If you consider yourself creative, you likely don’t need any help selecting your next hobby. The possibilities are endless! But maybe you don’t think you’re creative at all. Maybe you’ve always wished you were better at artistic pursuits or had a more active imagination. If that’s the case, now is the time to step outside your comfort zone. Creative hobbies can improve cognitive functions, help you make new friends, support your emotional wellness, bolster your self-confidence, express yourself, learn new skills, enjoy a sense of accomplishment, and much more. It doesn’t matter whether you’re naturally artistically talented or not. Have fun exploring some creative hobbies for seniors.
Craving Creativity?
When you think of artistic hobbies, does your mind immediately jump to activities like painting or drawing? While those are certainly creative, keep in mind that you can exercise your creativity in a variety of ways. Although we tried to include as many creative hobbies for seniors as possible, keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive. If an activity involves the imagination or original ideas, it’s creative!
- Acting
- Basket weaving
- Bookbinding
- Bullet journaling
- Calligraphy
- Candle making
- Ceramics
- Clay art
- Collage
- Comic art
- Cooking/baking
- Crafts
- Crocheting
- Cross-stitch
- Dancing
- Decoupage
- Digital art
- Doll making and doll houses
- Drawing (pencil sketching, charcoal, pastels, colored pencils)
- Embroidery
- Fashion design
- Felting
- Filming videos
- Flower arranging
- Flower pressing
- Friendship bracelets
- Gardening
- Glass (glass blowing, stained glass)
- Graphic design
- Hand lettering
- Improv
- Interior decorating
- Jewelry making
- Journaling
- Knitting
- Macramé
- Metal embossing
- Metalsmithing
- Nail Art
- Origami
- Painting (watercolor, acrylic, oil, gouache)
- Paper mâché
- Paper quilling
- Photography
- Playing an instrument
- Pottery
- Printmaking
- Quilting
- Rubber stamping
- Rug hooking
- Scrapbooking
- Screenprinting
- Sculpting
- Seed Beading
- Sewing
- Singing
- Songwriting
- Terrariums
- Upcycling
- Weaving
- Whittling
- Woodworking, woodburning, woodcarving
- Writing fiction
- Writing nonfiction
- Writing poetry
- Writing scripts
With so many options to choose from, where will you start? Which of these creative hobbies for seniors catches your eye? Let your imagination run wild, and follow your passions to find the perfect new hobby. And if you find yourself struggling to get started, remember these tips and bits of wisdom:
- Creativity has numerous definitions. Depending on your chosen dictionary, creativity might be defined as “the use of imagination,” “the ability to make something new,” “the ability to produce new and original ideas,” or “the ability to think about a task or problem in a new or different way.” With all of these definitions, one thing is clear: Anyone can be creative. You don’t have to be an incredibly talented artist; you simply must try. Be creative when you think about how you might embrace your inner creativity!
- Think about activities you loved as a kid. Were you always sketching in the margins of your notebooks? Did you ever play around in the dirt, carving into the mud or creating little sculptures? Did you love music class at school? Exploring your childhood interests can be a wonderful place to start if you don’t think of yourself as a very creative person.
- Be kind to yourself. No one is immediately fantastic at any artistic pursuit. It takes time, dedication, and lots of practice. So, as you’re getting started, applaud your efforts, and don’t be overly critical of the results. Remind yourself why you’re choosing to engage in a creative hobby. You’re almost certainly not doing it to be the best or earn lots of money; you’re doing it for fun. Remember that anytime you find yourself growing frustrated.
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What are you waiting for? Get out there and find your next new hobby!
Are you interested in retiring in Springfield, Missouri? At Springhouse Village, we know how important it is to enjoy your retirement in a lively and welcoming environment. We make it easy for our residents to participate actively in our community. Whether that means encouraging residents to join an exercise class or assisting them in starting a garden club, we strive to help our residents thrive. To learn more about the amenities and services we offer, contact Springhouse Village today by sending us a message online or calling 417-708-3403.