Ferring Beach, Watercolour Play
At Kati Kaia, we believe that creativity is not just a talent – it’s a skill that can be cultivated through daily practice and being open to receive. As an artist dedicated to inspiring your journey with beautiful art, yoga mats, meditation kits, and wellbeing accessories, we’ve seen firsthand how small habits can have a big impact on your creative output. That starts with being open to being creative, finding the power of your innate creative soul, being open to express yourself through mediums and finding your flow. Even people that say I have two left feet and can’t draw a stickman, there will be a creative outlay for you, you just have to look deeper to find it and explore every type!
Whether you’re an artist, a poet, a writer, or simply someone who wants to tap into their inner creative spark, these five daily habits can help you unlock your full potential:
1. Start Your Day with Mindfulness
Beginning your day with a mindfulness practice, such as meditation or journaling, can have a profound effect on your creativity. By taking a few moments to quiet your mind and focus on the present moment, you’ll find that your thoughts become clearer, and your ideas flow more freely.
One practice I enjoy in the morning is sitting for a moment in silence before starting the day with breath-work, this just gives me a creative pause before turning on my computer or getting the lists out. This can be with my yoga practice, which was a daily flow, till recently I damaged my elbow with tennis and one to many Chaturanga Dandasana, now it’s gentle chi movement to open the body, gentle flow and a meditative pause. Find your best way to start your day and it need only be quick to get you connecting before rushing around and checking your phone!
2. Embrace Movement and Exercise
Physical activity is not just good for your body – it’s also a powerful tool for boosting your creativity. Whether it’s a morning yoga session, a brisk walk, a jog, or a dance break in the middle of the day, incorporating movement into your daily routine can help stimulate your brain and unlock new creative pathways.
My small obsession with trees and especially the colours that change looking through the tops to the skies above means I am out into nature walking, running or simply gazing into the sky pretty much first thing or taking a break. My phone reel is full of videos and images capturing light and changing woodland plants and energies as the seasons change, which I try to paint or journal as part of my creative outlay…
3. Surround Yourself with Inspiration
Surrounding yourself with inspiring art, music, or literature can be a powerful way to ignite your own creative spark. Take a few minutes each day to immerse yourself in something that resonates with you, whether it’s a painting, writing poetry, reading, or a captivating podcast whilst out walking. Stepping away from life means you can connect to nature and flow more and more.
I work from an artist studio in the Surrey Hills and more recently our new studio in Guildford, with many other artists, all working in different mediums, practices and inspiring spaces, all nationalities, neuro-diversities and coming together for art. Alongside going to life drawing classes, painting in my garden, and I find my yoga practice very freeing, I practice alone, I have always had a self practice since my teenage years and it’s fun to go to group sessions now and then, but I do love my time with my mat in solitude, it’s special, especially outside with the sky and grass inspiration beneath you.
4. Embrace the Power of Solitude
That note brings me to solitude. While collaboration and teamwork can be valuable for creativity, there’s also something to be said for the power of solitude. Set aside time each day to work on your own projects, free from distractions and external influences. This quiet time can help you tap into your deepest creative reserves.
When I am not feeling creative, I often take myself off for walks on my own, disconnect from social media (a massive brain drain for creativity for me, others it lights up, for my brain I find it so distracting and draining) – journal on your own, play for fun only, not for show, start to open your channels to creativity!
5. Experiment and Play
Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment and play with your creativity. Try new mediums, explore different techniques, or simply engage in some free-form doodling. The act of playful exploration can help you break out of your comfort zone and discover new creative possibilities.
One practice I really enjoy is my art journal, it is a small A5 watercolour book, full of mark making, play time in paint, paintings of flowers (I love doodling and watercolour of flowers and plants in my garden), paintings of colours in the sky, the sunset, a favourite word, a colour!
I keep my journal positive, it’s just musings, and if I cant think of what to paint or get a block, I write a list in the front or back of the journal of all the things I love and just pick a word, a feeling or subject from the book.
In my journal at the front I have written for prompts:
- Flowers
- Plants
- Rabbits
- Dahlias
- Sea Side
- Energy
- Love
- Mother Earth
- Water
- Joy
- Bloom
- Pebbles
- Sunsets
- Starry Sky
- Underworld
- Heaven
- Animal Energy
- Hands
- Vegetables – You could pick a different love to paint in stil life or imagination
- Cleanse & Water
- Laughter
- Rainbows
- Children
- Light
- Birds – Today in my garden I have had: Doves, Wood Pigeons, Jays, Blackbirds, Robins, Collared Doves, Sparrows, a Heron, a Parakeet and Red Kite flying above!
It’s not about my next masterpiece, it’s about playing and opening up channels to paint. Sometimes, when I’m really interested in the way the marks or colours are going I will then take that into my studio and explore in oils on a bigger piece, but with the journal, there is no pressure, it can be nothing – it can be inspiring – it can be… simply fun!
Remember, the key to boosting your creativity is to make these habits a consistent part of your daily routine. By incorporating these practices into your life, you’ll find that your creative juices start to flow more freely, and you’ll be able to approach your work with a renewed sense of inspiration and joy.
So, why not start today? Grab one of our beautiful art yoga mats, mala crystal jewellery or meditation kits, and let the journey begin! Tune inwards to express outwards!
Hope you find this inspiring to make a start and remember no pressure, just for joy!
x
When I first started reconnecting with my art, over 15 years ago now, it was just for play, for something different to do rather than going out to parties! I enjoyed painting, sketching, illustrations, fashion drawing, painting my friends pets… I started painting animals and pets for commissions all in the background doing mark-making, playing with abstraction at home on my rooftop, playing with colour, it bought me so much joy! I started to show more friends my abstract work and they loved it… I joined with other artists showing my work, needed more space and grew my (still sporadic) paintings from there. I had no problem finding inspiration all around, for me it is pulling the ideas together, focus and dedicating time to myself to paint,
That is where the freedom is coming from, gifting myself the time to journal and paint. It’s all within us.
