10 creative activities to do at home

When it comes to creativity, sometimes the little things can provide the biggest sparks of inspiration. If you’re looking for creative activities to do at home, try some of these ideas and examples for building creative time into each day. With a little practice, these creative exercises might even lead to an exciting new project.

1. Take a daily photo (hint: try something new)

Even if you take a lot of photos, this can be a great creative challenge that can be done at home. This creative idea requires little effort. Try a new subject matter each day to mix up your habits. Instead of selfies, focus on inanimate objects or colors. If you always photograph flashy subjects, find something ordinary and capture the details. Look a little harder at everything around you. Food, furniture, and pets. Colors, textures, and patterns of light. It’s about retraining the eye.

Make a photo book on your phone 

2. Collect inspirational quotes

We process a lot of information each day, so it’s easy to miss some pretty wonderful things being said. For this creative activity, write down inspiring quotes or phrases when you come across them.

Read biographies and interviews featuring artists and creative thinkers you admire. If your eyes need a break, tune into your playlist and listen to song lyrics until something catches your attention, then make a note. Return to this collection of quotes anytime you need a creative boost.

Find more journal ideas

3. Take coloring breaks

Yes, coloring books for adults are real, and they are a wonderful creative activity. This allows you to take a break from your workday while immersing yourself in a playful visual exercise. Color inside (or outside!) the lines as you please, or add on to the designs. Just let yourself get lost in a magical world of shapes and colors.

Here’s one of our favorites in the Blurb Bookstore.

State Flowers of America Coloring Book by Sylvie Lee

Coloring book

4. Create pet portraits

You’ve probably already got a head start on this one—who can resist pet portraits, right? Training your lens on your favorite animals for a few minutes is a creative activity that can make any day more enjoyable. Plus, you can practice your photo skills. Zoom in on the whiskers, ears, eyes, or tail. Use different compositions and backgrounds. Try capturing animals in motion. Soon you’ll have enough portraits to fill a photo flipbook!

Get ideas for a pet book

5. Do a mini drawing session

Drawing can be a great creative activity to do at home, which can also have therapeutic benefits. Set aside a bit of time (even 10 minutes) to draw. You can work from a photo, or something in front of you, or your imagination. Try colored pencils one day, then ink or charcoal the next, or stick to the art medium you love most. The trick is to start small (so you can finish), keep it simple (one animal, one face, or one leaf), and make it a habit. Every doodle counts!

Learn how to make a comic book

Try sketching and drawing

6. Start a recipe journal

Food is a big part of the day—and it can fill us with comfort, joy, energy, creativity, or nostalgia. If you’re looking for a food-related creative idea, a recipe journal can be a fun way to record your favorite meals, family recipes, special ingredients, or new culinary ideas. You may have enough to create a custom cookbook. Fill it with notes or sketches just for you, or print a special version to share with friends and family.

➡ Design your own cookbook

7. Try free writing

Writing doesn’t have to be a big deal. It’s a creative activity that can be both simple and rewarding. All it takes is one word, and you’ve started! Try 10 minutes of free writing to loosen up (write down your first thought, then keep writing without stopping, editing, or trying to “make sense” of it or plan a story). Start a new page for each session, and don’t read the previous pages until the next day (or week). Over time, you’ll discover recurring themes or patterns that you may develop into a larger poem, story, or book!

➡ Get tips on writing a poetry book

8. Start a creative collaboration

Here’s a creative example of a fun activity you can do with others. Send an image to a friend or family member to start a creative exchange, and invite them to send one back that relates. You can choose a theme together (like places, colors, moods, animals, activities, foods, or favorite things), and in a few weeks, you’ll have enough memories for a collective photo book. Keep it funny and sweet, or go for a truly artistic vibe—whatever inspires you.

Make a best friends photo book

Take a photo a day

9. Read one poem or one paragraph (slowly)

Sounds too simple? That’s because it’s the opposite of what we’re trained to do most of the time (do more, do it faster). This creative exercise is all about the power of slowing down. Poets and writers know all about it. Read each line carefully, and give yourself time to enjoy the imagery, metaphors, and rhythm of the language. For extra creative points, pull a random book off your shelf and open it to any page. Begin reading!

10. Focus on nature

You don’t have to go far to find signs of nature. Staring out the window at the sky, clouds, trees, or passing birds can be so relaxing it actually makes room for creative thoughts to flow in (just ask any daydreamer). Better yet, step outside, even if it’s just in the backyard, and really study the leaves, raindrops, or an intricate new spiderweb. Spend a few minutes admiring natural wonders, and before you know it, you’ll be ready to jot down an idea, start a new drawing, or take a photo (see exercises 1 through 10).

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Looking for more visual inspiration? Explore the Blurb Bookstore to see how writers, artists, photographers, and designers put their creativity into print.

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