When was the last time you created something? Used your hands and your skills to create something all on your own? How did it make you feel?
Oftentimes, when we create something, we are doing so using a creative outlet. But what are creative outlets and why are they so important? Read on to find out more about creative outlets and to read about 50 creative outlets you can try at home!
What is a Creative Outlet
A creative outlet is basically what it sounds like: a positive way to express yourself and your feelings that also happens to have a creator output. Think of creative outlets as a way to destress and make yourself happy, all while creating something cool!
Do you doodle when you’re anxious? Or maybe you’re a stress baker? Or maybe you just really love taking pictures of the things around you. Those are all creative outlets!
Creative outlets are not just a way for you to express yourself. They can also be a way of experiencing the world around you. Maybe you like to journal about your day, or make scrapbooks about big life experiences. Creative outlets can also help you make memories and share your feelings with others.
The Fall of Creativity in Today’s World
As our entire world transitions online, many people are losing their creative, hands-on, dopamine-producing, hobbies in exchange for spending hours and hours on their phones. But there is nothing wrong with going on your phone! In fact, it’s a pretty fun hobby that allows you to explore today’s world and connect with others. However, creativity is so important and losing that can have some pretty devastating impacts on both your mental health and society.
But why are we losing creativity today? With the introduction of technology and the increase of academic stress, teens are losing both the time and motivation they need to be creative. There are creative things to do online (think writing, digital art, photo editing and more!) but let's be honest…most of us spend our time on technology scrolling through Instagram, binge-watching Netflix, or speeding through homework. Not exactly the most creative stuff…
It appears that modern society has caused many’s creative spark to weaken. With so much pressure on children and teens to perform well academically, it makes sense that they feel they do not have the time to explore other passions. Standardized testing has encouraged in-the-box thinking and answers, with creative answers being the more risky ones. But school is not to blame! Society pressures teens from a young age to busy themselves with tasks: getting a job, taking part in an internship, hanging out with friends, getting volunteer experience. While these are all great things, sometimes we overload our schedules with so many things that we don’t have time to enjoy ourselves and tap into our creative sides. With technology and commitments to keep them busy, many teens and even children simply do not feel the need to be as creative as they were when they were younger.
But creativity, as you’ll read about soon, is very important, both for your personal mental health and for the good of our future society!
Not to worry though! You probably do have at least one creative outlet, you just haven’t realized that it's actually considered a creative outlet.
The Importance of Having Creative Outlets
Having a creative outlet (or many!) is more important than you might think.
Creative outlets are great for de-stressing after a long day of work or school. They can help distract you from stressful things and allow you to spend a little extra time with yourself. Take about self care!
Additionally, creative outlets can help decrease feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress. This is because doing creative things and using your hands releases special feel-good chemicals in your brain, helping you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Spending time on something creative gives you time to reflect on difficult feelings and thoughts. They help you express feelings and thoughts that you may not feel comfortable sharing out loud.
Also, we can’t forget to mention how great it feels when you finish a project you’re working on. The sense of accomplishment and pride you can get from creating something truly is a great mood booster. From baking a cake to sculpting a statue from clay, it feels really great to look at your end result and know that you made that!
Creative outlets can also help you connect with others. Do you and your friend both like to paint? Looks like Friday nights are painting nights now! Maybe you and your cousin are both fond of origami or making comics? Now you two have something to talk about at family gatherings! Creative outlets are great for getting to know yourself and others better. And you get neat results in return!
But what about *insert hobby*?
You might be reading this and thinking: but why can’t I just stick to my current hobbies? Maybe you have a hobby you’re really passionate about that isn’t that creative. Personally, I love to read. However, passive hobbies, like shopping, watching Netflix, and even reading, while still super awesome, don’t offer the same benefits that creative hobbies do. Does that mean you can’t spend three hours watching Youtube? Of course not! But try mixing in some creative hobbies into your free time as well.
Your creative outlets should be things you enjoy, so make sure to pick creative hobbies that you are truly excited about. If you love to watch Netflix, why not try creating fan art for your favourite characters? Try starting a fan blog or writing fanfiction?
It’s important to have a nice blend of hobbies: some creative outlets and others not so much. That’s because your mood can change day to day. Maybe one day those creative juices are really flowing and the next you want to do something low effort to wind down after a tough day. Sometimes there are days where you could draw or paint or play the piano for hours. Then there are days where you’d much rather take a walk, read a book, or listen to some music. The good news is that all hobbies are important, even if they aren’t creative. I love having a large variety of hobbies. That way, I’m never bored!
But I’m not Good at Anything!
But I’m not good at anything…
I’m not creative enough…
I couldn’t be creative if my life depended on it…
Are these thoughts that often sneak their way into your head? They can make you feel pretty awful, can’t they? But they simply aren’t true. I have yet to meet a person that is truly as uncreative as they think they are. Remember, just because you aren’t creative in the conventional sense doesn’t mean that you aren’t creative someplace else. For example, maybe you don’t like to draw and paint, but you’re great at fashion or makeup or even coding!
Negative thoughts such as the ones above can be really demotivating when we are trying to learn and experience new things. The first thing you should remember is that everyone has positives, even you! It can be easy to focus on the things you aren’t good at. But it’s important to realize that we are all good at different things. That’s what makes us so unique. Not being good at anything is a total myth!
So What Are Some Creative Outlets I Can Try?
After reading all about creative outlets, their importance, and why you should have one, you’re probably looking to try some creative outlets. Well, I have some good news for you. We’ve compiled a list of 50 creative outlets for you to try out. I suggest you read the whole list. You may already enjoy some (maybe even a lot!) of these activities and some of them might be completely new to you. That’s great news as it means you have some cool new ideas to explore. Remember, you don’t have to be “artistic” and “good at art” to have creative outlets. All you have to do is enjoy them!
Here are 50 creative outlets for you to check out!
Drawing
Painting
Sketching
Doodling
Digital art
Digital designing
Poetry
Write short stories
Write a novel
Creating song lyrics/songs
Singing
Playing an instrument
Cooking
Baking
Blogging
Vlogging
Scrapbooking
Making comics
Photography
Videography/Film making
Video editing
Photo editing
Jewelry making
Sewing
Gardening
Candle making
Dancing
Journaling
Origami
Sculpting
Wood working
Colouring in colouring books
Embroidery
Crocheting
Knitting
Quilting
Macramé
Calligraphy
Thrift flipping
Fashion designing
Creating different outfits
Creating vision boards
Card making
Crafting
Makeup
Hair styling
Nail painting
Coding
Create a podcast
Website designing
There you have it! All you could ever need to know about creative outlets! So, what are you waiting for? Pick an activity from this list and try it out. Your new favourite hobby could be waiting for you.
Happy creating!
Written by: Nevadha M
Sources Used
Drobot, Dean. “3 Tips on How to Discover and Own Your Creativity.” Success Magazine, 5 September 2019, https://www.success.com/how-to-discover-and-own-your-creativity/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
“50 Ways for Highly Sensitive People to Unleash Their Creativity.” Happy Sensitive Kids, https://happysensitivekids.com/2019/11/50-creative-outlet-ideas-for-highly-sensitive-people/. Accessed 29 September 2022.
Hage, Julie. “12 Outstanding Creative Outlets for Non-Creative Adults.” Filling the Jars, https://www.fillingthejars.com/creative-outlets-for-non-creatives/. Accessed 29 September 2022.
Kim, KH. “The Creativity Crisis: It's Getting Worse.” Idea to Value, 28 April 2017, https://www.ideatovalue.com/crea/khkim/2017/04/creativity-crisis-getting-worse/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
“The Ultimate List of Creative Outlets: 56 Ideas to Get You Excited!” Artsydee, 10 May 2021, https://www.artsydee.com/list-of-creative-outlets/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
“Why it’s good to be creative: benefits of having a creative outlet (or five).” Gradino, https://gradino.co.uk/2019/11/why-its-good-to-be-creative-benefits-of-having-a-creative-outlet-or-five/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
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