4 Benefits of Exploring Other Creative Outlets
Are you the type of person to think that developing something outside of your chosen craft is a potential waste of time? “Why learn how to ski when I can spend that time learning how to paint better?”
Sometimes, it’s actually more beneficial to explore creative outlets rather than developing the main one you are currently trying to grow. You might ask me with skepticism: “How could taking a cooking class possibly actually improve my drawing skills?”
I’m here to tell you how it certainly can!
Finding a Mentor/ Teacher
I am going to take a sushi-making class on the weekend and I’m very much looking forward to it. I was contemplating against taking the class because I technically know how to make sushi rice, and I also know that making maki rolls often just takes practice. “Why don’t I just save the money and just do it myself?” was my train of thought. But I was pretty much missing the point. The point is to be an apprentice; by letting someone else with the experience show you what they’ve learned so you can fast-track yourself to creating something that can be a success because you have someone guiding you through each step. With someone there to show you, it takes the pressure off the potential to make a mistake for every step along the way. At least for me, that stops me worrying about messing stuff up! Plus a class can just be a lot of fun! Sometimes I can take what I’ve learned from this mentor to my personal work at home. By trying something new, I remember what it’s like to truly be a student and I go into it with the willingness to learn, not the expectation that something will be perfect.
Connections and Networking
Sometimes you never know who you might meet when you take the chance to explore something new. Maybe it might be someone whom you can learn something truly valuable from. There is a saying that goes: “Your vibe attracts your tribe.” Sometimes you just need to go out there and start to express your creative passions, and from there, you are able to attract the people who will help you on your creative journey. I’m really excited about the type of people I might get to meet at this class! At the very least, I know that my instructor is very passionate about healthy eating, and I am looking to have this passion rub off on me so I can better nourish my mind and body to benefit my energy and my craft.
Getting More Productive
What exploring other creative outlets does is it piques your curiosity. It gives you some time away to clear your mind and shift your focus onto something that really works on the inner you. When you do something that excites you, something within you wakes up, and you get driven. This is when the magic begins to happen. I notice that when I try something new or finally get around to doing something that I’ve always wanted to try, I’m buzzing for the next few days. I end up being more productive, engaging, and everything just ends up flowing much more easily! I stop getting stuck in my head because I realize how easy it is to connect and be in a state of creating.
A Balanced Perspective
Sometimes when we’re working towards a bigger goal, we forget to have fun and it can begin to suck the drive out of us. I know that when I find myself asking “why did I even start this?” it’s because I’ve lost touch with having fun with trying new things and lost touch with that fun feeling. I start to dread projects that I thought were really cool when I first thought of them, because I end of focusing on trying to execute them perfectly (and in doing so, I end up procrastinating and avoid executing them at all!) When you approach something with playfulness, you end up shifting yourself away from a place of doubt and instead shift into a new perspective. But by having fun again, you end up bringing a new sense of balance and harmony back to your work once more.
I encourage you to explore some other creative outlets! By doing this, we open ourselves up to loads of new ideas, finding new passions, and making connections that will impact us for a lifetime.
You never know what you can take back to your personal work, your business, or even in your day to day.
Do you have a story where you were able to bring back some of the things you’ve learned to your main craft? If you could choose something new to explore, what would it be?