In a society dominated by endless consumption and entertainment, how can a modern man break through the noise and ensure that he’s spending his time wisely.
The answer oftentimes comes in the form of a creative hobby. If you often finding yourself vegging out in front of the television or scrolling through your phone during the evening only to wonder where the hours went once it’s time to hit the hay, perhaps it’s time to find a better use of free time.
Besides, the benefits of embracing a creative hobby are threefold:
- Many opportunities to meet new people and bond over different creative perspectives
- You always have something to look forward to: creative hobbies are incredibly rewarding for all of the time that you put into them, after all
- Worrying about “wasted time” becomes a relic of the past: with a creative hobby that you’re practically glued to, you’re much more likely to be productive
But what do you do if you don’t feel that you have a creative bone in your body? The following five tips can help launch you toward a more creative lifestyle.
Focus on Creation Over Consumption
First and foremost, it’s crucial to focus on the act of creating versus simply consuming. Many would-be creatives make the mistake of admiring art without actually taking the initiative to make it themselves. While doing so certainly can lead to personal enrichment, it ultimately ignores the importance of, well, actually creating something.
Besides, it’s easier than ever to start creating art. Whether you’re focused on music, literature or illustrations, there are seemingly endless resources out there to help you get started for little to nothing.
Want to get started writing a novel? There are endless support groups on Facebook and Reddit in addition to events such as National Novel Writing Month. Want to compose your musical masterpiece? From beat templates to the best Kontakt libraries to emulate the epic sounds of sweeping strings, you have the freedom at your fingertips to create just about anything you want. Don’t waste that potential.
Open Your Mind
That said, when you do strive for inspiration, try to make it a point to open your mind to new art and ideas versus consuming what everyone else is consuming. Explicitly seek out new artists and opinions to keep your mind sharp and ultimately inspire you to continue creating. In fact, one of the biggest benefits of open-mindedness is a newfound perspective on reality: anything that opens your eyes to new perspectives is a major plus for creative types.
Put Yourself Out There
Being a creative person doesn’t necessarily mean holding yourself up in your bedroom in pursuit of creating art. In short, make it a point to put yourself out there and perhaps even in uncomfortable situations for the sake of artistic growth.
Go to shows and meet people. Say “Yes” to that poetry reading that your friend invited you to. Anything you can do to expose yourself to new art is just an added bonus.
Mind Your Social Media Use
Social media is a creativity killer, especially for the millennial crowd who’ve practically grown up with screens in their possession 24/7. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with checking your phone or plugging in, make it a point to practice mindfulness and don’t take part in needless debates or time-wasting sessions that could potentially distract from your creative well-being. There’s a gulf of difference between checking Facebook for 5 minutes and scrolling through Instagram for two hours.
Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
Finally, don’t make the mistake of trying to constantly compare yourself to others in terms of your creative pursuits. Just because you’re late to the game in terms of your artistic potential doesn’t mean that you can’t do great things. Rather than face disappointment for not being a prodigy, take your creative hobbies one step at a time and celebrate the small victories along the way.
If you feel that you’ve missed the boat when it comes to tapping into your creative side, fear not. These five tips can help keep you focused on more fulfilling hobbies as you strive to get more out of life in general.
