The arc where you ground curiosity in small acts of creativity.
This is the chapter you turn to when you’ve got restless energy and that itch to make something, but you just can’t seem to get to it. Here, we give ourselves permission to create by prioritizing our exploration of creative self-expression.
Personally, I’ve always enjoyed being creative, but struggled to fit it into a full life (which, for a time, was dominated by my accounting career). When my family grew, I realized I needed to incorporate creativity back into my life somehow to feel grounded, energized, and very much like myself again. Making space to create became my focus after-hours (and starting this blog was a big part of that). In this chapter, I share what I learned as I developed my own balancing act.
You might have a different experience. It’s really common for busy people to feel creatively curious, to crave meaning, and to want to have a thing — a hobby — to pour into, something just for you. But you don’t know what that thing is, or where to start looking.
These posts are entry points to embrace your creative identity, to make time and space for inspiration, and to give yourself permission to explore what creativity means to you. For some of us, that means practical time management tips and ideas for small acts of creativity. For others, that means prioritizing our creativity and gaining perspective on where it fits into our lives.
If you’re looking for practical tips on fitting creativity into your life:
Barriers to Creativity: Finding Time and Making Space
Okay, this post is more practical-adjacent, but it lays important groundwork for finding time to create, and making space in your life for creativity.
A Joyful Way to Wake Up Earlier: Creating a Morning Routine that Sticks
The advice to find more time by waking up earlier doesn’t work for everyone, but here’s what worked for me.
Reclaiming My Creative Space (and Reprioritizing My Life)
I’ll be honest: this post is long and needs a refresh. But the ideas in here support a fundamental shift in how we look at work, life, and creativity. Inspired by Stephen King, I moved my desk — and somehow this helped me reprioritize my life.
If you’re still searching for a hobby:
6 Ways Creative Hobbies Help You Relieve Stress
Your permissions slip to indulge in your favourite creative hobby this week, plus some creative hobby ideas for beginners.
How to Make ‘Finding Your Hobby’ a Grounding Personal Project
Ideas on how to start a creative project when you’re not sure what your “thing” is yet.
Why I Always Recommend Bullet Journaling for Busy Creatives
Bullet journaling is a great hobby in and of itself, but they also create the space for you to document and follow your own creative spark.
If you want to understand why your creativity matters:
Creativity, Lost and Found: My Story (and Signs it’s Time to Reconnect With Yours)
A personal reflection exploring how we unintentionally disconnect from our creativity, what happens when we do, and some tips on how to start embracing your creativity again.
Pent-Up Creative Energy (Living With the Inner Border Collie)
For when you feel that creative itch. This is a personal reflection and perhaps a case study on what happens when you try to ignore your creative voice, featuring one of my favourite metaphors from Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic.
The Reciprocal Relationship Between Creativity and Career
This post affirms that both creativity and career matter, and they aren’t mutually exclusive. One can benefit each other. So whether you’re at work or at play, you can comfortably drop the guilt.
Ready for your next creative chapter?
The most important takeaway: we are all creative, and our creativity deserves time and space in our lives. So whether it’s in your calendar, your physical workspace, or your values, be sure to give your creativity the space it deserves. Try the new thing. Block of the lunch hour. Give yourself permission to be a beginner.
And don’t underestimate the power of creative self-expression!
What’s next?
Browse more from this chapter here: Make Space to Create Archives
If you’d like to make a little space for creativity in your inbox, I write a monthly letter with personal creative updates, journal prompts, and the latest from the blog. Feel free to check it out, and stay connected!
You might also like to visit another chapter in the creative reclamation story arc:
Reclaim Your Energy – to feel grounded, rested, and human again.
Reconnect with Yourself – to find clarity, direction, and alignment.
The Creative Practice – to stay connected to your creativity.
