How I Stay Creative While Working Full Time

Since graduating college and starting my full time gig almost two years ago, I’ve struggled with finding time to be creative. While I don’t have assignments to do in my spare time, work is exhausting in other ways, and it’s difficult to motivate myself to work on projects.

After a couple of months of this, though, I definitely started to feel the lack of creativity in my life wear on me. I decided to purposefully and mindfully make time for creative tasks. Just by changing up a few things in my routine enabled me to fit in time for creativity, and helped provide an outlet from the stress that comes from a typical 9-5.

Make it easy to get to your DIY supplies

Most of my DIY supplies were put away in boxes under my bed or closet to save space in my apartment. My boyfriend and I re-organized our space about six months ago and I made sure I could easily get to my supplies, which helped tremendously.

I can now see my most used supplies just by walking in my room, and it motivates me to create more. We also got a lot of cool shelving to help organize my supplies, which double as decor. My boyfriend is a huge fan of functionality so it was a good compromise!

Use things like Pinterest or Instagram to stay inspired

I constantly look at Pinterest for new ideas, and it’s great at giving me ideas for projects. Not only can you get inspiration, but you can also learn new techniques. You can have just one board dedicated to projects, or different ones depending on the mediums you like to use.

Instagram is also great for quick inspiration, but it’s not as easy to save ideas for projects. I also look at Etsy or other online stores for inspiration! There’s really no limits with finding inspiration for projects on the internet.

Take classes to learn new creative techniques

I touched on this a little bit earlier, but it can be great to learn with hands-on experience. This is a great way to learn more about different mediums and get inspired by other people! I got my boyfriend a glass blowing class for Christmas (that I joined in on), and it was so cool learning how to work with a completely new material. Especially since it’s not something you work with everyday!

Just search for art classes in your area, and you’ll find tons to choose from. Groupon is also a great website to look at because you can find great deals on there!

There are also a ton of online classes to take, and YouTube is a great resource to learn virtually any creative technique. You don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to learn new ways to be creative!

Write down new project ideas immediately

I have a bullet journal that I use to keep track of my schedule and also my ideas. Anytime I have a remotely good idea, I write it down so I can come back to it later. Once you start writing ideas down, it’s a lot easier to get the ball rolling. Ideas often come in pairs, trios, or groups, so get them all down on paper!

You can also just keep a running note on your phone if you don’t have a planner, or don’t have it with you. I do this all the time if I’m out without my bullet journal, and just add to it when I get home. If you’re anything like me, it’s really easy to forget ideas, so make sure you have them down somewhere!

Plan time to be creative

I know this doesn’t sound very glamorous, but sometimes you just have to plan the time for projects. Dedicate a certain time of the day, week, or month to being creative! Don’t move that time for anything else, and use it to focus on making something that you love. Once you start to consistently schedule in time to be creative, it quickly becomes a habit.

Planning time for creativity also helps you plan for what you want to do, so you aren’t stuck without the supplies you actually need for a project. I’ve been in that situation and it’s extremely frustrating!

Most importantly…

….stay creative! It sounds like simple advice, but try and be creative as much as possible. Once you start making things, it’s easier to keep the ideas flowing and your motivation up. It’s natural to get into a creative rut, but don’t stay there.

What are your favorite ways to be creative?