An Unexpected Way to Express Yourself

#Creativity

 

It's Thursday and this is going to be my last post for this month. Thanks for sticking with me so far.

 

I'm going to start today's blog with this question: Think words are the only way to express yourself? Words may be the best way for us as writers, but they're not the only way.

 

Here's what I mean. I recently I read about a travel blogger who took up painting during one of his early trips. Now he creates a treasured piece of artwork on every single one. This not only nurtures his spirit and makes his memories more tangible, it has made him a better blogger. Look at his creations and you can pretty much feel the emotion in every brush stroke.

 

Numerous studies show a positive link between painting or drawing and productivity. Some scientists even believe creating visual art can change your brain, not to mention reducing cortisol levels and normalizing heart rate and blood pressure.

 

Have you ever been to a party or event and met an artist–or perhaps seen one on TV–who is also incredibly articulate? You can't help but think how great it would be to have the best of both worlds.

 

I'm here to tell you, these two talents are not mutually exclusive.

 

Thinking of ourselves as "just" writers is a bit limiting, after all. We all like to create or we wouldn't be in this business. So why not use a paintbrush or even a stylus to express our ideas for a change?

 

Maybe you don't fancy yourself a modern-day Monet or Van Gogh. You're not a graphic designer. Maybe you can't even draw a straight line.

 

That's OK. See how well you can express your ideas visually by using tools like infographics. You can get loads of free templates from places like HubSpot. Just think how much that skill alone will increase your value as a writer.

 

Hey, if a picture is worth a thousand words, an infographic has to be worth at least a few hundred bucks from your client.

 

Action step: Create a picture you're proud to hang on your wall, even if you're never picked up a brush. You can use whatever medium you like, even a paint program from your computer.

 

Let your creative spirit run wild on this one. Unless you're already an author-illustrator (color me jealous!), this should be a good challenge.

 

Describe your creations here in the comment box. I'd love to hear all about them!

 

Well, that's it for this week. I hope you've enjoyed the post that I share with you on how to boost your productivity and writing skills.