🎨Prompts to bring out your inner artist

The Creator/Artist works with their hands and likes to tinker around. I think this is the most common, if not accessible, play style. We’re not talking about creating something to share to the public or to earn money from. 

As we grow older, we’re conditioned to find a logical reason for everything that we do - if we can profit from it or can be used for professional development. That’s why we don’t prioritize play and that leads to a type of poverty - lack of imagination and creativity.

Being playful means going through a resistance that we have been going through growing up:

Do artsy things and do it now. The more you say, “I have no time for this” means you need it all the more.

Here are some simple prompts to tap into your inner artist:

1. 🖍️ Grab some art materials and create something, anything. Get some coloring materials, pieces of paper, and a pair of scissors. If you don’t have some at home, borrow from a child or purchase some. Set a timer and focus on the process and not think about the outcome. 

2. 📒Create a scrapbook about your daily life. It’s common to do this when you’re traveling or for a loved one, but what if you create one out of a normal day? Paste on a notebook or journal receipts, snack wrappers, a printout of your daily route, and so on. Write down captions on them. 

3. 📝 Correspond with your younger self. Use your non-dominant hand to write a letter from your 8-year-old self. Think of the things you wondered about back then and share it with your present self then write back with your dominant hand. 

4. 🍜Doodle your thoughts. We’re taught in school that doodling is bad. Take a moment each day to doodle a favorite quote, your dreams, or anything that pops into your head. It doesn’t have to look discernible, it just has to be yours.

5. 🏗️ Build something with your hands. If you’re not used to it, buy a prepared kit with instructions such as a box of puzzles, a Lego set, a paint by numbers kit of a famous painting, and so on. The most important thing is to get your hands do most of the work and not your mind.

6. 🌈 Go on a rainbow safari. During the day or while on a trip, be on the lookout for things with similar characteristics and can represent each color of the rainbow. It can be something you can pick up (legally) or take a photo of. I once made the saddest trash rainbow while on a beach.

7. 👁️ Create a vision board for fun. Forget about using vision boards as a way to manifest your goals for a moment. Instead, create a vision board or a collage of the things that make you smile. Fill it with images, words, and colors that inspire and excite you.

8. 📚 Read children’s books. Revisit the stories that you enjoyed as a child, or discover new ones. Go to the nearest bookstore to browse books or ask around for recommendations. Here’s one of our family favorites.

9. 🔮Create a fortune teller origami. All you need is a square blank piece of paper. Label the flaps to your liking and share with friends!

10. 🎩 Play dress-up. Raid your closet (or someone else’s) and put together outfits or combinations that you don’t usually wear. Step into another character even for just a few minutes! You might also want a child to pick the outfit for you!

These prompts are not just about making art, they’re for reconnecting with your creator self, the one that can act without fear, judgment, or limits.

Other Thoughts:

• I believe that adults can also benefit from makerspaces. I hope for a future where there are community spaces everywhere with a library, makerspace, and edible garden in it. If you already have one where you live, lucky you! 

• Came across a place called a Creative Reuse Center! 

• In-person workshops are also a great way to learn new arts and crafts. But if you’re an indoor cat, you can also check out Domestika and Skillshare for ideas. I’ve enrolled in different classes such as Procreate for beginners and introduction to game design!

• I recently learned that coloring videos on YouTube have as much as 10 million views! I don’t know who the audience is but I find it kind of disturbing? Curious to find out what the benefits of watching these videos are.

• And what do you call pasta dance parties?!

Until next week!

Bituin 💫