Summer Creativity Bucket List
Aim to Create More Than You Consume
There is a subtle trap that waits for us when the weather warms up. We want to be inspired, so we scroll. We look at what everyone else is building, painting, and experiencing, convincing ourselves that we are “gathering ideas” under the guise of “research”.
But here’s the hard truth: Inspiration does not come to those who consume more than they create.
Creativity is a living, breathing process. You have to feed it to keep it alive, but feeding it nothing but digital content is like giving a plant sugar water. It looks like energy, but it doesn’t help things grow. I’ll be the first to admit that I am a repeat offender when it comes to choosing passive consumption over active creation.
But not this season.
Summer is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite window of the year: the beautiful season stretching from May to October. It holds sunshine, my birthday, the chaotic joy of summer camp fun, and the slow descent into the “official” Halloween season.
Because lists and color coding are my love language, I want to map out this season with intention. To prevent burnout and keep the momentum moving, I put together a checklist of random, tiny, tactile, everyday creativity prompts designed to be off the screen and into creating more (as an added bonus, most of these can be done with kiddos in tow).
Plunge into a body of water: The colder, the better. Let it completely reset your nervous system.
Build a crown: Use daisies, dandelions, sticks, or whatever you find on the ground. Make something beautiful that isn’t meant to last forever.
Go full ‘90s: Leave the house completely without your phone. Remember what it feels like to just look at the world without a lens or a notification.
Reading in an immersive space: If physical books are your thing, try it in an unusual setting—outside by a body of water, by a cozy fire, by an old Oak tree, or on a park bench.
Collect a Color Palette: Go for a walk and gather 5 physical items that represent the exact shade of your summer right now (a leaf, a flower petal, a smooth stone, a piece of glass).
Texture Art: Messy studios are the best studios. Mix sand, dirt, or crushed charcoal into some cheap acrylic paint just to see how it moves on scrap canvas or cardboard.
Sidewalk Chalk: Buy some cheap chalk and leave a giant abstract doodle or a bold, colorful quote on your driveway, sidewalk, or local park.
Cloud Watching: Lie on a blanket for 20 minutes and map out shapes, lines, and movements in the sky without taking a single photo. Bonus points if it’s with someone you love.
Eat Outside with Your Hands: Watermelon, berries, a popsicle from the ice cream truck—something messy. No utensils, no napkins until the end. Just pure summer indulgence.
Journal: When you first wake up, write out all thoughts and feelings with a pencil, pen, or favorite tool.
The Studio Flip: Rearrange just one section of your creative space. Move your favorite brushes to a new container, swap the art on your wall, or change the angle of your chair to get a fresh perspective.
Sonic Isolation: Put on an album you’ve never heard before, close your eyes, and listen to it from start to finish without multitasking.
Challenge yourself with Scraps: Set a timer for 15 minutes and create a mini collage or sculpture using only the scraps, thread, and leftovers currently sitting on your floor or trash bin.
Summer Hyper-fixations: A Peek Inside My Projects
When you don’t post every single step on social media, it can look like you’ve gone dormant. But a lack of a grid update doesn’t mean you aren’t creating. In fact, some of the best work happens in the dark (literally and figuratively).
Consider this section my official accountability log. Right now, my summer creative energy is being poured into a few major hyper-fixations that are absorbing my nights in the best way possible.
The Sewing Machine: Upcycling fashion has always been huge for me, and I recently started making outfits for the little ones in my life. My first one utilized a vintage bedsheet that was gathering dust in my parent’s basement when i rescued it a few years ago. The ruffle sleeves had me hooked and I want to make many more! It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.
The Mural: The back of my house is a giant wall that calls to me for lots of physical movement and color. I started this floral mural last summer and this summer, I am determined to finish it, even if it means starting over with a new design TBD.
Creativity is a process, not just a final product. This summer, my challenge to myself (and to you, dear reader) is to show the making of the art, not just the finished piece. Normalize messy studios, the trial and error, and the actual art of doing the work.
What’s keeping you creative this month?
Are you diving into a specific project, or just trying to step away from the screen? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear what your summer hyper-fixations are looking like!
Love your thoughts on just about everything, Alexis! So does my daughter, Lily. Another creative... One day you two should meet! Here, I so endorse the concept of creating more than you consume.