Organise Me: 7 Tips for Keeping Your Creativity Flowing Through Winter

Winter is creeping into its third month, and for many of us, the Winter blues are starting to take their toll. Whilst I’m beginning to embrace Winter, the long cloudy days seem to drain my creativity. So I am determined to overcome this with a little bit of organising.

Here are my top tips for keeping the creativity flowing:

• Schedule Down Time - Get out that calendar and mark out blocks of time where you will stop working on current projects and do something different that’s fun for you. You could try a self-directed project or even give yourself permission to see that movie you really want to see in the middle of a 'work day'.

• Rug Up and Get Outside - This is important for everyone, but especially for those who work from home. Get out your coat, warm boots, grab a scarf and some gloves and go for a walk. It doesn’t matter if it’s around the block or to a cafe. The fresh air will clear your head and give you time to brainstorm.

• Take Time Out to Read a Book in a Coffee Shop - The book could be fiction or something related to your field. I find that it’s hard to justify reading when you’re surrounded by work, so leave the space, warm up with a hot drink and escape into that book that you’ve not had time to read.

• Visit a Gallery - Pick an exhibition that isn’t about your line of work and allow yourself to be inspired by how other creatives work. It may bring you some perspective on your own work, or it might just be a fun day out.

• Dance It Out - The blues come easily this time of year, so when you get the chance (maybe at home) - crank up your favourite songs and dance like no one’s watching.

• Try a New Craft - Winter is a great time to learn something new that keeps your chilly hands busy. It could be crochet, knitting or even drawing. Just something that’s been on your to-try list. You don’t have to be amazing at it for it to be fun.

• Catch up with Friends - Winter is for hibernating, but it can be great to make a point to catch up with friends that you don’t see too often. Go out for dinner or invite them over for a night of laughter and catching up on the couch. If you’re feeling really adventurous you could all organise a fun weekend away.

I hope these will help keep the winter blues at bay and keep the creativity flowing. Thankfully Spring is not too far off now and the warmer weather will (hopefully) return soon!

Dannielle is a blogger, serial organiser and passionate traveller. She has a secret love of 90s teen movies and can often be found on Twitter. In 2013, Dannielle packed up her life in Melbourne into one suitcase and moved to Canada to make her crazy dream of a more adventurous life happen. But she quickly found the inspiration she was searching for was in Melbourne and has returned home. She’s recently started a new project on creating a happy (organised) home which you can see here.