10 Creative Ways to Refresh Your Mind (and Why Picking Up a Paintbrush Helps)

Feeling stuck, restless, or in need of a reset?

Paint a set of canvases, then think up ways to display them…

Fresh inspo from the garden…

Sometimes, a small change is all it takes to shift your energy. Here are 10 creative ways to refresh your mind, many of which I use myself (and with my workshop participants) to bring back that spark:

1) Take a different route on your daily walk – see what colours and shapes catch your eye.

2) Try a five-minute sketch of your morning coffee – no pressure, just lines and shapes.

3) Rearrange your artwork at home for a whole new vibe (like a mini holiday for your walls).

4) Listen to a new playlist or pidcast in an interesting subject you know nothing about. while you paint, cook, or potter around the garden.

5) Join a local art workshop – it’s a gentle way to get out, meet people, and try something new.

6) Sit in the garden and notice 5 colours you hadn’t noticed before.

7) Paint with your non-dominant hand for a few minutes, and see what happens. This is an interesting exercise and helps to let go of worrying about ‘ outcomes’ .

8) Visit a local gallery and let yourself be surprised by one painting you’d never normally notice. Take a friend along, and each pick your favourite pieces, then try and guess each other's pick. It can ve very surprising and spark interesting discussion.

9) Keep a “colour notes” page in your phone for shades and combinations that catch your eye.

10) Allow yourself to play – in paint, in your garden, in how you style your space.

If you’ve been craving a reset, picking up a paintbrush can help you slow down and tune into yourself in a gentle, joyful way. My workshops are designed for precisely this: a few hours to relax, play with colour, and go home with your own painting.

✨ [Check out my upcoming workshops here] if you’d like to join in.

✨ Or drop me a message if you’d like to gift a session to a friend who needs a little pick-me-up. I do gift vouchers.

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Let yourself press pause and create something just for you. It makes all the difference.