4 Affordable Ways You Can Express Your Creativity

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Participating in creative activities is a great way to have fun, relax, and make something beautiful. Even if the end project is decent at best, making art or being creative is well worth it. Art has many benefits, including stimulating your brain by encouraging imagination and creativity, helping you to become more observant, increasing your problem-solving skills, reducing stress, and even improving memory.

You don’t have to create a masterpiece to enjoy art, as it can be fun for people who are artistically gifted and those who lack raw talent. It can also be a great experience for both children and adults. Sometimes people are under the impression that learning to make art is expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Of course you can make art at home, but there are several affordable places you can go to get some guidance without spending a lot.

1. Take a traditional art class

Art classes have gotten a bad reputation for being expensive. While some art classes are costly, many are not. City parks and recreation departments can offer art classes at a very reasonable price. Community colleges also have classes, and the medium can range from drawing and painting to ceramics and photography. Sometimes local artists also offer affordable classes. The benefit of enrolling in a class at a college or taking one by a local artist, is that you will have an experienced teacher who can guide you. Many college courses are also organized by proficiency level, so you don’t need to be embarrassed if you are just beginning. Sometimes the classes themselves are inexpensive, but the material costs can add up, so keep that in mind.

2. Take a free art or drama class

If you have a membership with a museum, ask the staff if they offer any creative classes. Many children’s museums offer enrichment classes that are free (or very cheap) for members, and these often include art classes. If you just want to learn how to do something yourself or with your kids, but you don’t want to attend a class in person, you can also view tutorials on YouTube. There are even sites like Craftsy, which offers affordable online art and photo classes, as well as some free classes. Libraries sometimes offer free art classes too, and sometimes churches will host art classes or drama workshops and camps.

3. Have fun with a friend

Paint-your-own pottery stores have become very popular over the past few years. The staff at the studio will help you through the process; it often involves paying a small studio fee and then choosing a piece of pottery (which means you can choose a small and inexpensive piece if you want to), and then painting it. This is a fun activity to do with friends, kids, or on your own. You can easily search online to find a pottery store near you, as there are many different chains and some individual stores.

If you enjoy wine, a class that pairs drinking wine and painting is another activity that can be fun with friends. Some of these classes include a teacher (sometimes a local artist) who teaches the entire class to paint the same thing. Participants can talk, drink, and paint together. The structure depends on where you live, but these classes are available all over the country. Merlot’s Masterpiece in Washington, D.C. is one example.

4. Make your city or town beautiful

There are ways to be creative without literally painting a picture or taking a photograph. If your community matters to you, consider participating in a city beautification project. You can spend an afternoon alone, with friends, or with your kids, and you can make your city better at the same time. You can help by planting flowers, building community structures, or participating in any number of other projects. In addition to being a great creative outlet, city beautification projects have the added benefit of potentially raising property value, attracting businesses, and creating community attachment.

There are many other ways you can be creative without spending a lot of money. If you don’t want to take an actual class, you can simply go outside and take photographs as you walk, or draw a beautiful scene in your backyard. If you want to take on a more structured project, you can get ideas from this DIY Artwork on Pinterest.

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