100 Easy And Fun Ways To Be More Creative

#74 — Be As Lazy As Possible

Being creative is not some inborn trait. It can be practiced and grown beyond what you can currently imagine.

If you create for money, it can be all too easy to forget exactly what you started doing all this for.

Doing creative things — besides the thing you hope to monetize — is the perfect way to reconnect with your child-like sense of creativity.

Doing things that you don’t feel pressure to be good at remind you that your best work will come from a place of surrender and play, rather than force.

Here are 100 ways to connect to that more joyful creativity, and to re-invigorate that money-maker. Take what inspires you and leave the rest!

1. Write Every Day

If your chosen form of creativity is writing, there’s just no getting around this one. In my opinion, you gotta sit down and write every day. Make it fun, easy, and breezy as possible. If you’re not having fun writing it, we’re not having fun reading it!

2. Learn to Touch-type

I’m biased here, but this skill is changing the whole game for me. I used to type with about 6 total fingers, with a pretty good idea of where each key was. I could type kinda without looking, and I made a lot of mistakes. Touch-typing has lifted me to a whole new level. Not only mechanically, but also creatively. Not needing to think as much as I type, the ideas can flow much more freely. I can even close my eyes while I type to think more deeply. I dig it.

3. Take Walks

I don’t know how many times I need to learn the lesson that I can’t think my way out of a funk. I gotta move my body. And it doesn’t have to be anything crazy; just walk around the block with my dog. If I’m paying attention, I can feel my gloomy mood dissolve away with each step.

4. Take an Online Improv Class

I would just say to take an improv class, but considering the times… However! This is an amazing opportunity for those of you who don’t live in a big city like Los Angeles. Because of the pandemic, a lot of the classes from the best improv schools in the world are offering online classes. My favorite is The Groundlings. Improv is not just about being funny. It’s lessons on presence, how to be a good person, and how to connect to creativity in the moment. Nothing has changed my life more than learning to do improv.

5. Journal

Write down your thoughts. They are so much more manageable and less threatening on the page. It doesn’t have to be up to Medium standards! Morning pages is a great place to start.

6. Meditate

This is easy to overcomplicate. Just sit quietly and pay attention to the breath for 20 minutes a day. While doing it, it shouldn’t feel like much, especially at first. The real juice is how you feel after.

7. Sing

I can’t sing very well, but I do it anyway. In fact, I’m recording an album of very stupid songs, and I’m learning to love and understand the unique way I sing. Most pop-singers can’t sing “well” in the traditional sense. It’s all about confidence. What a great lesson for creativity!

8. Do Intermittent Fasting

I don’t eat until late afternoon on most days, and I find that I am most clear and productive before I eat. I even avoid eating if I am working on something because I know it will slow me down. The science seems to bear this out; however, it doesn’t seem to be for everyone. Listen to your body!

9. Listen to Podcasts of Creatives You Like

Who inspires you? They probably have a podcast interview. Just search their name on a podcast app. I suggest Hugh Jackman.

10. Make Characters and Act Like Them

Character acting is a weird thing. It can be so incredibly difficult, and then suddenly not. Try acting like someone you knew in childhood. What is their point of view? What makes them tick? Sometimes you can’t even describe it in words. That’s part of the magic. I find that I even learn things about myself when I really figure out how to become a character.

11. Act Totally Unlike Yourself For a Day

Speaking of characters: if you can settle into one, try it for a whole day. See if people buy it, or if they look at you weird. Learn something about yourself. Why do you act the way you normally do? Is that a character? Are there things about that character you don’t like? Could you change them? Does social pressure to act like “yourself” make that hard? How could you overcome that?

12. Embarrass Yourself

We walk on such eggshells in life, terrified of embarrassing ourselves. What if it didn’t matter at all? That’s the beauty of comedy. You humiliate yourself and see that no one really cares. You’re still alive. Life isn’t so serious.

13. Read Philosophy

There is some fascinating shit to read out there and I don’t read it! Why? Because I don’t want to be made to feel stupid. How crazy is that? Read something that makes you feel stupid. Realize that in one way or another, we are all stupid. We ain’t philosophers! Right now I’m reading The Origin And History Of Consciousness by Erich Neumann

14. Follow an Obsession

Sometimes when we get really interested in something, we have a tendency to pull back because we don’t want it to be our whole identity. You know what? So what. Let things take you over. They will pass and you will be better for having really dived in. Right now I’m obsessed with mythology and I don’t care if that makes me the “Myth” guy for a little while! My friend is really into chakras and that sort of thing, and we agreed that he should go all in. Life isn’t a contest to see who has the most rational interests!

15. Make Music

I can’t sing or play any instruments, but I have been making little songs. I only have to make sure they delight me, and I don’t worry about the rules. Music is such a wonderful part of life, and it is silly that we don’t allow ourselves to make it just because we think we’re not “good” at it. What the hell does it mean to be good at music?? I’m not trying to be Mozart, I just want to make a funny song about Geese.

16. Do Something You’re Bad At

See: above. If the thing you’re not good at is music, do that! If it’s yoga, do that! It’s so good to practice being a beginner and make sure we always have a child-like sense of play.

17. Take Yourself Very Seriously

On the other hand, wouldn’t it be hilarious to be very serious about everything? Sometimes the best way to break a negative pattern is to take it to its extreme. Go a day without laughing and trying to “be the best.” Notice how it makes you feel.

18. Be The Person You’re Afraid To Be

Are you afraid that you’re too loud? Too feminine? Too aggressive? Lean in. What would it be like if you didn’t hold back at all? Be interested, instead of judging. What happens?

19. Talk to Homeless People

Why are homeless people homeless? What did they do to get there? Ask them. See what their life is like. Don’t be reckless! Make sure you’re safe. In fact, when this pandemic is all over, try a shelter.

20. Volunteer

You can volunteer at a homeless shelter (in the future). This is the best way to stop self-obsessing. Truly, there is nothing better than to serve. This is shown to be true in studies — not just a hollow truism. Learn what the lowest rung of society is like. Learn to be grateful.

21. Cook

Ask your mom for family recipes. My mom is Cajun french, and I learned how to cook Gumbo. Holy shit. Hit me up if you want the recipe. If not an option, look online! Cook for others. Cook for yourself.

22. Listen to Conservative Talk Radio

I imagine that most people reading this aren’t the sort of people to listen to conservative talk radio. Do it! Learn how half of the country thinks! Don’t be judgmental! Really try to understand. Have some humor. Make it a character study (see: 10 & 11).

23. Listen to Random Music

Shuffle all the music in the world. Spotify can set you up. What the hell is German Industrial music?

24. Ask Someone The 36 Questions to Fall in Love

These questions are not only for a date. They are also good for fostering friendships. Who said you can’t be in love with friends?

25. Stare Into Someone’s Eyes for 4 Minutes

Can you do it? Some people I know can’t stand the silence. Why not? If you’ve never tried it, it is way more intense than you think.

26. Get Plants

The color green is said to reduce stress. Personally, I like when my apartment feels a bit Jungle-y. Puts me in a creative mood.

27. Drive in a Random Direction And Don’t Come Back for Days

What else you got going on? Don’t make plans, just go. Be safe to not spread the virus. Here are some tips to road trip this summer.

28. Do a 12-Step Program

The 12 steps can benefit anyone. AA if you are trying to stop drinking. But there are plenty of other programs, too. SLAA, Al-Anon, and NA. Not only are these great, proven ways to get your life back together, they also help with the creative process. I was introduced by Russel Brand’s book, Recovery.

29. Paint

My friend taught himself to paint in quarantine. Now, he’s getting commissions to paint for his friends and family! The same with music, it’s not about being “good.” It’s about self-expression. Without any pressure to be good, it’s easy to stumble on something that’s better than you imagined.

30. Clean Your Room

Adult creativity needs order. Genius is the ability to foster and care for our inner child. Your home is a reflection of your inner state. Clean that shit up and watch yourself get inspired.

31. Text Everyone You Love

Are you waiting around feeling sorry for yourself that no one is reaching out to you? The world tends to withhold from you what you withhold from it. Let go of resentment and spread some love! This is sometimes a huge creative block for me, and I love to watch it open!

32. Apologize to Someone You Wronged

A big part of the AA process, I find that it is a wonderful way to clear mental blocks around creativity, too. It is hard to move forward with all that baggage.

33. Do an Ice Bath

Learn to face pain willingly, and suddenly life becomes easy. Avoid pain, and life is difficult. I think that’s Lao Tzu or something. Besides the metaphysical benefits, there are some promising health benefits as well. The science seems to point generally positive. Listen to the Ice-Man himself talk to Russel Brand.

34. Watch Something Epic and Turn Off Your Phone

Pop on Lord of The Rings and let it suck you in, no distractions. Doesn’t that sound awesome? Let yourself get inspired.

35. Watch a Reality Show with a Friend Over FaceTime

On the other end of the attention span, try reality TV with a loved one! Stuck in quaratine? Text a friend and start a stupid show and discuss it. I suggest Cheer on Netflix. Pay attention to the characters (see: 10&11).

36. Buy a Wig. Start Video Calls with It On

I have a stupid, long hair wig that I sometimes will just wear on video calls. Sure to inspire joy. Extra fun if people think it’s real.

37. Marie Kondo Your Shit

Get rid of almost everything. This is tough for some, but totally worth it, I’ve found. Only do if inspired to do so.

“Unless you are kicking yourself once a month for throwing something away, you are not throwing enough away.” — Amos Tversky

38. Buy an Insane New Wardrobe

Got rid of a bunch of old clothes? Go to a trift store and dress the way you want to dress. Stop hiding behind blue, grey, and black clothes and actually have some fun with it. Tan France from Queer Eye gives great tips and is a wonderful place to start.

39. Doodle Something Every Day

If you’re a writer, you try to write “good.” Doodling is another great way to remind us that good work tends to come from a relaxed place. Practice the Taoist art of not trying. Doodle while you think. Make a daily habit out of it.

Here’s one of mine; emphasis on not “good:”

40. Get Into Something You Don’t Really Believe In

My friend is really into chakras and crystals and stuff right now. Does he believe in it, really? Who fucking cares? Dive in and get lost in the weeds. Your rational mind will still be there when you return.

41. Write a Pilot and Submit to Contests

Do you watch TV? Well, then you can write it. It’s surprisingly easy (and paradoxically impossible, just like everything). There are contest that could win you awards and get it in the right hands. I suggest reading Dan Harmon’s writing advice. Particularly for TV.

42. Meditate on Your Death

Memento Mori. Remember that you will die. Are you waiting to start living? There is no time to wait. Make life happen.

43. Go to a Church, Temple, or Similar

Pick a religion and start going. There is a reason humans have always done this shit. Religious people gain all sorts of benefits. The cool thing is, you don’t have to literally believe any of it to gain the same benefits. Have a sabbath.

44. Take a Bunch of Mushrooms and Put on an Eye Mask and Headphones

Go deep. This changed my life forever. East Forest has a wonderful album for this exact thing called Music for Mushroom. I didn’t have a sitter, but it’s suggested. Warning: you could go to a mental hell, but it’s almost always for the best.

45. Email a Teacher You Loved

Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to hear from an old student that you helped in some way? Give someone that gift.

46. Apologize to Your Parents

Our parents fucked us up. They couldn’t help it, they were human. A wonderful way to forgive, stop feeling like a victim, and move on, is to think about how you contributed to the disfunction. After all, you only have control over you. Let them know that you are sorry. This is shockingly healing.

47. Put Your Feet in the Dirt

There is something magical about having bare feet in the dirt. Some people think it connects you to the magnetic cycles of the Earth or whatever. I just think it feels nice. I like to remind myself that I am not a delicate, packaged, relic. I am an ape. 🦧

48. Listen to Harry Potter Audiobooks

They are a true gift. Jim Dale is such a wonderful reader. Transport yourself back to a magical world. Bonus points if nostalgic. Bonus points if it’s the first time, too. I would love to read it for the first time.

49. Drive to the Coast

Landlocked? Go on a roadtrip. There is something so wonderful about driving. There is only one goal. Get to the destination. Only time to think.

50. Do a DNA Test and Research Family History

My dad sent me one of those kits for Christmas one year. I found out that I’m half Cajun French. I discovered all sorts of things about where I came from. Strangely, I learned about myself, here and now. I was later inspired to write about my home town.

51. Study Your Least Favorite Topic

I have no interest in history. Listening to a history podcast opens up my world! Dan Carlin lays it out in a way I can finally get why people are into it.

52. Do an Online Date

No other way to date these days! Give it a go and don’t take yourself too seriously. I have done a handful of FaceTime dates, and I feel like I learn a bit more about myself each time. No spouse so far, but plenty to write about.

53. Make Yourself Cry

What makes you cry? Do you avoid it? Take some time to dive into the saddest feeling you can muster. Notice how you feel after. Sometimes I just break into tears when I feel like mourning the past. It is gone forever, after all. It doesn’t mean we wallow!

54. Secretly Wish Everyone Well That Crosses Your Path for an Entire Day

Walking down the sidewalk, look at each person and deeply and truly wish them well. Try this for an entire day. Notice how you tend to feel about others. Notice how it might change. Let others inspire you. You’re not alone out here!

55. Look at Bugs

Get down in the grass and dirt. Dang! There’s a whole secret world down there! Ants are crazy.

56. Be Impulsive

Follow your instincts. Don’t listen to the “been there, done that” voice for a whole day. Where would you go?

57. Build a Computer

Are you into video games? There is nothing more wonderful and meditative than actually building a PC to play them. Terry Crews famously did this with his son, with adorable results.

58. Commission a Painting

My friend is an artist, and I asked him to paint me a giant painting of an Elk. What could be better than art with personal meaning? I am happy to pay him a fair price (still lower than I would pay for a stranger’s art, with which I had no connection).

59. Buy Something Unique from a Craftsperson on Etsy

My mom makes quilts and stuff on Etsy. Isn’t that the cutest? Why buy some mass-produced thing when you could have something made with love?

60. Have an Existential Crisis

What is the meaning of life? Are we doomed to suffer and finally die alone? I don’t know! It’s good to not stuff these feelings down, though. Don’t worry, they will eventually go away once you allow them to sit with you. Tell negative feelings, “show me how big you are.” Enjoy the results.

61. Write Your Next Stand-up Routine

When the pandemic is over, we will all finally do some stand-up. Even if it never happens, it’s fun to think of jokes and write them down. It works especially well if you really imagine yourself telling them!

62. Donate Money

Research a cause that means something to you. Give consciously. Effective Altruism is my favorite. They use science and reason to find the best possible way for your money to reduce suffering in the world. Neat!

63. Pet a Cat on the Street

We get into a big hurry over nothing. Never miss the opportunity to pet a cat you encounter on the street.

64. Get Conversational in a Language as Fast as You Can

Nathaniel Drew did this in 1 week. The way we were taught to learn languages in school was terrible. It’s not about learning every word! It’s about connection! Set a goal, set up a call, and try to get conversational.

65. Ask 10 People You Don’t Speak to Anymore to do a Zoom Call

Old friends. Reach out to them. Get them all in one place again! They will be glad that you were the one to initiate.

66. Go Home

Are you stuck somewhere, unemployed? Consider making a treck home.

“If you think you are so enlightened, go and spend a week with your parents.”~ Ram Dass

67. Sprint

I sometimes want to run as fast as I can, but I worry what people will think. Who cares? It feels good to release.

68. Take Yourself on an Artist’s Date

In the Arist’s Way by Julia Cameron, she advises to go on an artist’s date once a week. Go out and do something frivolous and spotanious, and watch the creativity increase.

69. Learn to Do an Accent and Try it on Service People

Watch YouTube videos and learn to get an accent down. Record yourself. Practice on people in the world. Do not be a dick. Try to actually see if you can pass. See if people ask where you’re from!

70. Ask Someone Out

See someone you like? Ask them out. Rejection is such a big fear, but it doesn’t mean you aren’t worthy. It just means that person isn’t right for you! Learn to feel the same way about creativity!

71. Watch Black and White Movies

I’m always shocked how good these movies can be. If you’re like me, you have a modernity bias. But, old movies can reveal so much. They show how people thought back then, and, more importantly, they show how we are still the same.

72. Learn to Do an Impression

I’m terrible at these, but they are fun to try! Watch videos of a celebrity and do an impression. Often, good impressions aren’t about sounding like someone, but rather finding a version of their essence. Dana Carvey is great at this.

73. Email Your Heroes

They likely won’t answer. Whatever, they’re probably busy doing astronaut stuff.

74. Be as Lazy as Possible

Don’t fight it! See how lazy you can possibly be in a day. Realize that this does not define you. Think of life as an experiment.

75. Be as Productive as Possible

How much can a human being possibly do in a day? You know, just on a lark.

76. Give up Porn for a Month

They say creativy and sexuality are linked. Some even think that you get more creative if you, uh, withhold. I will withhold my opinion.

77. Learn to Dance Via YouTube

I always wish I could be a better dancer. Well, it’s not like I have to leave it up to chance. I can learn to dance so I can kill it at my first post-pandemic wedding.

78. Do Crude Stop-motion Animation

I used to make little movies with Pivot all the time. God, the time I should have been studying…

79. Watch Old Homestar Runner Videos

Speaking of school, I was also really into Homestar Runner back then. Do you remember these? It’s good to go back to the things that inspired us to be the people we are today.

80. Make a Podcast

As Seth Godin asks, why don’t you already have 100 episodes? If you’re blogging, you might as well.

81. Drop an Album

My next album, Stupid Animal Songs, will be dropping soon. Keep an eye out for that. Remember, the purpose of making things is to delight, not to do what we think others will like.

82. Give Excellent Compliments

Are you a master of giving compliments? If not, why not work on that? It’s so easy to focus on ourselves and polish our own pain, we sometimes forget that the best way out of our heads, is to make other people happy.

83. No News for a Month

In fact, try ever. The news is an outrage machine. It is in no way “informative.” If you are stressed and uncreative, this is a good place to start. In fact, I am going to recommit myself to this now.

84. Turn Your Phone Black and White

These phones are designed to make us addicted to them. Not in small part because of the way they use colors to prey on evolutionary queues. Turning the phone to black and white solves this more than you might think. Notice how much more quickly you get bored with the thing.

85. Stop Lying for a Month

It’s not always easy to know what’s a lie, but it is true that lies make us weak. Self-esteem is the reputation you have with yourself, and you always know. See what it feels like to be radically honest for a month. Are white lies really worth it?

86. Go Camping Alone

This terrifies me. However, it can be so good to get that level of peace and quiet.

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room [tent] alone.” — Pascal

87. Go Vegan

I’ve been vegan for years. The health impact alone has been worth it. I never crave meat anymore. Try it for a new perspective!

88. If You’re Already Vegan, Eat Meat

That being said, it ain’t a cult! If you’ve been vegan for a long time, prove to yourself that you are still you, even if you eat meat.

89. Bake Something for a Friend

Baking is a fun way to pass the time, and baking for others is the best way to share some old-fashioned warmth.

90. Mail People Hand-Written Letters

How would you feel if someone mailed you a personal, hand-written note? Make that feeling for someone!

91. Have a God Jar

Put a jar on your desk. Any time you feel yourself worrying about something you can’t control, write it down, and put it in the God Jar. It is no longer in your hands. You don’t have to believe in God for the jar to work.

92. Pray

Speaking of not believing and doing anyway, praying is another great place for this! When we have a problem in life, if we sit down and really ask what we need to do, we will get answers. Where does that come from? God? The Unconscious mind? Who cares! It works.

93. Make Cookies the Way Your Mom Did

Bring yourself back to those halceyon days. Even if she just did Pilsbury, go pick up a can! The nostalgia alone! I mean…

94. Do Everything Wrong

In improv, a great exercise is the “bad improv” exercise. You simply intentionally do bad improv. It is such a good way to get out of your head. Works in life, too!

95. Write Your Autobiography

What were the eras in your life? Break it down into 6. What did you learn from each? Are you still stuck in any of them in any way? Simply writing about them is a great way to get unstuck.

96. Ask Your Older Family Members About the Way Stuff Was

Sometimes we only wish we had done this once it’s too late. Ask now! Write it down!

97. Talk About Politics with the Goal to Make the Other Person Feel Smart

Politics too often is a contest to make the other person feel dumb. What if you did the opposite?

98. Have a Deep Conversation

Don’t be afraid to go deep! These heart-to-hearts are often the best talks of our lives. If you’re the brave one to initiate it, people will thank you and feel close to you.

99. Take a Personality Test

The Big 5 Personality test is the most agreed upon in terms of accuracy and usefulness. What do your results say about you? I, for example, am very high in both openness and conscientiousness. People like me tend to have a lot of internal conflict. Good to know!

100. Put Faces on Stuff

We have too much disposable stuff in our lives. What if we took things that we never think about and put a face on it? Inbue it with a soul. Would we feel differently about what we throw away? Would we value the things in our lives a little more? My artist friend does just this.

Thanks for reading! I hope your day is filled with light and creativity!

Originally published at https://www.taylorforeman.com on July 28, 2020.