Making Time for Art: a 10-Minute Creative Challenge to Recharge Your Day

🎧 Episode #51: Making Time for Art: 10-Minute Creativity Activities

😖Do you struggle to make time for artmaking, causing you to not get started?

🫤Do you think your art isn't worth appreciating or sharing because it's not good enough, finished, or polished?

Sometimes these negative thoughts can be overcome when we lower the stakes around our artmaking. We may put so much pressure on ourselves, that it stifles our creative process. And that's a shame because the world needs your creativity.

This episode is about recognizing the benefits of short creative boosts. Let me show you how 10 minutes of creativity can add more pleasure and fulfillment into your life—and stoke your creativity for longer sessions. I'll also bust the myth that art-making isn't worthwhile if we don't produce an acceptable art product. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A 10-Minute Creative Boost: Improve Your Health and Outlook on Life

In this episode, I explore:

• how a short boost of creative activity can reduce stress, help you process pent-up or anxious emotions, provide relief, and help you envision new possibilities in your life
• the connection between creativity and mindfulness, and how being immersed in creative activities for 10 minutes can make you feel more present and alive in the current moment
• how forming a habit of 10 minutes of creativity will open your mind to divergent thinking and help you solve problems

🎨Take the 10-Minute Creative Boost Challenge

Pick from one of these activities, or come up with your own, and commit to setting aside 10 minutes for creativity at least a few times per week. Start today! Here are some ideas:

• Photo walk: Take a 10-minute walk outside and take photos of interesting sights. Open yourself up to noticing the unexpected and consider how being mindful of your environment adds to your creative spirit.
• Play with color: Get a good set of markers in many shades of vibrant color and start drawing, doodling, or coloring. Enjoy the color combinations. Do you like blue and purple together? How about magenta and orange, or earthy green and ivory? Play for 10 minutes with color.
• Journal: Use any of the journal prompts here or try these two fun ones:

If I were a type of candy, which type would I be and why?

If I could steal away to another country or far-off destination, where would I choose and why?

In addition to journaling, you could write a short note to a friend and send it via snail mail. Who doesn't like getting a personalized note? Write for 10 minutes – any kind of writing that lets you express yourself.

• Cooking or Baking: Knead some dough, make a healthy stir-fry, and plate your meals in colorful and creative ways. We eat with our eyes too, and indulging in eating mindfully gives us a chance to show that we value our body and wellbeing. Creatively connect with your food.

💭Key Takeaways from this Episode:

• You don't have to produce an art product to be an artist. We are all creative, having talents that often remain hidden or unexplored because we don't devote consistent time to them.
• We are all busy, but we can schedule 10 minutes of creativity each day to stoke our artistry.
• The benefits of just 10 minutes of creativity, including stress reduction, releasing negative emotions, and becoming more mindful, can add joy to your life and help you become more resilient when faced with stress.
• Take the 10-minute creative boost challenge – use one of the sample activities (or create your own) and get started!

Journal Prompts to Accompany the 10-Minute Creative Boost Challenge

Here are some journal prompts to accompany your 10-minute creative boost activities. What do these short creative sessions give you and how do they validate feelings of purpose and renewal? Ask yourself these questions:

Ten minutes isn’t a lot of time, but it can help you make a daily or near-daily commitment to your creativity. Whether you hope to be more creative for your artistry, to help lessen mental stress, to help with problem-solving, or just to have fun, you deserve to give yourself this time to explore your creative passions. Start small and build from there. I hope you get into creative flow, that wonderful feeling where you're in the zone and your mind is free to enjoy the bright side of the beat.🌞

Podcast Music: My thanks to all the musicians who make incredible music and have the courage to put it out into the world. All music and sound effects for my podcast are sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this podcast episode: Goose and Lime by Ghost Beatz; Slide by GEMM; Pyaar Kee Seemaen by Cast of Characters

Related Episodes:

Art Appreciation for a Weary World (#50)

Forward Facing: Fight for Your Creative Passions (#39)

Keep Your Creative Spirit Alive: Focus on the Journey (#29)

Creative Flow: Self-Care That Matters (#21) 

Resources:

Making art is good for your health. Here's how to start a habit

Can 10 Minutes of Meditation Make You More Creative?

New Resource!

On the podcast, I often explore tools and strategies to reduce overthinking. Now, I've created a fun, art-lovers practice guide to stop overthinking, worry, and rumination. Click below to read it now.

The Art-lovers Creative Practice Guide to Stop Overthinking, Worry, and Rumination

This is my creative take on the process (and practice) of releasing the grip of overthinking using four modalities -- body connection, art/creativity, nature, and writing/journaling.

Let the Verse FlowJill Hodge

Check out the resources on this website (and subscribe) to get podcast episodes, poems, articles, music playlists, and journal prompts delivered to your inbox.

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Journaling Resources

30-Day Journal Challenge (Writing Prompts to Get Started)

Here’s a fun & simple 30-day journal challenge for beginners (or those who need inspiration). Use the daily prompts to rediscover yourself.

Let the Verse FlowJill Hodge

Journaling 101: An Inspirational Guide to Start (or Revive) a Practice

Whether you write, doodle, draw, or keep memorable quotes, journaling uncovers YOU. Let your unconscious mind speak, download my free guide.

Let the Verse FlowJill Hodge

Let the Verse Flow is a community-supported, independent publication launched in June 2023 by Jill Hodge. If you subscribe today, you'll get full access to the website and newsletters. Members are vital to building a rich community of diverse voices. Join us by subscribing today; consider a paid subscription to support the community if possible. Thank you!