By Courtney Jordan
We’re moving through the year-end holiday gauntlet, a time when expectations and responsibilities burn bright. Now is not the time to heap additional creative pressure on yourself. In fact, it actually might be the time to turn down the heat a bit. No grand expectations. No to-do lists. It’s enough simply to show up as time and space allow. Let this season be a quiet invitation to notice—and savor—what feels creatively satisfying in the moments you can find.
1. Go Through the Motions
Routine tasks can be soothing and serve as a touchstone to your artistic side. Carve out 10 minutes here and there and do one of the following:
Tidy up your paints and brushes.
Declutter and organize your workstation and easel area.
Sort your canvases and sketchbooks.
Look through your old sketchbooks or unfinished paintings.
Leave it at that until you feel the urge or have the time to do something more.
2. Perchance to Dream
Instead of pressuring yourself to produce something, be intentionally noncommittal. Focus on your creative desires instead. Ask yourself the following:
What might my studio need that would encourage me to spend more time in it? Better lighting? A mini fridge? A disco ball for a touch of whimsy?
What do I want to explore artistically this coming year? Where would I like to take my art?
Time spent dreaming instead of creating might spark a renewed sense of commitment or a new direction.
3. Follow the Leader
Even if art isn’t the main focus in your life at the moment, there may be ways to shoehorn it in anyway.
If you’re currently overseeing a home renovation project, could you take 10 minutes to put down abstract daubs of color that express what’s around you?
If you’re baking or cooking, could you do a simple sketch of a single ingredient with a pen or marker?
If you’re always on the go this time of year, could you take a daily photo of the same subject—your car, your feet or the tree outside your front door—and compile a reference photo library of those images?
The end goal isn’t to create anything in particular, but simply to keep the creative flame flickering.
4. Rinse and Repeat
Letting yourself go on autopilot can be helpful—especially when the thought of what to create next feels overwhelming. Give yourself the freedom to toy with a series or theme for a week, a month or longer, such as:
grisaille still-life studies of your favorite chair.
a postcard-sized landscape series.
recreating an old painting using a different format or color palette.
5. Get Curiouser and Curiouser
Don’t box yourself in with ideas of what you’re supposed to be doing or what expectations others have for you—or that you have for yourself. Instead, gravitate toward what might delight you, especially if it’s a short foray into the unfamiliar.
Explore a new medium or surface. Try switching from graphite to ink or from canvas to linen.
Embrace a different subject matter. If you usually paint pet portraits, explore a wildlife portrait instead. Find out how a house cat is different than a tiger, for example.
Head to a new location for making art such as the public library, a historical museum or the local park.
Consider pairing your art with another seasonal event, like taking your niece to the ice rink or a sledding hill.
Add a new element to your creative approach. Invite a friend into the studio or do timed sketches to force your hand to act—and your mind to let go.
Looking for more creative ideas and inspiration? Check out the January/February 2026 issue of Artists Magazine.
About the Author
Courtney Jordan is a contributor editor to Artists Magazine.
