Creating a Culture of Creativity in Your Home

With thought and careful planning, we can create a culture in our homes where creativity can thrive.

When my husband and I set out to write a family mission statement, the first thing we did was write down our values and passions. Our goal was to choose the top 5-7 ideals to represent who we were and incorporate them into our family culture. After much discussion, we settled on faith, integrity, generosity, excellence, love, legacy, and creativity.

Once we finished crafting our mission statement and hung it on the wall, our values did not magically show up in our everyday. Some values came naturally to us while others required us to build them into our lives through small consistent steps.

For example, to infuse creativity into our home we had to decide what creativity looked like for our family. We answered the questions: Why is it important? When, where, and how are we going to participate in it?

Once we named our why and how of creativity, we were able to apply it to cooking, party planning, hosting, and spending time together.

Occasionally being creative is not enough to make it a part of our family culture. It must consistently show up in everything we do. This principle applies to your family values, no matter what they are.

Here are some ways to make creativity a part of your life:

1. Put it on the calendar. Whether it’s an art class, online hand lettering course, dedicated time to practice, or free play with your kids, schedule it.
2. Make it easy for you and your kids to participate in art. Have art supplies, yarn and knitting needles, puzzles, recipes, and grocery items on hand, so they are easily accessible.
3. Invest in a library of knowledge. There are many steps by step books that you can use at home. One example is the book, You Can Draw The Berenstain Bears by Mike Berenstain. Not only does it share the story of the Berenstain Bears, but it also gives step-by-step tips for drawing the famous Bear Country characters, Mama, Papa, Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear. All you need are paper, pencil and eraser, markers, or colored pencils to get started.
4. Make creativity a family thing. Participate with your children in their art and share yours with them.

Once we did these things, creativity was no longer just something we talked about and wished we had time for. It became a part of our family culture.

You don’t have to be gifted in traditional art to make creativity a part of your home. “Art” looks different for each of us. It’s not important how you live out creativity, but that you embrace it with intention.

What does creativity look like for your family? If creativity is not your thing, what are the values you’d like to show up in your everyday?

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Your Turn

Do you consider yourself creative? How do you try to make room for creativity in your home?

Take a look inside…