What creativity looks like for me… when I’m not crafting

Nicole Viola Bennett -

Written by editor Nicole Bennett of Gidget Goes Home.

We’ve been talking about creativity this week… first I shared my goals, then Emily wrote about carving out time to be creative, even if it’s just small slices of time.

I love to create and really do feel that we were designed to take part in the creation process in our own little ways. But sometimes traditional arts and crafts just aren’t in the cards.

Many times, I am simply prioritizing other things during free time– checking email, writing a blog post, reading a few pages in a book, dusting the piano, washing diapers. Leisure time (or lack thereof) and life circumstances certainly have a lot of control over when we can create.

It’s funny– I started writing this post, and then realized that my friend Andrea was doing a year-long challenge that spoke directly to what I was feeling.

Sometimes we(I) pigeon-hole ourselves into thinking that “creating” is all tied up in a perfectly styled tutorial, complete with pretty pictures and plenty of pins.  We forget that we have the opportunity, and often do in fact create every day, several times a day.    A freshly organized closet, a twist on a classic family recipe, a simple after school craft project with the kids; these are all ways that we in fact create a life and a home, and memories for our family.
~Andrea Howe, fortheloveof.net

I love to create with my hands and my heart— I love sewing, doing embroidery, scrapbooking and many other crafty things, but I really want to “create a life and a home and memories for our family”– that can happen every day, whether my fabric has been unpacked or not!

So here’s a short list, off the top of my head, of ways I’ve been finding creative moments in orthodox ways lately…

  • reading good fiction, which inspires me dream of stories and writing
  • planning new ice cream recipes inspired by other yummy treats
  • incorporating creativity into my homeschool day with my daughter
  • slowly unpacking my crafty supplies, and thinking about what I’ll tackle first when my work area is ready
  • reading inspring blogs, when I have a few spare minutes at the computer
  • flipping through my stack of unread magazines and planning for future homemade gifts
  • getting inspired by how others fit creativity into their days
  • playing with my new espresso machine and savoring my creations (mmm…)
  • settling in to my new home, creating new vignettes and arranging old favorites in pleasing ways

Soon (I hope) the fabric and thread will come out of hiding. 🙂 What do you do to feel creative when you’re not crafting or DIY-ing? If Andrea’s project appeals to you, join in this month on Instagram with the hashtag #52weekstocreatejan.