10 Creative Exercises To Do In The Margins
Many of us spend our time creating in the margins—during nap times, after the kids are in bed, or jotting down notes on our phones while nursing. Even with older kids who may be in school during the day, other work, deadlines, chores, or a million other things take up our time and often our creative space.
But what I’ve learned over the years is that those tiny moments spent working my creative muscles add up. When I’ve been typing a few lines here and there, then I’m much more prepared and motivated to eventually make those lines into a full blog post or essay. On the other hand, when I’ve let my creative muscles atrophy, it’s so much harder for me to push through and do the work even if I have the time and space to create.
So whatever season of life you find yourself in, here are 10 quick exercises you can do to flex your creative muscles. Each one is meant to only take 10-20 minutes. They’re meant to be done in the margins, so don’t spend time overthinking them or demanding perfection of yourself. Think of them like a 15-minute workout. A bunch of 15-minute workouts on a regular basis add up, and then it’s so much easier to do a 30-minute workout when you can. Hopefully these help you gain a little strength and momentum to keep creating.
Write a haiku (a 3-line poem with a 5-7-5 syllable structure) about your day so far today.
What’s your current favorite song (one with lyrics)? Write another verse to that song.
Grab a piece of paper and whatever you have on hand to draw with. Draw a sketch of something you can see right now (your kids, the food on your table, etc.).
Take your phone and snap 8-10 photos of whatever you’re doing throughout the day. Assign a theme to this if you like, or have it be simply “A Day in the Life” photo journal. If you want, use an app like Snapseed, VSCO, or Lightroom to edit a few of them.
Grab a coloring page and color it (maybe while your kids work on their own!).
Put together a cheese/charcuterie/brunch/snack/or some kind of board using whatever you have on hand. This could be a meat and cheese board for yourself, snack dinner for the kiddos, or whatever else you like! Get creative with the way you lay out the items and the combinations of flavors you use. If you’ve got a few extra minutes, snap an overhead photo of your work.
Answer the following writing prompt (or some version of it). Don’t overthink it. Just write whatever thoughts come to mind. Before becoming a mom, I expected _____________, but instead _______________.
Take a walk outside—in a park, your backyard, your garden, etc—and gather a few items to decorate with. Maybe you simply cut a few flowers and put them in a vase. Maybe you create a foraged table setting. Or maybe you gather sticks and leaves to create fall decor for your mantle or table.
Write a letter to a friend, family member, or even a stranger. Maybe you stick it in a card or simply write on plain paper. But practice the lost art of letter writing, and send it to that person.
Spend 10-15 minutes doing something you love but never get to do. Maybe it’s playing the piano. Maybe it’s singing or writing or taking photographs. Pick up something for just a few minutes that you’ve set aside lately. You may find 10 minutes is just enough to give you the momentum to keep going.
BONUS: Sit in silence for 10 minutes. This might sound odd (and you may not be able to do it until all the kids are asleep), but try to be quiet for 10 minutes without distraction. Don’t pick up your phone, don’t listen to music, don’t do anything other than sit with the thoughts in your head. It may feel totally uncomfortable. But you may be surprised what silence does for your creative life, especially if you do this exercise on a regular basis.
Did you do one of these exercises? We’d love to hear about it! Share on Instagram and tag @exhale.creativity, or post on our Facebook group’s Friday Share Thread!
