Life gets busy. You get tired. And sometimes you have to actually get creative about getting creative. That’s just how it goes. Some days you have the desire to be creative, but zero energy to do anything about it. Some days the brain fog gets bad, but you still want to do something to keep up your creative practice – as long as it doesn’t require much forethought or concentration. You want simple, relaxing, no-muss-no-fuss options that don’t require any exertion or hustle.
Here are some easy ideas for those days when your creative juices are running full steam ahead, but your body isn’t.
1. Organize your supplies.
Your creative space might have started off nice and neat, but over time new tools and random art experiments and miscellaneous papers build up – and clutter up – what little space you have. A very low energy creative task is to sit at your desk and work through just one of those categories. Try out your pens, and throw away the ones that no longer work. Straighten up your pads of paper and stacks of canvas. Sort through your piles of lists and ideas. You can stay even more physically relaxed, and work through some of your digital files… check the file names, sort into folders, create backups. If you’re anything like me, there’s always something to be organized on the desk or the computer.
2. Create swatch cards.
Grab some index cards or mixed media paper, and start creating swatches of your paints or pens. Not only will it get you playing with color (which feels creative, even though it’s a simple task), but it will be productive use of your time, creating a tool to help you in the future. I’ve never regretted having samples of my pen and paint colors already on paper! It’s also a good opportunity to throw away empty tubes and pens that no longer work (see idea #1). Here’s a great example you can do with any sort of paints, markers, colored pencils, or other marking tools.
3. Prep materials for future artwork.
There is almost always something you could set up for the future, so you can start your next big thing more quickly. And it doesn’t have to take much energy, either. Look around and choose just one thing to do, that can make tomorrow’s (or next week’s) project a little easier. Prime or gesso your canvas, measure and cut paper to size, mix up paints or mediums, or even just make sure everything is clean and organzied and ready to use. Even sit with a notepad and brainstorm ideas, no matter how wild or improbable they seem at the moment. Sometimes an idea on paper is all you need to trigger your next big piece!
4. Choose lower-effort mediums.
Maybe you love painting huge canvases, but right now you’re so tired that you can’t even pick one up. Maybe you’re into digital art, but the brain fog just won’t let you get started. But just like exercise, it’s okay to choose an simpler option on low energy days – as long as you do something to keep going. So grab a coloring book or paint-by-numbers kit, doodle freely and without forethought, pull out the sidewalk chalk, make stuff with your kids’ playdough, write a stream-of-consciousnesss entry, or try a kids’ art project just for fun. Don’t aim for perfection or stress over technique. Don’t worry about making something worth keeping. The end result doesn’t really matter, as long as you have fun – and relax! – along the way.
5. Consume and curate creative fuel.
Another great zero energy option is to feed your creativity somehow, even if it has nothing to do with your ‘normal’ art mediums or styles. Read a magazine in your field, and cut out or scan in articles and pictures that speak to you. Watch a painting show (like Bob Ross!) or fun tutorial, simply because it sparks your interest. Spend some (limited) time pinning ideas on Pinterest or saving inspiring art on Instagram. Don’t use this time to push for a certain end, or a structured goal, but simply enjoy the learning process.
6. Simply exist in the moment.
There are days when any of those ideas might be too much, but you still have a niggling desire to enjoy something creative. In those moments, the best option is to simply be still and take in something beautiful. Start by pouring a cup of your favorite beverage, getting in a comfy chair, adding a cozy blanket and candle (or diffuser). Then savor the view out the window… listen to a favorite album… daydream about a pleasant vacation spot… linger over some poetry or Psalms… or find some other way to take in beauty and life without extending any physical energy. Those moments can feed your soul, rejuvenate your spirit, and refresh your body.
7. Consider whether this is part of a longer trend.
As someone with chronic fatigue (among other diagnoses), I know what it’s like to have a lot of days with very little physical or mental energy. And sometimes, low energy is all that it is. But sometimes, those zero energy days string together and the fatigue starts to sap your creative juices. If that’s the case, I wrote a post just for you: 7 steps to recover from creative burnout. It has some ideas to keep burnout at bay, whether you’re about to hit that point or you’ve reached it already.