January Creative Exercises - A Round Up
If January passed by in a flash (who are we kidding, of course it didn’t!) but still somehow you didn’t find time for your creative soul, here are all the Creative Year January exercises in one place.
January can feel like wading through cold porridge—slow, heavy, and with no clear end in sight. But creativity thrives in unexpected places, even in the bleak midwinter. This month, Friday Ephemera has offered a series of exercises designed to keep your creative flame burning, whether you’re stuck, overwhelmed, or just trying to remember why you ever wanted to make things in the first place. Here they are, gathered in one place, ready for you to dip into whenever you need them.
1. The “Beautifully Stuck” Exercise
For those moments when you feel paralysed by self-doubt, perfectionism, or just the sheer weight of existing in the world.
· Set a timer for 10 minutes.
· Make something unimportant. A tiny sketch on the back of an envelope, a haiku about your dog, a collage made of junk mail. The only rule is that it must be completely and utterly unprecious.
This exercise is a reminder that creating doesn’t have to be grand or life-changing. Sometimes, it just has to happen.
2. The Magic Portal Exercise
Inspired by January’s theme of transformation, this exercise is about stepping through the threshold of your own imagination.
· Draw, write about, or collage a door, window, or portal. It could be real or imaginary—the battered green door of your childhood home, a glowing rift in the sky, a mirror that doesn’t show your reflection.
· What’s on the other side? Let your mind wander. Is it a dream? A nightmare? A version of your life where you finally have time to finish a cup of tea before it goes cold?
This is a playful way to invite new ideas in—because sometimes creativity just needs a doorway.
3. The “Creativity in a Wild World” Exercise
· A response to the idea that artists and writers are often at their most powerful during times of crisis. Write or create something that documents your world right now. A poem about the way the light hits your kitchen table, a sketch of the trees outside your window, a list of things you overheard on the bus.This is about honouring the everyday. Because what feels small now might, in hindsight, be the most important thing of all.
4. Creative Exercise: Write a Love Letter to the Future
This week, let’s channel our creativity into hope:
· Imagine a world where your creative work has made an impact, no matter how small.
· Write a letter to that future, describing the joy, connection, or meaning your art has brought to others.
· Let the exercise remind you of why you create—and what a gift your creativity is to the world.
5. Creative Exercise: The Art of Small Spaces
When time or energy is limited, creativity can feel like an impossible luxury. So, this week’s exercise is about working within constraints:
· Pick a tiny space—a 3-inch square on a sheet of paper or a short paragraph in your notebook.
· Create within that space. Draw, collage, paint, or write something that feels meaningful, even if it’s just a fleeting idea.
· Reflect on how the act of making something small can feel expansive.
6. The Creative Check-In PDF
This month, I also created a Creative Check-In PDF—designed to help you take stock of where you are and where you want to go in your creative life. It’s not about setting rigid goals or making yourself feel guilty for what you haven’t done. It’s a space to reflect, recalibrate, and gently guide yourself forward.
If you haven’t downloaded it yet, it’s just below!
