All of us have a creative side. Some people like to bake cakes whereas others write a diary where they explore their thoughts and feelings in the written word. Even cultivating a garden or planning a decorative scheme is creative. However, picking colours for the walls or baking and decorating a cake might not be enough for you. In this post, we are going to look at other ways you can explore your creativity by experimenting with arts and crafts.
Adult Colouring Books
Adult colouring books are a quick and low-cost way of being creative. You don’t need any artistic skill to colour in a book. All you are doing is choosing colours and filling in a pre-drawn illustration. It may sound a bit child-like, but colouring books for adults are all the rage at the moment. They are also very relaxing, so if you need to de-stress and stimulate your right-brain, give it a go.
Painting and Drawing
Painting and drawing are things we do at school, but not many of us continue these pursuits in adulthood. This is a real shame! Painting and drawing are wonderful activities and a great way to spend our leisure time. They are also relatively inexpensive, unlike many other hobbies.
All you need to get started is a sketch pad and some pencils. Have a go at sketching the world around you. Concentrate on form, light and shade. Pay close attention the shapes around you. Look at composition with an artist’s eye. Drawing is a skill like any other – the more you do it, the more skilled you will become.
Once you feel confident, try using pastels and charcoal. Then move on to paints. Experiment with watercolours, acrylics, and oil paints until you find a medium you enjoy working with. You can pick up art and craft supplies online or from a local art shop. You don’t need to spend a fortune – starter sets are usually inexpensive.
Textiles
Textiles are just as exciting as other arts and crafts activities. Have a go at sewing patchwork quilts or making rag rugs. Weaving is another crafting activity that is easy for beginners to try. You can make a simple loom using a piece of cardboard if you don’t have a proper table loom. Play around with scraps of wool and see what you can make.
Mixed Media
Combine paint and textiles and experiment with mixed media. Create pictures using found materials and have fun experimenting with different surfaces and textures.
Photography
Thanks to the wonders of smartphone cameras, anyone can be an accomplished photographer these days. Use your artistic eye to frame a composition and take a shot using your smartphone. Edit your photos using free photo editing tools and upload them to sites like Instagram and Tumblr. If you find you enjoy photography, you can upgrade to a decent digital SLR camera.
Don’t bury your creative urges. Being creative is good for our soul. It also helps us to de-stress after a long day.