How to Plan the Perfect Creative Day (+40 Ideas)

September 9, 2016

creative day

Everyone can use a little boost to their creativity once in a while, especially when life leaves you feeling a little uninspired. Deadlines, work and family pressures can all creep in and make it more difficult to express yourself or feel creative. During these times, it’s important to take a personal timeout and recharge yourself. One way to do this is through a creative day.

A creative day is a no-pressure day to just do the things you love. It’s a day filled with things you really want to do, but never actually do because they get shuffled to the side in place of more demanding activities. The best part is, you don’t even need to actually “create” anything on a creative day. The day is about sparking your creativity and renewing your passions. If you’re feeling writer’s block, stuck in a rut or just need some extra inspiration, a creative day may be just what you need.

Convinced you need to do this? Well, here are some tips for planning your perfect creative day.

Start With A List
To get an idea of how to spend your creative day, it’s a good idea to make a list of all things you enjoy doing. When you are done with your list, take a minute and mark a star next to the things that really excite you. It may not be practical to do all the starred items on your list, so next you will want to circle the items that you want to do most on your creative day.

Plan the Day
Now that you have a list of activities or things you want to do, you can start planning your day. Determine what items you want to do in the morning, afternoon and evening. Treat this like you’re planning a vacation day. Give yourself an itinerary and even plan out your meals for the day to help keep everything running smoothly.

If you’re using your creative day to work on a special project, you will want to make sure you plan effectively for breaks. This typically works best if you work in sprints. Ideally, you would want to work on your project for 45 to 90 minutes and then plan something else to do for at least 20 minutes in between.

More Lists!
Once you know what your day will consist of, you should make a list of anything you need to actually do the activities. For instance, if you want to work on an art or craft project, do you have all the supplies you need? If you want to read for a few hours, do you have your book picked out? Want to create something genius in the kitchen? What ingredients do you need? Make sure that you have everything you need BEFORE your creative day to avoid unnecessary interruptions. Unless of course, shopping for these items is something you want to include as part of your creative day. 🙂

Schedule Your Day
You have everything set, now you just need to schedule your actual day. Make sure it’s a day that you can have the fewest outside interruptions as possible. You’ll want to let any loved ones know you will be taking a personal day as well. To help build excitement, you may even want to create a fun countdown to your day.

40 Ideas for Your Creative Day

If you’re stumped for ideas on how to spend your creative day, here are a few to help get you inspired.

  1. Yoga
  2. Nature hike or walk
  3. Photography hike or walk
  4. Take pictures of favorite places around town
  5. Go to your favorite coffee shop
  6. People watch
  7. Bird watch
  8. Visit a local museum
  9. Go to a craft or art supply store
  10. Visit a bookstore
  11. Take an art class
  12. Visit local flea markets or thrift shops
  13. Take a walking tour of your town
  14. Play tourist for the day
  15. Work on a bucket list
  16. Experiment with a new art medium
  17. Color in a coloring book
  18. Create a ridiculous, completely imaginary storyline
  19. Cook something you haven’t tried before
  20. Visit a new restaurant or an old favorite
  21. Try origami
  22. Go rock climbing
  23. Take a fitness class
  24. Watch the sunset/sunrise
  25. Write a poem
  26. Draw something you love
  27. Start an art journal
  28. Have a spa day at home or go to the spa
  29. Make something from Pinterest
  30. Draw a map of your city or neighborhood – include your favorite places
  31. Organize or declutter a room
  32. Karaoke
  33. Write letters to your friends and family
  34. Volunteer
  35. Outline a book idea
  36. Create an inspired workspace in your home
  37. Watch a favorite movie
  38. Plant something
  39. Go on a bike ride
  40. Try a new art technique

About Jennifer Good

Chief Inspiration Officer and Founder of Inspiration Insider. "You don’t need to wait to make a difference in your own life or the lives of others." - Anne Frank