10 ways to get started as a creative

1. Speak of yourself as a creative. When asked “What do you do?” be creative. I’m a creative gardener. Collage artist. Painter. Chef. Garden designer. Who cares if it’s just your garden. Speak and it will live.

2. Put together a creativity box: scissors, glue sticks, colored pencils, glitter, feathers, pretty papers, pipe cleaners, photo-rich magazines, marbles, velcro, whatever appeals to you. Maybe get a large toy box or covered Rubbermaid storage box that will hold it all. Take a trip to Michael’s or another craft store, set a $ limit, and be creative in your purchases.

3. Get an unlined journal, colored pencils, a sharpener. Develop a brief, daily drawing practice.

4. Or try The Writer’s Book of Days (Judy Reeves) and do a 10-15 minute daily writing practice.

5. Commit to the 12-week program of the Artist’s Way (Julia Cameron). You can commit to the full program or just commit to one portion: Artist’s Dates, Chapter Activities, Morning Pages.

6. Create an altar. Use a small table, a shelf, a shoebox. Use a shawl, a yard of nice fabric, a scarf, a cloth napkin. Add items important to you emotionally, spiritually, creatively. Change it on an important day of the month.

7. Go boldly into your creative life. Commit to the year program of a book like Art & Soul (Pam Grout) or the Creativity Book (Eric Maisel). It’ll change your life.

8. Spend part of a weekend day in creative mode. Decide for a period of time (I recommend 3-4 hours) that everything you do will come out of your sense of creativity. Stack the dishes in the drainer in an interesting pattern. Wipe the kitchen counter mindfully and artistically. You get the idea.

9. Collect photo- and text-rich magazines for collage work as in Visioning (Lucia Cappachione). Create a small (5x6”) collage for each Feng Shui area (called a gua) in your home and what you would like to have happen in that part of your life: Wealth, Health, Creativity, Fame and Reputation, Romance and Relationship, Travel and Helpful People, Spirituality, Career.

10. Create a small group of like-minded souls who will meet for a couple of hours once a month and do show and tell with creative projects. No judgements, no critiques, just holding a space for each other to risk and share your creativity.