Just as I was starting to gain my energy and feel better after being sick, I got hit again!  I tested positive for the flu on Monday, so I am back to snuggling with the kitties most of the day.  I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten two viruses back to back like this and it is the pits.  I am ready to get back to my usual work and life routines, but I am thankful that it’s just a virus, it’s temporary, and I’ll be back to my old self soon.  I’m also so glad I made a big batch of Carrot White Bean Soup (recipe HERE), a dozen Chicken Patties (recipe HERE), and a container of brown rice.  We’ve been able to eat off of that and the carrot soup has been soothing on my throat.  Anyway, since I’m down and out again and not working on new things, I wanted to share a round-up of some of my favorite projects for creative play.

In the early years of my business, I didn’t allow myself much time for projects that were simply about creative play, if any.  With two very young boys, I had to be strategic about how I spent every minute, so my time was spent being as productive as possible.  I worked that way for many years and, as you can imagine, I started to burn out.  We need play time not only for enjoyment but for enrichment.  Playtime is where discoveries are made, where new ideas are born, and where you can stoke your love for creative work.  Creative play projects can feel pointless, but they never are.  The point is to give yourself the time and space to create without demands, deadlines, and expected outcomes.  Creative play is a place where good things can happen.

So, if you don’t already take time to play creatively, I would encourage you to give it a try.  Some of these project ideas might just be the inspiration you need to playing…

creative play project | customizing a sketchbook/notebook

A great place to start with creative play is take some time to Customize a Sketchbook/Notebook.  It’s a low-pressure project that can be completed in under an hour (or longer if you’re really enjoying it and want to cover more books) and most crafty folks will have papers, fabrics, ribbons, and glue on hand.

The project idea started when I wanted to change a cheap red ribbon marker on a sketchbook.  I simply ripped out the ribbon and replaced it with a pretty woven blue and white ribbon from my stash.  That led me into a whole world of customizing sketchbooks so they fit my aesthetic.  I have some lovely sketchbooks with beautiful colors, but I have learned I create more freely in cheap sketchbooks.  It’s even fun to play with papers that aren’t the highest quality.  I like them to look pretty and cohesive on a shelf when they are full, though, so I cover them with fabrics, papers, and ribbons that I like.

You can find a full tutorial on how I cover sketchbooks HERE.

creative play project | handmade watercolors

A few years ago, I started collecting pigments from art shops when I traveled.  I finally pulled them out and tried handmade watercolors.  For the sake of consistency and practicality, it makes more sense for me to just use Winsor & Newton or some other company that has been making paint for generations, but this was about creative play!  HERE is a post sharing all about making your own watercolors if you want to give it a try.

I still dip into these little pots of handmade watercolors now and then, so that recipe has held up well.  For me, it wasn’t so much about the finished product and it was just about enjoying paint in different forms.

creative play project | handmade brushes & pens

It was shortly after I turned in the last photos for my book, , and I really needed some unstructured time to just play.  I had worked intensely for weeks and allowing myself some creative play was a way I treated myself.  I had been collecting sticks, needles, and feathers for a while and finally wanted to turn them into some brushes and pens.  I also borrowed some bristles from old brushes and a bundle of goat hair I bought off Etsy. HERE is a post showing how I made Handmade Brushes & Pens.

Again, a store-bought brush is going to be better to use in most cases, but these were so fun to make and play with.  I did get a pretty good dip pen made out of a turkey feather, too.  I loved making a pen similar to the way one was made long before ballpoint pens and felt-tip markers.

I remember my good friend Shaunna saw what I was up to on Instagram and she said something like, “I could tell you really needed to play when I saw the handmade brushes!”

creative play project | cyanometer

Making a cyanometer is probably one of the most random creative play projects I’ve ever done, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  A cyanometer is a tool that “measures” the color of the sky.  It’s a celebration of blues and playing with mixing colors, which are the things that attracted me to making one.

I still have it in my studio as a pretty prop and a reminder of the importance of creative playtime.  You can find the full post about making a cyanometer HERE.

creative play project | take a class

I left the easiest creative play project for last – take an art class.  It can be any kind of class, but I would encourage you to take a class that pushes you into a new style, medium, or genre.  It really gets your creative wheels turning in a new way and can spark ideas you might not have otherwise.  It’s about exploring the adjacent possibilities.  I’ve written a lot of posts over the years about art classes I’ve taken and how they’ve inspired me, but HERE is a good post about taking an art class that encouraged me to play with fabrics, linocut, paint, inks, and making a dip pen out of a soda can.

Take the class and embrace it fully.  I still have a box with some of these goodies that I revisit now and then for various projects.

There are a lot of great art classes out there, but I have taken the majority from Jeanne Oliver and Domestika.

Beyond those five creative play projects, I would just encourage you to get out in the world.  Go to an antique store, a museum, or a local historic site.  Walk through your yard and collect bits of nature that appeal to you.  Pull out supplies you haven’t used in a while and see what ideas arise.

Whatever you choose to do, I hope you take time to play and allow that play to nurture your soul and fan little embers into new creative flames.

If you need more creative play project ideas, you can find some HERE.