More Creative Play
Here are some “bonus” creative plays to help keep your creativity flowing. They address some of the points that were discussed in the book and are designed to increase your awareness of what motivates you and brings you joy, to rid yourself of persistent blocks, to enhance your sense of appreciation and confidence, to tune into your kid-self, to de-stress, and much more. Some of the tasks are more basic, while others are more sophisticated. Choose whichever tasks appeal to your creative spirit!
Meditation Minute
The purpose of this exercise is to allow yourself to feel free of having to do anything. While following these steps, you are going to meditate for one minute every day for 30 days.
Tools Needed: A chair and a timer
- Sit in a comfortable chair. Or you can sit outside in nature, weather permitting. Set a timer for one minute, and then close your eyes and place your hands, palms up, in your lap.
- Take a deep breath in, and then slowly exhale.
- Empty your mind as much as possible. When a thought enters your mind, replace it with the silent mantra “I am breathing in” as you inhale and “I am breathing out” as you exhale—nothing more.
- After the timer goes off, observe how you feel. Do you feel differently than you did before you began the meditation? Less stressed? More creative? Like you want more of this feeling?
You may decide to do this meditation for longer than a minute or for more than 30 days. If it feels good, do it!
This activity will enable you to tune into thoughts you might otherwise ignore that may be helpful in providing you with additional creative insight.
Tools Needed: Paper and a writing instrument or an audio recorder
As soon as you wake up each morning, write down or audio record the first thoughts that come to mind before you can be interrupted. Do not judge your thoughts, analyze them, or ponder their meaning; that will come later. Just write them down or dictate them—as silly, logical, or nonsensical as they may seem—as quickly as you think of them. Do this for seven days in a row.
After one week, see if you notice any patterns. Are they positive or negative? Are there any common themes? Can you create meaning from them and apply them to your life in a creative way? See if this practice provides insight into the direction of your day. If so, consider doing it on a regular basis.
Your Wish Is My Command
In this exercise, you are going to create a magic wand and become your own wizard to grant your wishes. You can really have fun with this one! Allow yourself to become childlike and let go of any worrisome thoughts you may have been having.
Tools Needed: Some kind of a stick (see suggestions in the text) and decorating materials
First, decide on the material to make your magic wand. You could start with a stick from the woods, a wooden spoon from your kitchen drawer, a straw, a chopstick, or the inside cardboard from a paper towel roll. Be creative! Come up with your own idea. Try to use materials you already have in or around the house. This activity does not have to cost money.
Decorate your magic wand with stickers, feathers, glitter, or whatever else comes to mind. Continue dressing it up until you feel the wand is complete. Enjoy yourself in the process!
Then, every time you think of a creative idea or activity, reinforce the thought by picking up your magic wand, becoming the wizard, and saying out loud “Your wish is my command!” Sound corny? Good. Don’t ever let silliness get in the way of your creativity. In fact, sometimes childlike activity can help you overcome whatever barriers are hampering you. Be open and watch your creative expression flow!
Curiosity Doesn’t Have to Kill Anyone
… not even the cat! What are you most curious about and what have you done about it? This experience is intended to inspire you by having you tune into your curiosity.
Tools Needed: There are no particular tools needed for this activity. You will determine that based on the decision you make. (Read on for details.)
Pick a free day in your schedule and declare it “Curiosity Day.” Put it on your calendar now. Next, complete this sentence:
“I have always been curious about ___________________________.”
When “Curiosity Day” arrives, go out and explore the topic you came up with in the preceding sentence. For example, if you’re curious why birds chirp, go visit your local Audubon society and talk with some of the volunteers or experts on hand. You could also go out into nature and listen to their different sounds. Learn what you can the “old-fashioned” way first before looking for more information on the internet.
Be open to where your exploration takes you. Make this experience as “hands-on” as possible and see if it sparks any creative ideas. Maybe you’ll be motivated to write a short story or a magazine article about it or paint a picture. And who knows? Maybe it could lead to a career change!
Daring to Dress Differently
This activity will help you develop more courage and risk-taking abilities.
Tools Needed: Clothes you don’t normally wear
What type of clothes are you most comfortable wearing? Are you known for dressing conservatively, wildly, or something in between? Do you wear bright, pastel, or muted colors? Low cuts or turtlenecks? Ladies, do you mostly wear high heels or flats? Men, what kind of shoes do you typically wear? However you normally dress, pick one day and clothe yourself totally opposite of that. You may borrow the clothes from a friend or really commit yourself and buy a new, different outfit. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money; you can check out your local thrift stores and consignment shops.
Now, put on your brave face and go out into public, even if it’s just to the grocery store. If you’re really feeling courageous and it won’t get you fired, go to work dressed differently. Notice how it makes you feel. Comfortable or uneasy? Self-conscious or more empowered? If you feel comfortable and empowered, who knows? Maybe you’ll enjoy the feeling and begin to change your wardrobe and style of dress! Change can be scary … and fun, too, if you’ll allow it!
In this exercise, you will look more closely at your creative peak periods to increase your awareness and inspire you toward greater creativity.
Tools Needed: A pad or piece of paper, a writing instrument, markers or paints, newspapers and/or magazines, a large piece of cardboard or foam core, glue, and decorating materials
First, recall a time in your life when you felt like you were experiencing a creative “peak” or “high.” Make a list of words and phrases that describe your feelings when you were in that space—for example, in the moment, no sense of time, happy, in the flow. Take this list and see if you can find similar phrases in newspapers and magazines. When you do, cut them out.
Now, take your cardboard or foam core and at the top of it, write the following statement:
“When I am in the flow of creativity, I feel …”
Take the words and phrases you cut out and glue them onto the cardboard. You can use your markers or paints to add any of the descriptive words you wrote on your pieces of paper that you could not find in newspapers or magazines. You can also decorate your collage with stickers or any other materials you wish to add.
Finally, hang your piece of artwork where you’ll see it every day. This may serve to inspire you to act upon your creative interests.
A Speedy Space Shifter
This is a great exercise to undertake when you catch yourself feeling negative and want to shift into a more positive space. You can do this in the middle of your work day or anytime you need to give yourself a break with a “time-out.”
Tools Needed: Paper and a writing instrument
Start by thinking of activities you can do quickly. This may involve physical exercise, such as doing jumping jacks; a mental activity, such as completing the Meditation Minute creative play at the beginning of this appendix; or indulging in your favorite snack. For example, one thing that works for me is a mini-music break. I have multiple guitars and other instruments in the room next to my office. Sometimes I will grab one of them and play a song. When I return to my work, I feel lighter with a renewed sense of energy. This works if I’m feeling down, if I simply need a momentary diversion, or if I could use quick break. Your ideas should focus on actions you can take that don’t require materials—unless they’re handy—or you can do without much preparation. Now write down all of your ideas and keep this list nearby.
As discussed throughout this book, awareness is key. How will you know if you need to shift your space? Here are some clues. You may notice that your neck and shoulders are feeling tight or your lower back is aching from sitting too long. Perhaps you’ve had some fleeting negative thoughts, repeating thoughts that are not serving you, or some unsettling news that keeps going around in your head. Maybe you just need time to refresh yourself.
Whenever you wish to shift into a better space or just need a time-out, take out your list and pick one of your activities. Keep your list accessible so when you think of other activities, you can add them. If you do this exercise on a regular basis, the ideas on your list will start to come automatically to your mind and you’ll no longer need your list as a reference.
Rock ‘n’ Release
Because creating is a journey, there will be twists and turns that may lead you temporarily back into the creativity closet. Turn to this activity when that happens.
Tools Needed: Paper, a writing instrument, rocks, and a marker
To begin, tune into the block that has reared its ugly head. It may be a barrier you’ve overcome in the past or a new snarl you’re experiencing. Take note if you feel there’s more than one. Write down your block or blocks as a single word or a phrase.
Next, find one rock for every barrier you wrote down, being sure to gather larger rocks for any phrases. Depending on where you live, finding rocks may be easy or prove to be challenging. By now, I trust you are creative enough to figure out where you might find a rock!
Once you have gathered the rock or rocks you need, take your marker and write the word or phrase on each rock. Now find a place where you can rock ‘n’ release. Ponds, lakes, or rivers are ideal places to throw your “rock blocks” if you live close to one of them and they’re not on private property. Or you may want to cast away your rocks into the woods or an empty field. Again, use your imagination to determine what works best for you, as this is a symbolic exercise of letting your blocks go.
Catching Yourself Comparing
If you recall, I discussed “the comparison game” in Chapter 6. You may have more awareness of this now, but at some point you may find yourself playing this game again, either in the workplace or at home. This exercise will help you work through that.
Tools Needed: Your idea journal and a writing instrument
As suggested before, be sure to carry your idea journal with you at all times—not just for this exercise, but so you can capture ideas on the fly.
Every time you catch yourself doing any kind of comparison whatsoever, write it down in your notebook. For example, it could be a passing thought at work in the middle of a meeting when your co-worker suggests a wonderful idea and you think to yourself “She’s always coming up with good ideas. Why can’t I do that?” Continue making notes each time you become aware you are comparing yourself to another person.
After one month, analyze your notes. Look for patterns. Is there a common thread? Also, take an honest look at your comparisons and see if there’s any truth to them. Chances are, you were just having a weak moment. If you do find any of them to be true, or they are simply thoughts you are having a hard time turning off, then develop an affirmation for each one. Using the preceding example, your affirmation might read “I am a great source for generating good ideas” or “Thinking of good ideas comes easily to me.” Write down your affirmations and repeat them out loud every day until you’ve conquered those unconstructive viewpoints.
Even once you have gotten past the negative beliefs, it’s still a good practice to continue saying your affirmations daily. This practice will reinforce them.
From Compassion to Creation
In this exercise, you will be looking at acts of creation or creative items in your everyday life you take for granted.
Tools Needed: Paper and a writing instrument, along with whatever comes of your imagination
Look back to Chapter 1, which said that everything in life is a creation. Think of all of the items or actions you encounter most days that you take for granted. Examples would be the pen you write with or daisies that line the road on which you travel to work.
Now use your imagination to think of how you can use one of those items to bring joy to another person’s day. For example, you could use your pen to write a note of encouragement to your child and place it in her lunchbox, or stop and pick the daisies, put them in a vase, and give it to a co-worker who has been struggling. These “calls to creation” will not only help support someone’s day, they also will keep you in the flow of creation and make you feel good, too!
To Me, with Love
This activity is a confidence builder, one in which your “inner child” will speak to your adult self.
Tools Needed: Paper, a writing instrument, construction paper, crayons, and stickers
Make a list of five people you admire. Beside each name, write down the reasons you selected them. What are their traits? Look over your list carefully and see if you spot any of those traits within yourself.
Now pretend you are 8 years old. Take a piece of construction paper and fold it in half. Using crayons and the folded construction paper, which helps you get into that childlike space, you are going to make a card. The layout can be horizontal or vertical. Fill the card with all of the wonderful expressions your inner child would like to say to your older self, including all of the qualities your 8-year-old self admires about you today. Decorate the card with stickers.
When you’re finished, examine your feelings. How did you feel as you were making this card? Did you have trouble coming up with encouraging words, or did the compliments flow freely?
The wonderful traits you possess never go away. Sometimes, it just takes a little bit of prompting to get them out of hiding. Put this card where you’ll see it daily as a reminder of the beautiful being you are—both as an 8-year-old child and a grown adult!
Snatching a Sunrise or Sunset
There are at least two occurrences that can be counted on every day: the sun will rise and the sun will set. Usually, most people take these wondrous acts of creation for granted. And sometimes clouds get in the way when taking in a sunrise or sunset. Regardless, no one doubts that this act of nature will create itself every day. In this exercise, you will use this natural occurrence to fuel your creativity.
Tools Needed: Paper and a writing instrument
Make a commitment this week to watch a sunrise or sunset. Look at a weather forecast to select an ideal day and actually schedule this viewing into your calendar as if it’s an important meeting.
On your scheduled day, take your paper and writing instrument with you. As you are watching the sunrise or sunset, begin writing observations of the beauty you see. Go into detail about the colors, the streaks in the sky, the backdrop, and any other finer points you notice.
Once you’ve done that, create a poem, rhyming or otherwise, that includes your observations. Do not judge what you write! Instead, focus on appreciating the magic of the start and finish of each day. Remember, this experience is available to you every day and evening!
Treasure Hunt with a Theme
This activity will heighten your ability to focus and then creatively craft a collage based on a theme.
Tools Needed: A large piece of cardboard, foam core, or the equivalent; glue; markers, colored pencils, paints and/or crayons; and odds and ends found during your treasure hunt
Think about a subject matter you will have fun creatively illustrating. You could focus on a single color and all of the shades that go with it, the beauty found in nature, or comforting music. Or you can make your theme action-based. Perhaps you enjoy helping seniors or caring for rescue animals.
Once you have selected a theme, spend a day noticing how this theme comes into your life. Remember, what you put your attention and intention on manifests in your life.
Now it’s time to go on a treasure hunt! With your theme in mind, look in your junk drawer, garage, attic, closets, or anywhere you may find “stuff” that fits your theme that you can put on a 3D collage (which is unlike a typical collage of flat magazine images). Gather the items until you feel you have enough to create your collage.
Use your imagination to assemble your collage as a type of mixed-media art. It doesn’t matter if this is a first-time activity of this nature or you’ve done a similar project in the past. This is a brand-new creation!
Once you’re done, rejoice in your creation! You can keep your artwork or give it as a gift.
Songs That Make Your Heart Sing
One of my favorite television programs in the 1990s was Ally McBeal. In one of the segments, Ally’s therapist told her to select a theme song. This exercise plays off of that idea for the purpose of giving you “musical support.”
Tools Needed: Paper and a writing instrument, a recording of your selected songs, and a unit capable of playing your tunes (such as a CD player, an MP3 player, or your computer)
What songs can help support you in your creative journey? Will listening to an upbeat song get you into the groove of creating, or would a relaxing, soothing instrumental put you more in the mood? Perhaps a mix of songs works best for you. For example, being a singer-songwriter, I am inspired by other singer-songwriters whom I admire. Four of my inspirational favorites are “Living in the Moment” by Jason Mraz, “For a Dancer” by Jackson Browne, “Tapestry” by Carole King, and “Part of the Plan” by Dan Fogelberg. What songs or artists move you and make you want to create? Make a list of your top 10 inspirational songs.
If you own a copy of these songs (and if you don’t, you may want to invest in yourself by purchasing them), make a playlist on your computer or burn them onto a CD. If you don’t wish to add the songs to your personal collection, you can probably find them on YouTube. The idea behind this exercise is to identify the songs that will help to rouse your muse and then listen to them whenever you need that.
In Chapter 17, I discussed how research points to the importance of encouraging kids to be creative. Yet you’ll hear parents and even those without children observe how kids are spending more time with video games and other electronic devices. What has happened to good ol’ board games or activities that don’t depend on technology? For example, remember the game Red Light, Green Light, an outdoor game that required no technology or props whatsoever (or am I showing my age)?
In this exercise, you’re going to use your imagination to create a game that does not use technology in any way. You can create a kids’ game or one for adults—your choice. If you have children, you can actually test your game with them. Who knows? You could be the next Milton-Bradley!
Tools Needed: Your imagination—and whatever props go along with your idea!
First, determine the age group you’re targeting. Next, consider your game’s category and theme. Will it be educational, humorous, historical, romantic, or something else?
Now think of the logistics. Will you need any props, or will it be a game like Charades? Will the number of people who can play be limited? Can it be played indoors, outdoors, or both? Are any particular skills or knowledge necessary to play? Is there a particular objective you have in mind, or will you allow this to evolve as you develop the game? Consider existing games. Are there any current or old games you can play off of to further develop into another game? (Remember, some believe there are no original ideas—only the advancement of existing creations!)
Create your game and then try it out on your target audience. Listen to their feedback and if you think you’re really onto something beyond doing this simply as an exercise, work to improve your game and continue to develop it until you’re satisfied. You can then test it out again.
One way to complete this exercise is to plan a game night and invite 10 of your friends. The game you’re going to play is to create a game! Divide your friends into two groups of five and follow the rules I’ve given. You can then present your game ideas to each other and see what happens. It’s possible you’ll come up with two great games or combine the ideas of both groups into one fun game. If you don’t feel like you came up with anything “game-worthy,” at least you had fun in the process!
Chances are, you’ve taken pictures before, even if you’re not a professional photographer. For this exercise, don’t worry if you feel you don’t have the proper training or skills (one of the blocks that was discussed). You will need a camera, but mostly you will need to focus—literally and figuratively—on love.
Tools Needed: Any kind of camera, as long as it’s working; paper (construction, card stock, or whatever you have that’s handy); and markers
Your job is to take pictures of love, whatever that looks like to you. That could be images of couples holding hands, babies, a dozen roses, or your favorite easy chair (yes, you may love sitting in it!). You can spread this activity throughout the week or take a day and focus on picture taking.
Once you’ve taken them, print your favorite photos, either with your own printer or by taking them to be developed at a nearby photo lab.
Now fold your paper in half and make at least one card using one or more of your photos. Think of the person you wish to give your card to and add your sentiments. You can make more than one if you are so inclined. You can even make a bunch and bring them to a local nursing home to distribute to folks you’ve never met. Go ahead—make their day!
What Happened Next?
In this activity, you will exercise your mind by writing a short story after reading the prompt.
Tools Needed: Paper and a writing instrument
Start by reading the following prompt:
I am walking down the sidewalk of a city street in a northern city. Signs of spring are blossoming, yet it’s still fairly cold outside. In fact, on this day, a cool breeze permeates my skin. Brrr … I can’t wait to get to my office so I can warm up. As I turn the corner, I see a trash can—one I pass every day on my way to work. Usually, I don’t even notice it, but today I see a spotless winter coat strewn over its side with one shoe positioned on the ground in front of it. That’s odd, I think to myself.
Now finish the story. What happened? How will you solve this mystery? Will you introduce other characters, or will you limit the story to your own actions and observations? Give yourself time to develop the story. You might play with different scenarios, or you may already be set on a plot line. Be open to ideas that come to you. While there is no need to rush this activity, I suggest you give yourself a deadline so you actually finish the story. Do not be tempted by procrastination!
Once you’ve finished, check in with yourself to see how doing this activity made you feel, especially if you do not consider yourself to be a writer or have any interest in writing. Did it spark a further interest in writing? Did you doubt yourself as you wrote? Note all of your feelings. Finally, share your story with someone you trust. Take the risk!
A variation on this exercise is to make this a group activity. Gather some friends for a potluck dinner followed by this exercise. Give yourselves a time limit and then end the evening by sharing your stories.
Inside the Box or a Box Full of Inspiration
You’ve heard the saying “think outside the box.” This creative play directs you to take action “inside the box!” I’m literally referring to a box in which its contents will serve to inspire you.
Tools Needed: Magazines, newspapers, and other objects you find while exploring, index cards, a writing instrument, and a box of your choosing (one made of cardboard, wood, metal, or any other material—even a shoebox)
To begin, think about what inspires you and makes you feel happy. Using your index cards, write your own inspirational “directives,” starting with the words “Today is my day to …” and completing it with words such as “… spread joy to the world,” “… smile at everybody,” or “… fill my soul with hope.” Write at least 10 of them to get you started. Put them in your box. You can write more cards as you feel inspired and keep adding them to your box.
Next, flip through magazines, newspapers, or publications of any sort and find phrases or pictures that inspire you. Cut them out and put them in your box.
Now go for a walk in the woods, along the beach, or any place you enjoy exploring and look for any items that may be suitable for your box. Select things that speak to you in some way—for example, an unusual-looking rock, a multicolored shell, or birch bark from a tree. If you find a penny, you could include that if it has any meaning to you. For example, whenever I find a penny, I say to myself “pennies from heaven,” because each one says “In God We Trust” and they serve as a reminder of that for me.
Whenever you feel you need an inspirational lift, reach into your box without looking and randomly select a card or an item, and then carry that thought or token with you throughout the day as a reminder of your intention. Notice how events, people, or opportunities may present themselves to you that relate to your inspirational message. You may even wish to reach into your box daily for consistent inspiration.
This activity will open you to new possibilities as you go on an intentional exploration outdoors.
Tools Needed: A comfortable pair of walking shoes
Take a walk by yourself outdoors and explore. Go to a park, the woods, a new neighborhood, or wherever your intuition leads you. If possible, turn your cell phone off so you are not distracted during this exercise. Be curious and have fun as you observe your surroundings. If you’re in a place you’ve been to before, notice how you may see things that you were never aware of before. While exploring, select items you’re drawn to, such as a leaf, stick, flower, weed, feather, or bottle cap.
When you return home, do something creative with your find. Examples are to create a story about it, write a poem, paint it, draw it, make a collage, or frame it.
Appreciate the experience you had with this exploratory process and your creation! If you had any insights, you may wish to write them in a journal or speak them into a recorder.
Embracing Your Childhood Spirit
In this exercise, you are going to revisit your childhood to help you reconnect with the sense of play you experienced in your youth.
Tools Needed: Paper and a writing instrument (and other items, depending on what you include based on the information I give you)
Select a day you can devote at least a few hours (if not an entire day or weekend) to engaging in this activity. On the day you’ve set aside, at the top of your paper, write down the words “As a child, I used to love ….” Recall as many things as you can that you enjoyed as a child. To jog your memory, use your five senses—things you liked to taste, touch, look at, listen to, and smell. Include whatever comes to mind, such as making cookies with your mother, eating candy (be specific as to what kind), riding your bicycle, collecting baseball cards, sleeping with your stuffed teddy bear, the smell of an apple pie baking, listening to Beatles records, or playing Monopoly. Write them down as they come to you.
Now select several of the activities you can revisit today. You may have to adapt them slightly. Do whichever items you listed that are the most practical, convenient, and most of all, allow you to recapture your childhood feelings. The whole idea is to get out there and play!
After you’ve allowed yourself to play, write about your experience or dictate your thoughts into a recorder. You can even consider which of these activities you want to introduce back into your life today in some way and start doing them!