9 creative hobbies you can do even if you’re not artistic

When most people hear the word ‘creative’ they think of art. So creative hobbies would then mean things like drawing or painting, which for a lot people, just isn’t in their wheelhouse.

But the great thing about creativity is that it can be expressed in so many ways that don’t have anything to do with being an artist.

Creativity is such an important thing to practice. It improves cognitive function, can boost mental health, decrease stress, and makes us better at problem solving.

And having creative hobbies is a great way to add that much-needed creativity to your life. It allows you to work that muscle in a low-stress environment.

So if you’re looking to add a little more creativity to your life but don’t consider yourself artistic, look no further. Here are 9 creative hobbies you can do even if you’re not artistic.

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Real quick: what you should know about creativity (and if you feel like you just aren’t creative)

Creativity is NOT some skill that some have and others don’t. Creativity is like a muscle. The more you work it, the stronger it gets, and the more creative you feel.

So if you’re feeling like you’re just not a creative person, don’t count yourself out yet. The best thing you can do is to start.

Practice creativity in little tidbits as much as you can, and you’ll start to see that the whole world around you will start to inspire you more and more each day.

1. Writing

If you’re not quite the ‘artistic’ type, but are looking for a way to express yourself, give writing a try!

There is no wrong or right way to write.

Whether you’re writing short stories, journaling your thoughts, writing poetry, or even starting a blog, there is so much creativity in writing. And, just like with other creative hobbies, the more you do this, the better you get.

If you want to start writing but aren’t sure where to being, there are two things I suggest:

First, you could simply get out a notebook or your laptop, set a timer (20-30 minutes is great), and just write. Doesn’t matter what you write about, just let your brain lead the way. Doing this often in the beginning is a great way to explore parts of your brain that don’t commonly get explored.

The second option is to go online and find some writing prompts for beginners. This allows you to explore a variety of topics and help you figure out what types of writing you enjoy doing.

There are even notebooks like this one, that give you writing prompts for each day.

2. Photography

Depending on who you ask, photography can technically be considered an artistic hobby, but I’ve still included it on this list because I think it’s in a different realm than other ‘artistic’ endeavors.

For most people, photography is something that can be easier to master than things like drawing or painting.

There are so many types of photography you can get into too. Find something you like to see pictures of, and try it out yourself!

And perhaps the best thing about photography is that because we live in such a technologically advanced time, starting photography doesn’t require you to go out and buy a camera and lenses and the whole kit and caboodle.

Newer phones have such good cameras that that’s really all you need.

A few years ago, I spent hundreds of dollars on a decent camera with the intentions of getting really good at photography. But now, my phone takes equally good, if not better, photos than that camera does.

So if you want to jump into photography, just grab your phone and start trying some things! I also recommend watching some beginner’s photography videos on YouTube that will teach you the basics of things like ISO, Aperature, and Shutterspeed!

3. Puzzles

Don’t think of puzzles as a creative hobby? Think again.

Puzzles work a part of our brains that doesn’t get worked by very many normal life tasks. Sitting down and doing a puzzle is so good for your mind.

And if you end up with a pretty picture at the end? Even better.

If you’re an avid puzzler and want to make things even more creative and challenging, here’s how:

• Edges last: start with the middle parts of the puzzle instead of the edges like most of us do!
• Mystery puzzle: Let someone pick you out a puzzle and dump all the pieces out for you. Then try to do it without ever looking at the picture.
• Upside down: This one is intense. Do the puzzle upside down without seeing the picture at all. You’re relying solely on things fitting together here.
• Time challenge: Challenge yourself with a time limit! Or even have a friendly competition with your spouse!

4. Event planning

One truly artistic area of life that most people forget about is the art of event planning.

This could be planning big events like birthday parties or weddings, to planning family cookouts or holiday dinners.

If planning events is fun to you, try to do it more! Who says Friday summer cookouts have to be the same every time? Find some ways to make it more fun!

Plan some games or bring out some décor or even set up a theme. Planning events is so fun!

Who knows, once people start seeing how well you plan your own events, they might start asking you to plan theirs too! 😊

5. Web development

Before I learned what web development actually was, I assumed it was something super hard that I would never be able to do.

But one day I got curious and decided to take a beginner’s web development bootcamp and I learned that not only was designing and creating websites easier than it looked, it was also super fun!

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to create websites, why not try it out? Once you learn the basics, it can be so fun to keep building on your knowledge and trying out new things!

Even if you don’t end up making any professional websites, having the know-how to make your own silly sites is so exciting.

Here’s the bootcamp I took and recommend if you’re interested!

6. Creating digital products using sites like Canva

I listed this one because it has been one of my favorite ways to practice creativity over the years.

I used to believe that I just didn’t have that creative gene, but when I learned about how creativity can be learned and developed and improved, creating digital content on Canva is where I started practicing.

A lot of people use Canva to create digital products that they’ll sell, which I talk about here in this blog post, but it’s also a great place to make things for your own life.

Phone backgrounds, business cards, wall art, t-shirt designs, graphics for social media, recipe cards, labels for cleaning bottles, party invitations, and literally so much more.

Canva is fairly easy to learn how to use too! One of my favorite things to do in the beginning was watch Canva tutorials on Pinterest and try to recreate them! I learned so much and my design skills have greeeaaatlly improved.

7. Cooking or baking

Believe it or not, cooking and baking are both creative hobbies. I mean after all, you are creating something.

In the beginning, it may just feel like following recipes and checking things off of a list. But as you learn more about food, it’s fun to start experimenting with recipes, trying new things, and really having fun with it!

I myself am a terrible cook, but a great baker. So find out if one of these appeals to you and go have some fun!

P.S. if you want to share your absolute favorite baked-goods recipe with me in the comments, I would NOT be mad.

8. Home DIYs are such a fun creative hobby

If you have a mind full of ideas for your home, why not try and DIY some of those ideas into reality?

Doing home projects, big or small, can be such a good way to practice some creativity AND make your home a happier place.

Whether you own or rent, there are projects that can be done! This can be a simple as painting a door or sewing curtains or as big as completely remodeling your kitchen.

Of course, leave any big tasks like electric work to professionals if you don’t have the know-how. But there are so many things around the house that can be learned from YouTube videos and online tutorials.

Plus, getting to add unique touches to your home makes it so much cozier. And you’ll feel so proud of your hard work- trust me.

9. Gardening & Landscaping

Gardening is the perfect hands-on creative hobby for those who want to use their minds and work that creativity muscle.

First of all, nature has HUGE benefits for our brains and can actually boost our creativity! Being able to take inspiration from nature is a great way to improve your creative abilities.

So pairing that with actually being out in nature and giving back to it is so special.

Here are a few ways you can practice creativity with gardening and landscaping:

• Improve the landscaping around your home with plants you love and that look good together. When we landscaped our house, I made it a goal to pick a variety of plants with different blooming times so that things stayed pretty and in bloom year-round.
• Make a vegetable garden with produce you love and set it up in a way that makes you happy. Raised beds, in-ground, container gardening, whatever you like! And you don’t have to make it all in a big rectangle, despite what you might think.
• Create a pollinator garden! Our planet needs all the pollinators it can get, so planting a garden for them is a great way to make your yard look pretty AND give back to the earth. No matter how big your yard is, and even if you don’t have a yard at all, you can make this work. Plant flower patches, fill pots with native flowers, or even go wild and dedicate most of your yard to being natural.
• Create a waterscape or other decorative feature. Whether it’s a pond or a small patio area, creating something fun like this can be a great way to practice creativity outside!

Which of these creative hobbies do you think you’ll try first?

What are some other ways you like to be creative? I’m always on the lookout for more creative hobbies to add to my life, so let me know down the comments!

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