Creative Thinking

Fall is a beautiful time to dream big, try big, and even fail big. I just finished up a free online art class that included some ways to view the world creatively. The instructor suggested taking walks in nature, paying attention to the different kinds of light you’ll encounter: filtered through changing leaves, dappling the surface of water, turning golden as the sun sets, billowing soft in the mist. You should try it sometime—you’ll discover a whole new way of seeing.

If you’d like to stretch your imagination and creative boundaries (even if you can’t draw a stick man), here are some ideas I’ve used in the past to get the juices flowing. They engage the right side of the brain and expand your sense of artistic freedom. Pick one a day, pack as many as you can into an artistic weekend, or come up with your own schedule.

100 WAYS TO PRACTICE CREATIVITY

1. Make a piece of artwork for your home
2. Illustrate the day’s Scripture
3. Play with watercolors
4. Arrange flowers (pretty weeds count!)
5. Create a piece of jewelry
6. Make something inspired by the first song that plays on shuffle
7. Upcycle an item from Goodwill
8. Make something you need for the house
9. Write a poem based on your favorite literary moment
10. Make something with someone else
11. Fingerprint using only your non-dominant hand
12. Create a mosaic
13. Try something you’ve failed at before
14. Find three boring objects around the house to dress up
15. Make something that represents the season
16. Melt crayons on a canvas
17. Capture the ugliest thing you can and bring beauty from it
18. Create art from book pages
19. Make something that won’t last longer than a week
20. Do a mixed media project
21. Make something to give away
22. Create a big piece of artwork
23. Represent your salvation story creatively
24. Make something you can wear
25. Write a longer-than-normal Facebook post that matters
26. Come up with a new song
27. Plant something that will grow
28. Illustrate a dream
29. Make a design out of food
30. Continue the picture where a photo ends
31. Create an artist manifesto
32. Make something you’ve pinned
33. Freehand chalkboard art
34. Do some blackout poetry
35. Spend 20 minutes doodling
36. Decorate rocks three different ways
37. Research publicly interactive art
38. Pop paint-filled balloons on a canvas
39. Go for a photography walk
40. Sculpt something (even if it’s just with play dough)
41. Alter a journal
42. Write a short story based on a random person you see
43. Make something that brings laughter
44. Work on an art project you’ve been procrastinating
45. Draw the same thing five different ways
46. Combine two famous pieces of art
47. Invent a technique (like painting in the rain on one leg)
48. Make something out of what’s in the trash can
49. Use at least seven different shades of one color in a picture
50. Make something spontaneous
51. Illustrate a happy scene from your life that you don’t have a photo of
52. Finish a coloring sheet
53. Make a sign to send to someone using markers
54. Create a piece of art as a peace offering
55. Use an unconventional object as a canvas
56. Complete a piece of art using makeup
57. Do one work of fan art
58. Dress like an artist
59. Make something that communicates a trait of God
60. Create handmade postcards
61. Draw with your eyes closed and then make it look good
62. Make three changes to a song you love
63. Illustrate a moment of your day
64. Create five prints of art quotes
65. Make an accessory
66. Write a short backstory for a famous piece of art
67. Design a meaningful minimalist piece
68. Curate a playlist that inspires your creative thinking
69. Come up with an alternate ending for your favorite fairy tale
70. Touch up three photos on your camera roll
71. Sketch your bucket list
72. Build something out of the food on your plate
73. Personify an object in your house
74. Illustrate your dream creative space
75. Decoupage something
76. Zoom in on an eye pupil and draw it
77. Journal your biggest obstacles to making art and how a creative monster would respond
78. Snap a photo of something simple but beautiful
79. Illustrate the last paragraph you read in a book
80. Design a literary character based on a relative
81. Leave a piece of artwork in a public place (not graffiti)
82. Sketch a day in the mind of your pet
83. Find two books you’d like to read about creative thinking
84. Design an alternate graphic for your favorite movie/TV show
85. Make something from items found in nature
86. Encourage someone else’s creativity
87. Find a handful of artists who inspire you
88. Create a local art scavenger hunt
89. Illustrate a major Old Testament story
90. Do a typography project
91. Make something you’ll throw away
92. Draw a picture using one continuous line
93. Use a tea-stained paper as a background
94. Create artwork that includes cheesecloth
95. Incorporate bling into a piece of art
96. Make your name look awesome
97. Arrange paint chips creatively
98. Marble paper
99. Make something besides puppets out of a paper bag
100. Use melted candle wax in a piece of art

Whew! Yes, I have done almost all of these. Some tips as you explore thinking outside the box: play music you love during your creative time. Give yourself permission to make a mess and to not produce something instagram-worthy. (No one has to see what you create.) These items could easily be turned into series (like poems from the 100 Acre Wood or photos of pancake castles), which would stretch your imagination even further. Feel free to do this with a friend, your kids, or Jesus—all three could be fun, so do what works for you. If you want to come up with your own ideas, start with a general concept (like coloring) and add one or two limits (like coloring your favorite socks on a newspaper). As you set creative limits, your imagination is forced into action, and you’ll start noticing your perspective change. What are you waiting for? Get busy, get messy, and get creative!