Creative expression isn’t limited to painting, drawing and sculpture, and you don’t need to be a gifted painter or a skilled seamstress to make amazing things. Learning how to express yourself creatively can be fulfilling and enriching, even if traditional arts aren’t really your thing. Cooking a delicious meal or playing around on Pinterest and Instagram are equally worthwhile creative pursuits that can deliver those same feelings of happiness and achievement.

Take Photographs to Express That Creative Side

Photography is a great way to express yourself creatively, even if you don’t consider yourself arty

These days, thanks to smartphones, we can all take incredible pictures with the quick click of a button. And it doesn’t matter if we don’t know a thing about framing and shutter speeds – there are amazing apps that can do the heavy lifting for us. Crop and brighten your pics or add stickers and captions to create special one-of-a-kind snaps. Get creative with how you share images – set up a special Instagram account or make a montage set to music for a special occasion. Looking for inspo to get you going? Investigate photo-a-day challenges where daily one-word prompts can help you make magic.

SEE ALSO: Cool Photography Art Project Ideas to Try This Weekend

Embrace Creativity With Cooking

Take a page out of Heston Blumenthal’s book and step into the kitchen – a place where “you need the freedom to fail” in order to cultivate creativity. Heston proves that cooking can be just as creative as making art – he’s all about experimentation, mixing and matching ingredients and techniques to create a masterpiece, albeit an edible one. Got an eye for details? Explore baking and cake decorating – unleash the piping bag and coloured sprinkles and let your imagination soar. More of a savoury fan? Cook up a stew or a soup and get creative with flavours.

Get Creative in the Garden

Get creative in the garden by creating a natural oasis and growing plants that attract birds and bees.

Go outside, get dirty and engage with Mother Nature – it’s such a lovely way to pass the day. Gardening allows you to flex your creative muscles and express yourself through the type of garden you create – will you grow herbs? Or fruit and veggies? Or pretty flowers in bold hues? You can add personal touches to your garden with colourful pots, garden art, bench seating, bird feeders and lattices. Gardens are an excellent place to hone problem-solving skills and consider the rhythm and flow of the seasons.

Create Unique and Personal Pinterest Boards

In the digital age, Pinterest has all but replaced physical scrapbooking, becoming an online one-stop shop for storing your ideas and inspirations. If you’re feeling stuck, or in a slump, Pinterest could be the place to kickstart your creativity and ignite a new idea. Collect recipes to try, plan a party or create a fashion lookbook, and collect everything together in categorised pinboards for easy access.

SEE ALSO: 13 Art and Craft Ideas for Adults That Will Boost Creativity

Write Your Way to Creativity

Express yourself creatively by writing a letter, poem, or shot piece of fiction

Putting pen to paper is a wonderful way to encourage creativity and deeper thinking. Not everyone has a novel in them, but writing anything is beneficial, be it a poem, a letter, a piece of fan fiction or an essay. Julia Cameron, author of 'The Artist’s Way', swears by the practice of morning pages – every day upon waking you sit down and write three full pages, in a longhand stream-of-consciousness style. The idea is to tap into your hidden self, unlock your creativity and silence the critics (within and without) by forging on with the act of writing. Still too much? A day-to-day bullet journal is a simple way to get reflective, and creative.

Express Your Creative Side With Dancing

Need an outlet for self-expression? Well, put on your dancing shoes and prepare to boogie. Dancing is the ultimate leisure activity because it’s fun and good for your mind, body and soul. Sign up for dance classes or freestyle it in your bedroom and make up your very own routines. Culture commentators see dance as a way for people of all ages to stay connected and communicate their thoughts and feelings.

Record Your Own Podcast

Try creating a podcast on your favourite topic as a way to express yourself creatively

These days, every man and his dog has a podcast, so why not give it a go? Choose a theme and a format that appeals to you – you could discuss world events with a friend, review your favourite books and movies, or interview interesting people from your community. Podcasting is the perfect creative platform for speaking your mind and getting your message out into the world. There's plenty of advice for starting a podcast on the internet, and even specialist websites such as PodSchool, an online podcasting course run by Australian media expert Rachel Corbett.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: How to Start a Podcast (and Make it a Success)