FCP S2E8 - Can Being Creative and Playful Make us Happier?

What does creativity mean to you and do you practice it outside of work? Work can take up such a big part of our day and become a huge part of our identity which can create an issue.

It's easy to become obsessed with earning the most money and becoming the best team member that you forget about having hobbies that you love and embracing your creative and playful side.

This week on the podcast, we're discussing how you can give yourself more permission to be creative and go after fun things that have nothing to do with work or being the best. But first, here are a few things you should know about creativity.

Being Creative Can Actually Make You Better At Your Job

Saving all your creativity and energy for the job can actually turn out to be a bad move. Ever had a 'creative block'? That's probably because you've been overworking yourself and forces creativity into your job to achieve certain results instead of taking the time to experience it first hand and pull from personal experiences.

Having a creative outlet and a hobby that excites you and allows you to relate, explore, and create can be very good for your wellbeing and mental health.

Creativity allows you to express yourself and learn more about yourself. Whether you like to paint, draw, make crafts, sew, fix things, etc. these creative tasks can add to your identity outside of the workplace and even improve your overall mood.

Creativity Can Be Freeing

I know we just listed a few creative activity in the previous point, but creativity doesn't look the same for each person. What seems creative and fun to you probably won't look exactly the same for the next person.

The cool thing about letting go and embracing creative and playful activities and hobbies and that there is a broad range of options you can explore. There's no right or wrong solution which can make being creative feel pretty freeing.

Creativity allows you to escape limitations and the boring status quo.

8 Easy Ways to Embrace Creativity

While creativity can mean anything for you, we've included just a few easy ideas of ways you can start being more creative in your everyday life just to get your wheels turning.

By no means do you have to limit yourself to these ideas. In fact, we'd love if you could respond in the comment section with some of your favorite hobbies and ways to feel creative after listening to our episode and takeaways.

Write in a journal. Start your memoirs. Capture the most amazing parts of the entire year. Make a small token gift for someone. The next time a birthday or holiday rolls around, consider making something small and special for someone in your life as opposed to going to the store and picking up a generic gift. Use an adult coloring book. This can be a fun and relaxing way to relieve stress as well. Do a DIY project in your home. Don't take on anything stressful, but if DIY projects excite you, feel free to add your own creative spin on the finished product. Try a different type of art. Try your hand at painting on a canvas or creating pottery. Mend your own clothes. Challenge yourself to learn something new. This will help you save money too no doubt. Work on improving the visual appearance of your food. If you love to bake, you can try decorating a cake or improving the presentation of the meals you prepare. Some food looks too good to eat but culinary art is just another way to embrace your creativity. Create something meaningful. If you've ever wanted to write a book or create a gadget that will make your life easier, stop hesitating and start taking action. Don't let money or recognition motivate your efforts. Instead, let your creativity drive and motivate you throughout the entire process. In this episode we discuss: 2:30 - How have you tried to embrace creativity? 3:42 - What does it mean to be creative as an adult? 10:15 - Kayla's childhood belief - "No such thing as an imagination!" 12:00 - How do you make time for embracing creativity? 19:20 - Using TV as a cop out or time filler instead of something creative 22:50 - Creativity doesn't blossom in boundaries 27:10 - The importance of finding clients or employers that allow embracing creativity in the workplace 29:10 - Letting fear hold you back from embracing creativity