[CepheidVariable]

Like some others here, I've been fighting with anhedonia. Creating something has often been helpful in the past. Maybe some new ideas about creative things and what constitutes a creative activity would help. I'd like to hear what any of you have done or even just attempted. Especially anything less usual (blacksmithing, rock gardens, anything), but even hearing about more typical stuff like writing, painting, music, and various crafts is nice.

Let me try and get the ball rolling.

More common things: writing and photography

Things that I've done that are less often cited are stuff like electronics, programming, carpentry.

I'd like to think there's room for creativity in these things.

For example: Years ago, a child I knew was involved in elementary school level dance. I designed a simplified version of an Arduino board and added an accelerometer and a couple of RGB LEDs. The idea was to create one of those devices that could be worn and would display various colors and pulses as the dancer moved about.

Nothing terribly innovative, but I made it on a single custom printed circuit board, fully programmable, not eat batteries like candy, and tried to make it all interesting and pretty-like.

I paint. But I cook too which some might consider creative.

[Krow]

Oftentimes I will play a video game (online or offline), searching for glitches and exploits within it to maximize game efficiency or simply to explore. In some games, I would break map boundaries for exploration underneath or on top of the map, sometimes I would break or exploit the physics engines in order to create bizarre contraptions, and sometimes games could be exploited through min-maxing, assuming the ideal combination of status enhancements were found.

However, I must say that you are one of the few individuals in which I have seen expand the concept of creativity beyond the realm of arts. Back in the eleventh grade when I took a psychology course myself, creativity was a topic in which we eventually came across. I suppose the term "create" is commonly conflated with "creativity", and thus, other manners of creativity are often overlooked.

[Artchic528]

I knit, draw and write.

[Apokolips]

I cook, build reptile enclosures, and just recently started learning how to tattoo.

i've been writing an ongoing story about a familie's trip to florida and the funny things that they get up to.

I think I have about 15, or 16 chapters at the moment.

something to do when i'm not doing anything else

I also write poems sometimes.

usually about my mental illness, but i've not written anything since maybe 2014?

[Unrigged64072835]

I write poetry and take photos. I also do cross-stitch. I cook quite a bit.

I can't think of anything unusual, so I'll leave it at that.

[Tried2long]

I share information aka gossip.

[Travelinglady]

I write and I decorate my house.

[splitimage]

I knit, write, and play the harp.

[BeaFlower]

I used to write stories, then I stopped. Now, when I have time, I paint (especially on porcelain) or I colour mandalas, and I do nail art I'm also learning how to cook.

[VerMOZZica]

I do various arts and crafts like making collages and I sew sometimes but I haven`t done that in quite a while.I also like to draw and paint.I also like to cook.

[Sue00776]

I really like to theme and decorate cakes. And bake cookies from scratch.

Cooking different cuisines.

I knit, write, paint, draw, make jewelry, dance, try new things. I want to learn how to make stained glass.

[Onward2wards]

I draw, do digital art, write, sometimes photography, try to find ways of supporting people on PC, read up on psychological self-help techniques and blend them together, and lately I've started coding again (computer games).

[Girl*In*Camo]

I make custom cakes.

[bounceback]

I did ceramics for many years, dabbled a bit in stain glass, did beadwork. I also do jigsaw and logic puzzles. I tried knitting. Now I make beaded pictures and do adult coloring and art journaling.

[IchbinkeinTeufel]

Guitar, poetry, computer programming, Linux stuff, food (lol), and that's probably it. Nowadays, I just write code a lot, so I'm always creating something, but I'm sure that's not quite what you had in mind. :P Keeps you busy though!

[Loial]

I play guitar, but not as often now I have developed MH problems. Still, it's about the only creative thing I do!

[Vimtuous]

I write. I used to bake and cook a whole lot but that stopped being enjoyable unfortunately. I used to crochet and knit bunch too while watching tv. Sometimes I play with clay

[awhellnaw]

Speaking, writing, redesigning my life and psyche.

[fishin fool]

I write, Play a little guitar and ukulele though I never mastered either one.
I love to restore old furniture and also wood refinishing and I love to create
using old objects and repurpose them.

[rdgrad15]

Originally Posted by CepheidVariable

Like some others here, I've been fighting with anhedonia. Creating something has often been helpful in the past. Maybe some new ideas about creative things and what constitutes a creative activity would help. I'd like to hear what any of you have done or even just attempted. Especially anything less usual (blacksmithing, rock gardens, anything), but even hearing about more typical stuff like writing, painting, music, and various crafts is nice.

Let me try and get the ball rolling.

More common things: writing and photography

Things that I've done that are less often cited are stuff like electronics, programming, carpentry.

I'd like to think there's room for creativity in these things.

For example: Years ago, a child I knew was involved in elementary school level dance. I designed a simplified version of an Arduino board and added an accelerometer and a couple of RGB LEDs. The idea was to create one of those devices that could be worn and would display various colors and pulses as the dancer moved about.

Nothing terribly innovative, but I made it on a single custom printed circuit board, fully programmable, not eat batteries like candy, and tried to make it all interesting and pretty-like.

I have nothing creative to offer unfortunately.

[CepheidVariable]

Originally Posted by rdgrad15

I have nothing creative to offer unfortunately.

I've felt that way too. I glanced at your profile and saw you list depression and self-esteem issues like me. It really saps my motivation and confidence.

Ironically dealing with those issues is also the reason I've been trying more of this sort of thing lately.

I guess that's part of what I started this thread about. I don't really have any traditional art skills. I can't draw, paint, sculpt or do music. And I was limiting myself by thinking that's all that counted. I also felt for years that I didn't have anything meaningful to express.

But I do better with the thought that it isn't about that. I try to be creative for my own benefit. Any little thing that I can add to or alter can bring some interest and small pleasure to the day. I'm sure you have something, and like a lot of us tend to belittle it. And I'm "reframing" by including things like arranging plants or making a hand-made sign. Anything really where an individual choice is to be made.

Sorry, I hope this doesn't sound patronizing. You just sounded rather down. And I thought I'd share a little of what helps me at times.