26 Ways to Invite More Creativity Into Your 2026: fresh ideas for artists, makers, and art lovers alike
There’s something almost magical about turning the calendar, isn't there?
Yes, a new year can be a bit magical, a bit exciting, and sometimes even a bit daunting. What I love most about this time of year is that it seems to naturally invite the fresh, the new, and even the unknown (in a good way). Not unlike a blank canvas with just a few pencil lines scratched in for guidance. I find it's the perfect time to consider new practices - especially when feeling a bit stale or bored - to invite beauty and creativity back into the studio and into daily life. Not just in big, bold measures but in quiet, small ones, too.
Whether you’re an artist, a maker, or someone who is drawn to or collects art, I thought it a great time to share some of my favorite and more inspired (see what I did there? 😂) ideas to help you welcome more creativity into your 2026! And it so happens that this year, that means "26" - one for every letter of the alphabet.
Of course, you don’t have to try them all, lol. Or ... maybe you'll want to try out a few a month this year, making inspiration a creative new year's resolution! The main idea is to simply start with what resonates most with the creative lifestyle you want to cultivate in 2026. Enjoy!
A – Ask more questions. Curiosity is the fuel of all good art. Ask “what if?” more often.
B – Buy a ticket to something unexpected. A gallery opening, a ballet, a blues concert. Step into someone else’s creative world.
C – Carry a sketchbook. Even if you’re not a “drawer.” Doodle, scribble, jot down thoughts. It’s a habit of noticing.
D – Do it badly. This is a favorite! Perfection is overrated - just try things you’re not good at just for the joy of doing.
E – Explore a new medium. If you paint, try clay. If you collect, try collage. There’s freedom in starting as a beginner again. If you're an art lover rather than creator, try a trip to the library and find books about different mediums than you're typically drawn to (i.e., sculpture if you collect paintings; textile art if you prefer watercolours).
F – Follow a "trail." Let one creative thing lead you to another. Follow the artist or maker, the color, the story.
G – Go outside. Nature is the best artist. Light, texture, pattern. And fresh air clears the clutter in our minds.
H – Hang up new art. Switch out a piece in your home. Rotate your collection. It changes how you see your space.
I – Invite / intentionality. Invite someone to create with you or visit a creative experience like an art gallery or exhibition. Be intentional - pause. Really look at one piece for 10 minutes. What is grabbing your attention?
J – Journal without rules. Forget grammar. Just let the words spill. You might be surprised by what surfaces.
K – Keep a Sabbath space. Set aside time to rest from work, from creating, from striving. It’s often in the quiet and in the worship that inspiration shows up.
L – Let go - have a think on what needs to go, to make room for the better. Consider: those art supplies collecting dust, a relationship that sucks you dry without giving anything back, unrealistic expectations, negative self talk, self-sabotage ... Simply consider: what is healthier for you? It's amazing how your creative life will free up once those hard decisions are made and seen through!
M – Make a mess. Some of my best ideas come from mistakes or play. Creativity needs room to breathe.
N – Notice the ordinary. The way light hits your mug, the wrinkle in your shirt, a 'drab' bird in your yard. Art is hidden in daily life.
O – Open old sketchbooks or journals and take a journey. You’ve come a long way. Let your past self remind you of how far you’ve grown.
P – Pray before you begin creating. Offer your work to God. Creativity is collaboration with the Creator, and it's easy sometimes to forget to invite Him in!
Q – Quit something that drains you. Sometimes you need to make hard decisions about where you're spending your time in order to be inspired to appreciate or make art.
R – Read something poetic. Poetry slows you down. It stirs the senses. It sees beauty where you might otherwise not.
S – Support an artist. Buy their work, attend a paid workshop or online course, share their name on your socials, encourage them in their social media posts, blogs, or other efforts, cheer them on. It’s a gift to both of you!
T – Try a creative challenge for a set period of time and commit to it. A sketch-a-day, a 10-day (or 100-day!) project, a themed month, a series in a new medium. If you're a collector/art appreciator, do some online research and commit to attending a creative adventure each month (ballet, art exhibition, opera, local fair, etc) - and take photos! Structure can spark new and interesting creativity and ideas.
U – Use your non-dominant hand. It sounds silly, but it’s a great way to loosen up and tap into your right (intuitive) side of your brain.
V – Visit a museum, home goods store, gallery, or studio. Walk slowly. Let something surprise and delight you. If you're in the U.S., visit a Hobby Lobby or Home Goods store, and take photos of things that inspire you, and then either create an online gallery or Pinterest page for future reference.
W – Write a letter by hand. There’s art in your penmanship. In the slowness. In the practice of putting love on paper.
X – eXperiment (we’ll let this one slide 😂). Change up your tools. Your creating space (i.e., go 'en plein air' out in the wild if your studio is indoors). Your colors. Your process. See what happens.
Y – Yield to the process. Let go of the outcome. Trust the middle. Trust the One who walks with you through it.
Z – Zero in on what brings you joy. Not what you “should” do. But what you love. That’s the seed of every great piece of art, every great art purchase, and the seed of enjoying and cultivating the creative life!
Here's to a year of that heals, reconnects, and surprises you!
You don’t have to overhaul your whole life to be more creative or to express your love of creativity and artistry ... you just have to start. One small thing at a time.
And if you’re not making anything right now, that’s okay too. It doesn't matter why, really - grief, loss, boredom, lack of inspiration, busyness, distractions, misplaced priorities ...
My best advice? Be kind to you ~ avoid judging or be too hard on yourself. Allow the rhythm to play out because life arrives in seasons. And sometimes the wintry, fallow seasons are exactly what the heart and soul needs to regenerate creativity in the long run. I hereby give you permission to open the gate for a season of 'down time' and allow this beautiful, sometimes uncomfortable, space to do it's work. Your God-given, innate desire to create is already a sign of the life that's inside and will come forth in due time. 🩵
Lastly, God designed us in His image — creative, dynamic, and full of wonder. So whether you pick up your brush, curate a gallery wall, or simply notice the shape of the clouds, you’re practicing something sacred and valuable to building a creative life!
Debra Hart is an Atlanta, Georgia area fine artist, writer, and creativity guide. She delights in encouraging creatives in their journey of discovery, skill development, and overcoming. A redeemed perfectionist, she approaches her life and art from a place of mystery, grace, and love of her Savior, Jesus Christ - the best Adventurer of all.