4 Tips for Incorporating Art Into Your Daily Routine

Few of us go to art museums more than once in a great while. This is a shame, because in our hectic society where so many things vie for our attention, enjoying art is one of the best ways to disengage. Art can be a great offramp from the rat race of life, and it can help us plug back into the mindful, creative energy that technology robs from us.

Most of us haven’t thought to incorporate art into our daily routines because we don’t know how. With a little ingenuity, and by exploring the tips below, we can adopt a daily art routine to help us merge art and lifestyle.

1. Revive or Adopt A Creative Hobby

Did you ever love to draw? Did you ever keep a diary? Did you ever doodle in your notebook during class? Believe it or not, those were legitimate acts of artistic expression. When we grew out of these habits, we close our adult selves off to the most wondrous part of our brains.

Jump back into it. Start a journal, and pour your deepest sentiments into it. You’ll be surprised at what long-suppressed sentiments you unearth. Instead of spending free moments on your smartphone, draw a sketch of the beautiful beach you wish you could transport to. The more you do, the more you’ll find your mind becoming calm, focused, and clear.  

2. Take A Class

Ever wanted to learn photography, how to sculpt, or to how paint the human figure? Private and group classes are available in almost every metropolitan area.  If not, teachers will advertise on Craiglist and in MeetUp groups. Whichever route you take, learning a new artistic skill will reconnect you to your childlike sense of wonder through creation. You may discover you had a hidden talent you never knew to cultivate. At the very least, you’ll connect with others in your community that share your interests.

3. Read Books and Listen to Music

It’s not enough to read comments attached to social media posts. Reading a full book allows us to get lost in another world, to enter an author’s mind, and to see the world from a different perspective. Better than a movie, reading is an active medium where your eyes push the story along and your mind turns words into images. You aren’t simply being fed renderings from a production studio. Discussing books can strengthen relationships and facilitate easy conversations with interesting-looking strangers.

Listening to music is also easier than ever, and with Spotify and iTunes it’s seamless. You can find new releases, genre specifics recommendations, and more.

4. Attend Art Events

An afternoon in a quiet gallery may not get you excited, but odds are your local museum offers a range of events you’ll find invigorating. Artists and writers often present their work at galleries and take questions from the audience. Museums offer free art classes on certain days led by working artists professionally trained in their craft. Galleries often offer social events like mixers and happy hours with drink selections and a bevy of attendees hoping to meet interesting new people just like you.