“But what are you going to do with it?”, a friend asked after I showed them my new writing prompt journal. 

“Just process my thoughts. It’s helpful,” I replied. 

“Mmm… Okay,” came the reply. But instead of “okay” with a period on the end, body language seemed to communicate the response, “Are you sure you’re okay?” 

I don’t fault this friend or anyone else for not understanding my enthusiasm for words. To be honest, I struggle to understand certain art forms. Take me to an art museum, and I’ll struggle to be alert for more than 3 hours. I can appreciate it and those who are enthusiastic about visual arts while also being honest and owning that you won’t find me starting a conversation about a new exhibit.

Whether you struggle to see the value in writing, painting, or some other art form, when it comes to creative pursuits, my friend’s question is one that holds a lot of us back.

“What are you going to do with it?”

If we’re honest with ourselves, for the busy person, that’s what stops many of us from creative pursuits. There’s a never-ending clicking of the backspace button when it comes to creating, and for the amateur, there doesn’t seem to be a substantial purpose for the finished product.

But…

> What if creative expression is more expansive than our high school fine arts credit?

> What if the purpose of creating isn’t just to hold, hear, or see a finished product? 

> What if there is a way to identify a more tangible use case for the finished product?

Creativity is more than a class credit.

Creativity is often associated with activities like playing an instrument, writing poetry, or painting. Yet, we’re flexing that creative muscle in far more activities than those that earned you a high school fine arts credit.

When you extend the list of creative activities, you start to see that there’s something for everyone. Finding your creative fit can yield a host of benefits.

It’s not just about the finished product.

If you love to feel productive, creative pursuits outside of your job can be a bit discouraging. There’s often not a finished product to broadly share. Reframe the purpose of creative pursuits.

A finished product is great, but it’s not the only benefit. Recognize and name other benefits when you pursue creative activities.

If you can’t shake the desire for a noticeable outcome, be creative about your creative pursuit.

Sometimes we really want to see the link between activity and outcome. As adults, we don’t all have the recitals and shows that naturally lend themselves to that feeling of noticeable accomplishment/goal met. If that’s you, get creative about identifying a productive outcome for your creativity time. You don’t have to be pursuing a “creative” career field to still share your creativity with others or strive for a finish line goal.

To Sum it Up…

Sometimes the value perception for creative hobbies appears weak to the busy person. But, creative hobbies and intentional rest have much value. Don’t let your drive to feel productive derail you from creative pursuits. There are a plethora of activities that tap into creativity, a host of benefits for spending time in creative tasks, and, yes, some very real, tangible outcomes if you want to have a goal to conquer.