12 Easy Ways to Embrace Creativity in 2017
For many of us, 2016 was a doozy, but we here at Brit + Co are ready to hit refresh in 2017! Follow our Hit Refresh series through January for new ideas, hacks and skills that will help you achieve (and maintain!) those New Year’s resolutions.
It’s a brand new year. Thank goodness, right? While many of us have already forgotten allll about those resolutions we made on January 1, we still have plenty of time to conquer the year and totally own it. To help you make 2017 your happiest year ever, here are 12 ways to embrace that all-important creativity.
1. January: Write in a journal for a new start. As a new year begins, the narrative of the past 12 months gets lost to time. Change that. Start a journal. You don’t need to take the “Dear Diary” route — instead, get creative. You can do a photography journal, a drawing journal or an interactive digital journal with links, images and words (like your own private blog).
2. February: Make your own valentines. During Valentine’s season, you might give one card to your boo, but this year, why not send a bunch to your best pals and family members? Everyone can use a little more love, amirite? And lucky you, we have some fab suggestions for DIY Valentine’s Day cards. So go spread the love!
3. March: Learn a new art form. Spring is an ideal time to embrace the fresh and the new, and you can do your part by learning a new creative art form. Maybe you’ve always wanted to sew your own quilt, dive into the fine art of watercolor painting or learn the ins and outs of leather working. Check out Brit + Co’s classes. We have lots of class options for you, so there are no excuses not to try a new hobby.
4. April: Make your own marketable product. So, last month you took on a new creative hobby. This month, fine-tune it and really make it yours, or if you have another discipline you’re keen on, work on that. The end game is to create a product that you can market and sell. Spend the month getting everything just right, and take those first steps in starting your own creative business. Need more tips? Of course, you do. Check out our Start Your First Creative Business Online Class for super helpful tips and guidance.
5. May: Start selling your genius. You’ve spent the last two months developing something super awesome, so now’s the time to share it with the world and give everyone a chance to buy into the magic. Perhaps you’d like to interact with people and sell at a crafts fair, or maybe you want to take a more modern approach and build an online store or post your products on Etsy. No matter which route you choose, use this month to get your goodies in front of the masses.
6. June: Go on an inspirational trip. Those last three months — starting a new biz and all — have no doubt kept you busy. You know what you deserve? A vacay! But not just any kind of trek. Take an inspirational trip to get those creative juices flowing. There are sooooo many options. Maybe you’re feeling like a desert escape (Joshua Tree is a great option). Perhaps you want to hit four European countries while sleeping on a luxury boat (Disney’s River Cruise is a swanky choice), or maybe you’d like to see fairy-tale places IRL. Look deep into your soul and figure out which locale would be a good fit for your body, mind and spirit, and book it!
7. July: Make an image every day. If you have drawing or rad doodling skills in your creative toolbox, then this one will be easy for you. If not, now’s the time to practice, practice, practice. This month, create an image every day. You can jot a picture of your breakfast, sketch an image of your dog or capture that stellar sunset in watercolor. If drawing, sketching or painting really isn’t your thing, then take a photograph every day. No matter which way you go, in the end, you’ll look at your days in a new way.
8. August: Explore creativity in your community. Every weekend in August, go to a different museum in your area — bonus points for visiting one you’ve never been to before. In addition to museums, stroll through local galleries or take a class at one of your town’s creative workshops. If you live in a place that’s not sprinkled with these places, then pull a June and go on another creativity-inspired vacay.
9. September: Upcycle it all. By now, you’ve amassed a variety of things that need mending or could use a healthy dose of upcycling. Use the month of September to breathe new life into these old things. That torn pair of jeans can be transformed into a new skirt. Those holey socks can be made into puppets. And that antique frame you bought at a garage sale can finally get that TLC it needs. The materials are free (you already have them), and recycling is always a good idea.
10. October: Make your own Halloween costume. If you’ve been tempted to DIY your own jaw-dropping Halloween costume, this is the year to make the outfit magic happen. Don’t wait until October 30 to start working on it. Start the first week of October, so you have plenty of time to make the best costume EVER. And we have lots of Halloween costume ideas to inspire you.
11. November: Give thanks, lots of thanks. While we all officially give thanks on November 25, this year, make the entire month a celebration of giving back. Tap into your talents and share them in a positive way. Use your creative gift to help your community, from sending handcrafted cards to seniors to making blankets and pillows for the homeless.
12. December: Go gift crazy. Instead of going to Amazon and clicking away to fill out that space under your tree, make gifts for your friends and family members. It shows way more thoughtfulness and initiative than just whipping out the ol’ credit card. And, of course, we’ve got plenty of inspo for handmade holiday gifts.
Which month are you looking most forward to tackling? Tweet us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)
