As a busy copywriter constantly juggling family, friends and career, it can be tough to find extra time to fuel my creative mind. I’d love to spend countless hours journaling, taking classes or writing prose, but I don’t have limitless time to give. So, I’ve resorted to making the most of everyday activities to stave off creative hunger.
I have to eat to live. I have to be creative to make a living. I combine the two and use the kitchen as a place to nurture my imagination. Cooking has a big pay off that’s unlike any other creative exercise for me – I actually get to consume my creativity.
Rather than connect words in ways that “resonate with target audience,” I unite ingredients to “please the palette.” I get to handle them, season, prepare and plate. And the physicality of being on my feet and working with my hands, has an odd ability to steady my soul while also making my neurons rapid fire.
Manipulating ingredients isn’t such a departure from wordsmithing. Food simply acts as the verbiage. With time and practice, I learned how to pair ingredients to create something unexpected. I know when and how to take risks that enhance the flavor profile of a traditional recipe. The variety in preparation is just like the variety in media – sometimes I braise, other times I blanch to achieve the desired result.
Feeding a creative mind is a never-ending pursuit. And finding inspiration in something routine can be a refreshing creative challenge. I’m probably not the first to recognize that when this portion of my mind isn’t consistently nourished, I’ll find myself starving for ideas when it counts.
I challenge you to take an everyday activity – doing the laundry, driving to work or shopping for groceries – and transform it into a creative exercise. We’d love to hear about it so make sure you share!