Tips for Staying Creative in the Winter

Winter is a time when everything slows down a bit both in nature and in our lives. Winter can be a wonderful time for introspection and rest. It can also be a very creative time and creativity can be a wonderful antidote to the winter doldrums, blues, or feelings of lethargy that sometimes arise.  The study, “Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing,” found that people felt better, or had a higher activated “positive affect,” on the days when they were creative, as well as the day after. Here are a few tips on keeping your creative spirit and mind active and engaged in the winter:

Change Your Surroundings
Our surroundings can influence our mood, outlook, and amount of motivation. Changing up your surroundings, either through re-decorating or actually moving to a new location, is a great way to re-start a stalled creative engine and get those productive juices flowing again. Whether you head to a distant country, state, city, town, park, or just to a local coffee shop or co-working space, a change in locale can give you a fresh perspective on life, literally and figuratively. You’ll see new things and think different thoughts than you might at home or in the office or classroom. You may see a colorful sunset, have a vibrant conversation, or hear a tune or quote that inspires you to create something new. Immersing yourself in others’ creativity can be richly motivating as well. For example, you might visit an art museum or attend a poetry reading or musical concert. Seeing others engaging in and sharing their creative works can remind you that it is a normal and important part of human activity.

On the other hand, if winter weather, your schedule, or other forces keep you from moving around much outside of home or work, consider sprucing up or rearranging the space(s) you inhabit this winter. Many people find re-decorating and interior design to be fulfilling arts in themselves. Cleaning out or organizing your school or home’s rooms, attic, basement, or drawers can produce a sense of spaciousness that sometimes encourages creative thinking or may even unearth long forgotten supplies, albums, books, or other treasures that can encourage a new project. If you have a bulletin board that needs sprucing up in your classroom, here are over 100 ways you and your students can implement a winter themed classroom board. If possible, another way to honor your creativity is to set aside a special place in your home or workspace for making or practicing your art, or for your students to do so.

Slow Down and Listen to Yourself
Even if we commit to varying our surroundings regularly in the winter, it is still often common to spend more time inside and less time socializing. When we are in a quieter and more restful space and the world outside offers less color and entertainment, inspiration may need to be sought inwardly more than outwardly. It can be hard to let go of the harried pace of life and embrace the slowness of winter. If you are feeling unsure of where to start when it comes to winter productivity, try to give yourself the time and room to breathe and connect with yourself.

Purposefully keep part of your day unscheduled for yourself and then try to just do what you feel like doing during that time. It sounds simple but can take some practice. While new ideas need time to marinate and grow, it can sometimes be a bit unnerving to sit in a room with one’s self without a definite plan. If simply waiting for inspiration is uncomfortable for you, which is not uncommon, you could try some techniques to help guide you inward, such as feeling your breath in your body, practicing yoga, or carrying out free, stream of consciousness writing (these mindfulness techniques can also help youth to center and find inspiration). Being aware of and accepting wherever we are in the moment will often lead us to an open state of mind and to a fertile, creative place. So, settle in–like a maple tree that is tapped for syrup, sometimes it takes a long, patient time of waiting and asking before creation comes to fruition. When you do create, focus more on the process than the product and stay curious about where the work or practice session is organically heading.

Experiment and Play
Once you’ve connected with yourself, use the increased solitude and space of winter to be free and experimental. This is your time to try something new. Giving yourself permission to be imperfect and playful is a great way to connect with your inner child, who is naturally creative. Once the inner child is given some room to roam free, the expressions will come. Even if you end up just mixing colors, dancing to your favorite song, composing limericks, or coding a silly snowball game app, your creative juices will be flowing and you will be building trust in that relationship with your inner creative child. Once our inner children know they are allowed to play and speak and sing and dance with us, they will be more likely to show up and bring us inspiration when we need them in the future. If nothing else, build a pillow fort over the weekend or sing to yourself in the car on your morning commute. Make yourself a delicious dessert or go on a nature photo trek. The Mother Nature Network reminds us that Steve Jobs once said, “creativity is just connecting things,” and that “those ‘things’ can be everyday work: cooking and baking, knitting or sewing; organizing closets or drawers; wayfinding; gardening; or repairing broken things are all small creative acts. Of course, the things we traditionally think of as art count too: creative writing, painting and drawing, composing or playing music, photography and dance [help you to] feel good.”

If you are encouraging youth to play and make with you, ask them open-ended questions and avoid judgmental responses. Education.com recommends you play games that have different possible answers to boost creativity; “include ‘What if’ questions in play. ‘What if we want to build a sand castle? How can we make the sand stick together better?’ ‘What if we made designs on our castle, what could we use to make them?’” Here are two other articles that focus on fostering youth creativity: 8 Winter Activities for Kids to Encourage Creativity, and 7 Ways to Foster Creativity in Your Kids.

If you benefit from external motivators, consider broadening your horizons by trying out or committing to learn a new art, musical instrument, or skill in the winter. If you’ve been holding onto a secret interest in a certain field or hobby, seek out an experience in that area. Along with providing you with a creative outlet, doing new activities can challenge and refresh your mind and self-image and you may meet even new and inspiring people while you are at it.

Whether you are working with kids or maintaining your own creative practice, try to give yourself permission to make mistakes, make a mess, and start over this winter. Finding a balance of restorative travel, self-nurturing, contemplative rest, and inventive play in the winter will keep your creative heart pumping strong until spring.

Written by Julia Travers

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