Folky Tips to stay creative

In 2017, compared to a decade ago, we are more aware that we need to nurture our mental health and take steps to combat the fast paced lives many of us lead and achieve a state of mindfulness - time to reflect, be present and achieve an almost meditative state.  Creativity has been found to have many benefits, for our moods and problem solving to hand eye co-ordination and dexterity.  

This all sounds great but running a business, looking after a family or generally dealing with whatever life brings your way means that sometimes creativity, hobbies and having fun often get tossed aside. 

So, we thought we would put together a few of our favourite ways to stay creative…..

PRACTICE, SCRIBBLES & DOODLES

Spend some time every week being creative. Schedule time for yourself to paint for no other reason than it makes you happy. It doesn't have to be a project - it could be a practice sheet or doodling a new pattern that you can add to your journal. 

TRY SOMETHING NEW

Do something different. Try something you haven't done before or that you think you don't have time for…bake a cake, go do some gardening, read a book. Breaking out of your routine even if just for 5 or 10 minutes can uplift and inspire you. 

BROWSE

Whether it's flicking through a magazine or browsing Pinterest (our personal favourite!), you can find inspiration everywhere. Pinterest in particular is an amazing way to stumble across the unknown, things that you would have never even thought of searching for. 

     

EXPERIMENT

Sometimes thinking can be our downfall when it comes to creativity.  Often, the idea of letting go and not being bound by rules can be a scary thought for many.   For example, the guides that come with our kits are fantastic at teaching you how to paint the basics and are incredibly helpful but feel free to explore them and adjust them to suit the style you desire. 

PRACTICE

5. Practice. From mixing colours to brushstrokes, practice is key. No one is perfect and just practicing our technique and playing with colour can inspire new colour schemes, build confidence and trigger new ideas. 

These are our favourite five but there are so many other ways to stay creative. We recently discovered this amazing post from Jennifer about the healing that can come from creativity.  It emphasises to us yet again, just how important it is.

Happy Folking!  
xx