10 Creative Ways To Spend Your Free Time
It’s always a good idea to spend your free time in ways that are creative and productive. If you’re looking for ideas that are creative, reflective, and enjoyable, this list provides ten great ways to spend your free time!
1. Journaling
Journaling is a great way to spend your free time. There are several benefits to this creative activity, and several different ways to journal, too. You can start a bullet journal to keep yourself organized or stick with something more personal where you can write about your life, your ideas, and whatever else you feel like getting down on paper.
Keeping a journal can be really cathartic. If you write about the things that are troubling you, some of that mental pressure is lifted, which can help your mental health in the long run. Additionally, keeping a journal around is great for when you’re struck by creative inspiration, good ideas, random memories, and so on. If you have really vivid dreams, you might also consider keeping a dream journal, which is a great way to practice dream recollection and learn a bit more about your subconscious mind.
2. Art
Whether you’re a natural artist or not, art is a fantastic way to express your creativity and individuality. There are all sorts of art mediums, like painting and drawing. Engaging in your preferred form of art can be extremely relaxing and revitalizing, and as you practice more and more, you’ll probably find your abilities improving.
If you don’t know where to start, try researching different styles of art, as well as significant periods of art. Maybe you already have a favorite artist, like Vincent van Gogh or Andy Warhol. There’s nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from your favorite artists, so check out an art collection or two and see where your inspiration takes you.
3. Creative Writing
Creative writing is an incredibly fulfilling activity. Writing might seem like a difficult thing to do, but as you spend more time reading and writing, your skills will naturally improve. The two main types of creative writing are poetry and prose; prose can be further broken down into novels, short stories, creative essays, and the like. No matter what your preference is, creative writing, as the name suggests, is one of the most creative ways to spend your free time.
Whether you end up publishing your work or not, writing, in and of itself, is an extremely effective and creative way to express yourself. If you have a vivid imagination, a love for stories, or a tendency toward daydreaming, try your hand at creative writing.
4. Photography
Now that most phones come equipped with a decent camera, photography is an accessible activity for a lot of people. Photography is a great skill to practice because it allows you to have fun, capture memories, and express your unique viewpoint. If you find yourself really enjoying photography, you might also consider investing in a camera other than your phone. If you’re a fan of the vintage look, Polaroids are back in style, and they instantly provide photos that are great for collecting and displaying.
Photography is great because it allows you to capture your present situation. Your future self will appreciate it. It’s important to live in the moment and make memories, but it’s never a bad idea to capture those memories so you have something to look back on.
5. Learn an Instrument
Pretty much everyone likes music, but not as many people can actually play a musical instrument. Learning an instrument is a challenging venture that takes time, dedication, and practice. It’s still achievable, though. If you have access to an instrument of some sort, you can learn the basics through online resources (even YouTube videos) and master your skill from there.
If you don’t know where to start, or which instrument to pursue, take a look at your music taste and see if this can point you in some direction. For instance, if you like listening to classical music, you might consider learning piano or violin; on the contrary, if you’re a fan of low-key, acoustic music, you might be more interested in learning guitar. Regardless, being able to play an instrument is a great skill to have, and practicing your instrument of choice is a productive way to spend your free time.
6. Join an Interest Club
There’s probably a club for any hobby you have. Whether you like writing, gardening, stargazing, playing board games, watching anime, or pretty much anything else, there’s almost definitely a club for it. You might think you’re alone in your interests, but I can guarantee that it isn’t true. Joining an interest club is a great way to connect with other people who share your interests. You can make new friends and talk about your favorite things!
7. Learn to Cook
Learning how to cook is an extremely rewarding activity, obviously. Cooking is a lot easier than most people think, and with tons of easy online recipes to follow, it’s easier now than ever before. If you have access to a kitchen, learning how to cook is a great way to spend your free time. It’s a skill you’ll build on throughout your whole life, and learning a little bit about the kitchen now will really pay off in the future.
If you prefer sweets, you might enjoy learning to bake, instead. Baking requires almost the same skill-set as cooking, but the end product is different. Now that the holidays are here, it’s the perfect time to practice cooking or baking.
8. Read a Book
One foolproof way to spend your free time is to read a book. This might seem like an obvious choice, but it really isn’t. Unfortunately, people don’t read for pleasure quite as much today. Still, reading is a highly valuable way to spend your time. Whether you prefer fiction, the classics, nonfiction, or poetry, reading is a great way to keep your mind active.
If you don’t know what to read, you can take a look at book recommendations online. There are a ton of great new book releases this year, and you can find all sorts of fantastic books online, in stores, or even through various apps. If you’re short on time, you might also consider listening to an audiobook. That way, you can immerse yourself into a story on your daily commute, when you’re getting ready, or during your workout.
9. Explore Your City
No matter where you live, there’s probably something about your city or town that you have yet to experience. You might live in a populous city or a rural town, and either way, it’s worthwhile to explore the area you live in. Even if you think you’ve been everywhere in your town, chances are high that there’s somewhere you have yet to visit. It might be a restaurant, cafe, bookshop, park, or clothing boutique; regardless, if you need something fun to do, exploring your own town is a great place to start.
Check out the locally-owned shops in your area, the weekly farmers’ market, or the weird metaphysics shop that only hippies go to. You’ll probably be surprised by the places you find when you really start to look. If you’re nervous about exploring new places alone, bring a friend!
10. Learn Something New
If you’re in college, you’re probably learning a lot about a specific academic field. Especially when you get to the upperclassmen level, most of your classes tend to be focused on one specific area, and you’ll find yourself growing increasingly knowledgeable about your chosen field of study. This is a great thing, but chances are high that you also have other areas of interest, too. If you have free time, consider learning about something you’re interested in that isn’t your major.
This can take form in a lot of different ways. You might watch a documentary, read a book, or click through several informational YouTube videos. Your interest could be anything from ancient history to UFO conspiracy theories — no matter how normal or weird you deem your interest to be, it’s worth pursuing and learning more about.
