6 Ways to Keep Your Mind Creative and Busy During Quarantine

Abby Graf
Apr 21, 2020
6 min read

Six ways to keep your mind creative and busy while staying at home.

Hi, everyone!

First off, I hope you are all well. It's nice to get back on here and crank out this post for y'all. It's no surprise that we're all at the point of stir-crazy, cabin fever while practicing social distancing as it's completely upheaved our normal routines and disrupted any peace we may have had.

Being stuck at home is not ideal, but it's the only way to flatten the curve and decrease the spread of the virus. I don't know about you, but I've been home for four weeks now and I'm not gonna lie, my creative inspiration has been lacking. Minnesota's "stay-at-home" order is in place until May 4th (at least, if we're being honest here) and the chaos and stress of this whole ordeal have taken a toll on not only my motivation but my creative outlook as well. It's easy to let yourself get caught up in the current circumstances and lose your creative mind to worry and stress. I've been trying to ease my way back into the zone because I think way too much for it to go awash if I'm being quite honest lol.

I've been brainstorming ways to inspire my creativity and get back in the swing of things and wanted to share with you some ideas I came up with in case you're in the same boat as me. We're all in this together so it's important to motivate each other to keep going☺

Here's how to stay creative while staying at home.

1. Journal

collection of journals — my sea of jorunals..

I've kept a journal for as long as I can remember and have consistently journaled since I was about 15. I started when I was in grade school, gave it up, then got back into it. I am by no means a daily, weekly, or monthly journaler at all times, but I go through moments where I just cannot stop writing. When the pandemic began, I knew that journaling had to be one of my outlets I turned to regularly because I would go insane if not.

I have been journaling almost every day, every other day if not and it's been a really great form of cathartic relief. They say we are all currently going through a phase of "grieving" right now. Grieving our social norms, our routines, and practicalities. Our world has been flipped upside down and journaling is a way for me to express how I feel about all of it and collect and understand my thoughts in a more cohesive matter.

I'm a little OCD about my journals (as I have multiple for different points of my life) and I'm currently about to finish my most recent one out. I used a marble journal for under $10 (similar here) and I swear by only using black pens in journals (do not ask why) and so I use these!

2. Read

journal, laura clery's audiobook, zenni glasses, selfcare products — how I'm staying busy

There's no more time than ever to catch up on those books you've been saying you're going to start reading but never get to! I am a sucker for a good hard copy book, but recently I've been listening to audiobooks while I work. I have a whole audiobook review in the works (my first!) that will be coming soon and I'll be sharing my thoughts on Michelle Obama's Becoming audiobook with you.

I'm now currently in the process of listening to Laura Clery's Idiot and if you're in need of a good laugh, this one is for you.

You can purchase Becoming (audiobook or hardcopy) here for under $15 and Idiot here for under $20 PLUS if you're an Amazon Prime Member, get Audible FREE for one month + two free audiobooks (sign up here)!

3. Paint

This is one creative medium I want to get more into. I watercolor paint here and there and honestly, it's a lot of fun. I'm not that great at it, but I enjoy watching something come to life through some water and cheap dollar store paints.

If you want to get technical, these watercolor paints have pretty good reviews and they're under $20. These brushes are currently on sale for under $10 and this watercolor pad is available in different sizes for under $15!

Even if you're not that great at art, it's a fun way to focus your mind on a creative task.

4. Self-Care

This is a fun way to not only treat yourself but keep your mind focused on something healthy and tasking! I love a good self-care day and whenever I dive into the realms of taking care of my skin, I start with a facemask. Some of my favorites are Pacifica Beauty's Stress Rehab Mask ($3) or any Que Bella Mask (under $5). I've also been using this Rose Gold Peel-Off Mask by Masque Bar ($5) lately and I really like how soothing it is! Fountain of Truth Beauty has a collection of more higher-end masks ($60+, I specifically love the H oney M ask and the Overnight Repair Mask ) that leave my skin feeling so hydrated. I was sent some of their products in an Influenster VoxBox and love them!

After using a face mask, I move into moisturizing my face. I use Aveeno's Daily Moisturizing Lotion ($7) and Vichy's LiftActiv Vitamin C Brightening Skin Corrector Seru m ($28). You can head to my Instagram now to check out my "Skincare" story highlights for a daily natural skincare routine!

5. Play an Instrument

I know, I know. If you're not into music or playing an instrument, this probably isn't for you. But if you're a geek for a variety of creative facades, this is definitely so worth it! I've been trying to learn piano for about a year and a half now. In no way am I good (I mean, come on, I'm teaching myself), but it's so fun to learn a new song. I use just a keyboard (under $200 here) but if I'm being honest, I don't actually know how to read music. And so I memorize the keys of each song I learn rather than the chords. I take to YouTube for tutorials; they're extremely helpful and my favorite channels for tutorials are "MUSICHELP" and "pandapiano."

Fun fact about learning a new instrument: it requires the use of both sides of your brain so you enhance not only your verbal memory but spatial reasoning and literacy skills! It also helps us quicken our reaction skills and better learn to process multiple senses at once...so I would say this is one the actual more beneficial creatives on this list!

6. DIY at Home

Since we're all glued to our homes, now is a good time to get working on those DIY projects you promised yourself you'd get to someday! Since I just recently moved, I've been working on turning an entire room into a closet (see here and here, plus check out my DIY Story Highlight), decorating the house and more. I've been having a lot of fun prepping shelves for spring, organizing and more! I DIY-ed my own gallery wall, and you can check on my post on how to easily build one here.

With online shopping still being ago, it's easy to place an order and have your materials delivered straight to your door! I shared some of my favorite affordable at-home decor on LIKEtoKNOW.it here and here so you can spruce up your space a little more, or tackle a task at hand!

I'm planning on ordering some wall decals soon (like these or these), so I can create a fun statement wall in my basement. Wall decals are a fun way to bring a wall to life especially if you're renting because they easily peel off. If you don't want to spend the money on wall decals, I read a lot on using Washi tape as an alternative! It works extremely well to create a feature wall for cheap.

I’ve also spent time brainstorming ways to decorate my bar cart. It’s pretty empty right now, but I grabbed a few things to spruce it up and make it cute. Adding candles and cute glasses to the top can help and I used a gold tray to hold drink mixers. My bar cart is also dresser with a Magic Bullet Blender (only $29!) so I can make a quick blended drink if I want to! I got these coasters from Target, they’re ceramic and super cute! All under $3.

I’ve linked all of the items from this post below for you to easily shop.

I hope more than ever that you are all staying safe, sane, and healthy! Continue to keep your mind creative and busy.

Talk soon.

Xoxo,

Abby