Reunite with Your Inner Artist
Three Small Strokes to Discover Creativity in Your Everyday!
“Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” — Pablo Picasso
Have you ever thought, “I’m just not creative?”
I certainly have, staring at a blank page feeling uninspired. Letting my inner monologue fill me with doubt and insecurity, I’d push it away for another day.
We all have an inner critic whispering we’re not enough, giving us self-doubt—stifling creativity.
Let’s take a fresh brush to a clean canvas together, making three small strokes to quiet the inner critic and reunite with our inner artist.
First Stroke: Finding Your Inner Artist Through a Child’s Eyes
Children freely express their imagination—blurring boundaries between play and the everyday. For them, sidewalks are blank canvases, and raindrops on windows are natural watercolors. Remember this playful mindset from your childhood?
Your inner artist is still there, waiting to be rediscovered.
As early childhood researcher Lev Vygotsky discussed, a child’s imagination and creativity emerge through play. Play is a creative act that lets them experience the world in new ways. The richer the experience, the more it fuels their creativity.¹
Recently, I watched the power of imaginative play, as my daughter Becca opened up a new unicorn tea set, dressed head to toe in a hand-crafted unicorn princess costume. Lifting the lid of the unicorn pail, her face lit up as if she had discovered a magical realm, not just plastic toys.
Mesmerized, she carefully unwrapped each teacup and saucer, and arranged them on her Minnie Mouse table, narrating an elaborate fantasy tea party.
In Becca’s eyes, these aren’t just playthings — they’re portals to an endless world of imagination and creativity. Unicorns can be real if you believe.
But here’s the kicker — aren’t we all like Becca in some way? As Vygotsky discussed, creativity arises anytime we produce something new.
“Creative acts could produce anything from physical objects to a music score to a new mental construct” (Penfold, 2019).¹
Sure, adult responsibilities may take priority, dulling that childlike wonder. But underneath it all, we are artists, problem-solvers, thinkers — creative beings! We just need to retune our minds to see ourselves in that way — the artist’s way.
You don’t need a literal canvas or stage to be creative; your life, environment, everyday moments, and routines are ripe with creative potential. Your life itself is your masterpiece.
Action Step 1: Spend 10 minutes outdoors appreciating nature mindfully with childlike wonder. Notice the details, textures, and colors. Allow your inner child to feel fascination and awe.
Cultivate a sense of play and imagination — a primer for a new mental construct.
Second Stroke: Unblocking Your Creative Flow with Morning Pages
Sometimes, we just need to wet the brush to get things moving. Try prompt-based morning pages to let your ideas swirl and take shape. Write nonstop without judging yourself; let your creative juices flow.
Self-doubt blocks creativity. Morning pages help give your artistic subconscious space.²
My morning pages, sometimes silly, sometimes serious, are a ramble of my innermost thoughts that often lead to profound insights. Like this one you are reading, these free-flowing themes become the raw material for poetry and essays.
Find a quiet moment and let your thoughts flow freely, whether on a journaling site like 750words.com, a Google Doc, or just a notebook and pen.
Try these prompts to get started:
- What’s a way you’ve infused your unique style into something recently?
- What inspires you most when you feel uncreative?
- What would you make if you had an hour to create whatever you want?
Action Step 2: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Write nonstop about your day without judging yourself. Let your ideas spill onto the page. The goal is uninhibited creative flow — no filters, no limits.
So far, we’ve primed our canvas by seeing life through a child’s eyes; we’ve wet the brush and moved some paint through morning pages. We are ready to paint our masterpiece — one everyday task at a time.
Third Stroke: Adding Personal Flair to Everyday Tasks
Life is never dull if you choose not to see it that way. Reimagine mundane tasks more creatively.
For example, I recently approached organizing my messy inbox as an artistic curation project. I crafted colorful category themes and organized each email with an artistic vision, like curating an art gallery.
I playfully grouped emails by color tones, capturing their essence. Chronicles of Higher Ed became vibrant green, while campus event invites evoked an earthy brown palette. With small creative touches, I brought my inbox to life. You can follow a how-to guide on color coding for inspiration.
Or get creative with meal prep — experiment with herbs and spices for a palette of flavors, garnish playfully, and use visually appealing dishes.
You’re crafting a unique experience, your signature style.
Action Step 3: Choose an everyday routine and reimagine it creatively. Try chatting with an AI assistant like Claude for fresh perspectives. Curate your inbox like a gallery. Craft a meal like an artist’s palette.
Bonus Stroke: Sketching Exploration
Not quite convinced yet? Let’s try a quick exercise.
Choose an ordinary object in your surroundings — a houseplant, a mug, or any everyday item. Let your creativity flow freely as you sketch or describe this object without overthinking.
As UX expert Jose Rojas describes, use sketching to capture the essence of an object through simple shapes rather than artistic perfection.³ Focus on conveying meaning through annotations.
Maybe you’ll notice intricate details you overlooked before. Use vivid metaphors to convey its essence or get playful by imagining its secret inner life. Scribble, doodle, brainstorm — the goal isn’t artistic mastery but rather the process of free, unfiltered expression.
Let this mini-creative exploration awaken your senses. See your surroundings in novel ways. Notice overlooked details and new facets. The most mundane items hold hidden depths when viewed through your artist’s eyes.
Bonus Action Step: Set a timer for 5 minutes. Choose an ordinary object in your surroundings — a houseplant, a mug, or any everyday item. Let your creativity flow freely as you sketch or describe this object without overthinking.
The Final Masterpiece: Uniquely Yours
We can silence our inner critic through small, daily strokes on life’s canvas and reunite with our creative spirit. Take a stroll outdoors with childlike wonder. Release your creativity through morning pages. Add personal flair to mundane tasks.
We brush away self-doubt with each stroke and rediscover our creative nature. Let everyday moments become your ultimate canvas.
Find the art in organizing your inbox, crafting a meal, or whatever routine activities make up your day.
A signature style, uniquely yours, awaits in seeing your everyday life through the eyes of your inner artist.
Like Picasso, in our opening photo caption, continue reimagining the familiar in new and imaginative ways. Ordinary tasks become works of art.
How will you add a touch of creative flair to your day? Share what you’re doing with your inner artist!
References
- Penfold, L. (2019, March 12). “Vygotsky on collective creativity.” Art. Play. Children. Learning. Accessed September 24, 2023. http://www.louisapenfold.com/collective-creativity-vygotsky/
- Cameron, J. (2023). “Morning pages.” The Artist’s Way. Accessed September 24, 2023. https://juliacameronlive.com/basic-tools/morning-pages/
- Rojas, J. (2021, March 25). “Sketch like a UX pro: Techniques to improve your skills.” Interaction Design Foundation. Accessed September 25, 2023. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/etch-a-sketch-how-to-use-sketching-in-user-experience-design
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