We’ve been spending a lot more time at home recently and it can be difficult to keep finding new things to keep ourselves busy, especially after a few weeks. Most of us have had to create a whole new routine and the first few weeks which have been challenging for some. But as we’ve settled into our new routines, it can be common to find yourself bored and not sure what to do while staying indoors.
If you’re looking to do something else other than browsing Netflix or make banana bread, here are some ideas of things to do at home that will encourage your creativity and maybe inspire you to start a new hobby!
Learn a New Language
Learning a new language might sound very academic to you, but the benefits of learning a new language for memory and cognitive abilities have been proven many times. Not only would you be learning a new skill, but speaking another language is a great way to open yourself to another view of the world, think differently or even get better at improvising or using body language (very useful when you’re at a loss for words!).
You can make it as fun as you want. Nowadays you can find many free apps that will allow you to learn a new language using games, quizzes, and videos. Why not try a language exchange with someone who is interested to learn English while teaching you their language? It’s a great way to get better while connecting with others.
Build a Model
If you’ve never built a model, think about it like putting a puzzle together, only you’ll have to use various skills and techniques you may have not heard of before. Following instructions to build a model doesn’t sound very creative at first but there are many opportunities to customize your model when it comes to decorating, painting, and weathering – an aging technique.
You are also bound to find a model you’ll love, as there is a wide variety of models and styles available: from model cars to planes or boats as well as props from famous movies – you can choose the one that will suit your taste and abilities.
Start a Bullet Journal
Ever heard of bullet journals? Some view it as a mindful practice or stress reliever, others as a tool to plan their day/week or as a diary. The truth is, it can be whatever you need it to: monthly calendar, daily to-do’s, long term goals or daily thoughts and doodles, it’s a great tool to get creative while putting some order into your thoughts and responsibilities.
You’ll find plenty of resources that will help you get started with bullet journaling so you can have a better idea of what it could look like and if that could work for you. Try adding this into your daily routine and see how it makes you feel – and don’t forget to get creative with the format!
Daily Draw Challenge
Whether you feel like an artist or not, drawing or painting is a classic activity to exercise your creativity. No need to have skills like Van Gogh or Monet to get started! There are plenty of techniques and styles to try to see which one would suit you best.
A great exercise is a daily draw challenge: the idea is to take a simple object (a piece of fruit for example) and use a different technique and/or style every day to represent the same object. This will get you to start thinking outside of the box and once you’ve exhausted your first options, you’ll have to extend your knowledge or creativity to find new ways for doing this.
These are only a few examples of what you could do to start a new creative process – no need to start them all at once! Even if you introduce small changes into your routine, you could see great results in how you feel and start thinking more imaginatively!
What are you doing to encourage your creative mind? Let us know in the comments below!