Spring is knocking, and it's time to shake off those annoying winter cobwebs!
If you've been stuck in a creative rut, you're not alone...
Spring is like turning up the volume on life's soundtrack, like an artist throwing open the studio windows, like hope putting on its dancing shoes...
We can use this burst of energy to help us get back into that creative groove... here's 5 ideas for you:
1. Nature Journaling:
Forget your boring indoor desk. We're taking this OUTSIDE.
Outdoor Location Ideas:
- A park that looks like a Bob Ross painting
- That weird corner of your backyard with the funky flowers
- Literally anywhere with sunshine and zero indoor vibes
Tap into your Senses while you're at it:
- Close your eyes and create a mental soundtrack of the environment
- Create a color palette from found objects
- Write a poem inspired by the first three things you notice
- Collect natural scents that remind you of specific memories or emotions
Grab a journal. Bring some colors. And just take in everything around you. Sketching skills? OPTIONAL. Enthusiasm? MANDATORY.
2. Color Challenge
Spring colors are NOT messing around. When the flowers start blooming, the sun starts shining longer, the vibes go up a notch or two. Some of my favorites include: Green so vibrant it makes spinach look like a faded photograph. Pinks so electric they'd make a neon sign look pastel. Blues so intense the sky looks like it just got a professional color treatment
Your Challenge: Use these colors (or ANY of your favorite colors) in something. ANYTHING. Paint a rock. Design a weird poster. Create a color palette in Procreate that makes you smile. Get inspired by these amazing colors around you.
3. Creative Spring Cleaning
(AKA Operation: CHAOS TO CREATIVITY)
This has been on my to-do list for quite some time. My office is disaster and that's no way to create. You want a space that feels like you, is easy to just sit and get creating, and where everything has it's place.
Start here:
- Clear out that drawer of half-started projects - find it a new place to come back to it, or get rid of it if it's not serving you anymore.
- Organize your creative tools like you're prepping for a mission - if you're constantly searching for the tools, you are wasting your precious creative time!
- Create a workspace that screams "CREATIVITY HAPPENS HERE" (maybe handletter this sign and put it on your desk) This is a personal preference. Your workspace should make you feel joy and want to create!
Pro Tip: If it doesn't spark joy, THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW. (Okay, maybe use the trash can. But dramatically.)
Spontaneous Art In Everyday Places
Creativity doesn't wait for perfect conditions. It doesn't ask permission. It bursts through the ordinary, turning mundane moments into magic. Your world is a canvas, and spontaneity is your paintbrush.
Spontaneous Art Ideas:
- Sidewalk Chalk - Lettering, Sketching, whatever floats your boat...it will wash right off!
- Shadow Play Sculptures - Use your body, found objects, and sunlight to create temporary art through shadows
- Leaf and Stone Arrangements - Design quick, beautiful patterns using natural materials in parks or urban spaces (Mandala-like circles of leaves, Balanced stone towers, Geometric patterns on park benches)
- Water Surface Art - Create temporary designs on hot concrete or steamy windows
The most beautiful art happens in the spaces between what you planned and what you discovered.
5. Grow a Creative Project
Think of your creative project like a plant. Feed it. Water it. Talk to it...
- Junk Drawing Art - Create art using only materials found in your junk drawer (if you've cleaned and organized and still have a bunch of random things...put them to good use!
- Ridiculous Daily Thoughts - Create a visual journal of your most ridiculous daily thoughts - add sketches, doodles, cut out magazines, write down quotes from your friends...do it for a week, a month, maybe a year?
- Time Capsules - Start a time capsule project documenting your current obsessions and dreams - you're never too old to make a time capsule. Time is always slipping away, so start a passion project of your current favorite things.
Pro Tip: The weirder it feels, the more likely you're onto something truly original. Your future self isn't looking for perfect—they're looking for INTERESTING.
We've journeyed through five explosive ways to unleash your creativity this spring – from nature journaling to spontaneous art, from color challenges to creative projects. But here's the real truth: creativity isn't something you wait for. It's something you DO.
Spring isn't just a season. It's a state of mind.
Each of these approaches – the nature journal, the color challenge, creative spring cleaning, spontaneous art, and your passion projects – is more than just an activity. They're invitations. Invitations to look at the world differently. To see potential where others see ordinary. To transform the mundane into the magical.
The world doesn't need another perfect artist. The world needs YOU. The one that's messy, spontaneous, a little bit weird, and completely, gloriously YOU.
Pro Tip: Creativity isn't about the end result. It's about the joy of making, exploring, and becoming.
Your Mission (Should You Choose to Accept It)
- Pick ONE of these approaches
- Commit to it for a week
- See what magic unfolds
- Repeat. Remix. Reinvent.
Remember: Every masterpiece starts with a single, brave, slightly crazy moment of creation.
If you're looking for more, check out my Creative Catalyst Toolkit full on monthly inspiration for creatives. Here's what you'll get: A curated color palette for each month - the hex codes and a ready to import into Procreate Palette for my Procreate friends! Carefully sourced reference images that capture the essence of the monthly theme, textures and subjects to add depth and intrigue to your work, thought-provoking words and uplifting affirmations to infuse meaning into your creations, and an inspiring quote to kindle your artistic spirit.
Create Often + Spread Love
xo, mb