Start Now: run a tiny creative experiment
A guide to feeling more creative.
The key to feeling more creative is to create.
And you don’t need grand plans or a year off. You can start now, by running one small, fun, deliberate creative experiment.
If you’ve spent years being rewarded for being careful, critical and always right — this is how you dial down the temperature and take tiny but mighty steps in the direction of a more creative life.
Have a pen and paper handy to work through the prompts, or download the worksheet below.
Step 1: Pick something you’re interested in
You want your creative experiment to be curiosity-driven. So a great place to start is by exploring what you’re actually drawn to.
The things that spark your creativity will be unique to you. Art, music, science, sport, nature, philosophy, technology, history, craft. Creativity lives in all of it, so trust your instincts and let your mind go where it goes.
What did you love building, making or exploring as a kid? List ten things.
Now, what’s piqued your interest in the last year? List another ten things.
Pick one activity or idea to start with. I’m going to experiment with_______________.
Step 2: Make it as easy as possible
Your creative experiment should be super small and doable. Remember, tiny is mighty in this context. Aim for small actions you can take while you go about the business of life.
What are the simplest materials you’ll need? Pen and paper? Just your body? Scissors and glue?
Go gather those things, and keep them within easy reach.
What window of time will you use? Over coffee in the morning? On your commute? Lunchtime? Before bed?
Aim for 10 - 15 minutes. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be
Step 3: Lower the stakes
Nothing is riding on the outcome of your experiment. It’s all about the process. So relax, take the pressure off, and remember you’re doing this for fun.
If you miss a day or three, no stress. Just start again tomorrow. If something doesn’t turn out the way you planned, throw your hands up, laugh, tell a friend. Failure is great because it means you’re exploring an edge — and happy accidents are often where our best ideas are found.
How will you lower the stakes around your creative experiment?
What will you say to yourself, and do for yourself, when something doesn’t go to plan?
And that’s it
Run your first experiment for the next month and see what happens.
Check in with yourself each week: How are you feeling about your creative experiment? What are you noticing? Has anything surprised you?
Then come back to your list and use this exercise again on your next idea.
My creative experiments
Here are some of the creative experiments I’ve run for myself recently:
10 minutes of doodling in the morning over coffee, drawing only stars.
I took a local foraging workshop and turned my daily walks into adventures where I talk to plants.
One song. Non-stop interpretive dance. Go.
Writing one descriptive paragraph each day about the weather.