, then colouring books may be for you. And adult colouring books are a thing and you can get them for everything. My personal favourites are the Harry Potter ones because I’m a fan girl haha
3. Your daily walk
   Are you still on with the daily walk? Not only are they a greta form of exercise, and an absolute necessity in lockdown, they can also be a great way to spark some creativity. Take a different route and take your camera (or use the one on your phone) and see the world from a different perspective.
   If you’re based in The Lake District, then this post on the best photography locations is for you!
4. Watch live theatre and concert streams
   Something which sparks a lot of creativity in me is live theatre and concerts. Whilst we will can’t go in person, why not try some of the live streams. More and more theatres and artists are doing online streams and I’ve been enjoying them so much. My local theatre, Theatre by the Lake, have a digital season at the moment and it’s been brilliant.
5. Take an online class
   I’ve become a huge fan of Skillshare during the past year. I’ve taken countless art and photography classes and enjoyed it so much. I love the variety (there’s a class for everything) and how niche you can get too. I took a food journal photography class which was brilliant and a beginners class for procreate.
   You can get a two week premium trial of Skillshare with this link
6. Daily Journalling
   I’m a huge fan of journalling for so many reasons. I love the regular practice of daily journalling as it forces you to create! Once you start getting into a routine with creativity, it’s amazing how much creativity it inspires. Just sit down and write, and the rest will follow
7. Consume inspiring content
   I have my best ideas when I’m pottering around and listening to podcasts. When you’re intentionally consuming content, you can find yourself being inspired so much.
8. Mindmap and get everything you’re thinking out onto some paper
   We can block ourselves so much just by overthinking. Sometimes, we just need to get everything we’re thinking and feeling out on paper and then go from there
9. Switch off
   I’ve recently discovered the joy of a digital detox. I found that by switching off and changing up my regular routines and activities, I sparked so much creativity inside of me – it’s been an absolute joy!
10. Don’t worry about it being perfect
    Live is messy. Creating things is messy. So often we’re worried about the end result and things being instagram worthy, we scare ourselves from even starting. So don’t worry about it being perfect. Don’t worry about not being good. Enjoy the process and have fun!

Creative mindfulness is something which you can do by yourself, get the whole house involved with or get on zoom and enjoy with friends. Thats the joy of being creative, there is no wrong way to do it.

Let me know how you’ve sparked your creativity recently and what your thoughts are on creative mindfulness!