Top 30 Artistic Hobbies to Showcase Your Creativity
Everybody likes to get creative once in a while. Whether you’re outdoorsy or a homebody, good with your hands or good with your brain (and maybe both!), this list of artistic and creative hobbies is sure to give you some ideas for your next foray into the world of artistic expression.
Creative Hobbies You Can Do Out in Nature
1. Flower Pressing
This artistic hobby is fantastic because it’s so easy to start. All you need is a nice hardcover book and a good place to walk. Pick some flowers and set them between the pages, then leave them to dry with the book closed tight. The results can be striking and beautiful.
This one is trickier to get into, but the results can be astounding. You’ll need a transparent positive of the photo of your choice, and a leaf that is still living. With some glass and a frame, and some time in direct sunlight, you can print photographs onto leaves – an unconventional and unique photographic experience.
3. Rock Collecting
Got an eye for unique things in nature? Take a walk and see what you can find. Beaches, forests, and trails are all great places to flex your geological muscles.
4. Field Note Journals
This one is great for spicing up your outdoor strolls. Be mindful of your surroundings, observe them closely, and keep a journal of what you see. You might find something out there you never would have noticed otherwise. Try including some sketches for some extra texture in your journal.
5. Fairy Gardens
Transform your garden or potted plant into a tiny oasis by creating a fairy garden. Find or craft a small shelter, or make a tiny wooden door and attach it to a tree stump for a start. Spark your imagination by creating tiny lived-in environments within the space of your plants.
Artistic Hobbies You Can Do with Your Hands
6. Instrument Making
Start simple by finding a good stick and something to hit it against. You’ve made your first drum! You can also try a large bent branch with some twine strung taut between the ends to make a bow of sorts. Anything you find that makes a sound can be your instrument.
7. Embroidery
Turn any piece of clothing or accessory into a colorful tapestry of your imagination with just a simple needle and thread. Easy to learn and difficult to master, this is a great way to customize just about anything made of cloth.
8. Sewing
This one requires a bit more of a time and equipment commitment, but the rewards are well worth it. You can customize the fit of your current clothes, make entirely new ones, or even accessories like purses or scarves. Once you have the tools you need, patterns for just about everything are inexpensive and plentiful.
9. Painting Miniatures
Do you have steady hands and some thin bristled brushes? Pick up some miniatures and see what kind of life you can give them! If you don’t want to keep them around when you’re done, the market for selling painted minis for tabletop games is a hot one.
10. Dioramas
Use your artistic skills to set the scene however you please. All you need is a container with one open side, and whatever materials you want to create a space that lives and breathes. Dioramas aren’t just for kids!
11. Stained Glass
Creating stained glass is something that requires a lot of practice and skill, but there’s nothing else quite like it. This creative hobby can turn any space with a window into a beautiful rainbow of color.
12. Drawing
You can’t go wrong with an old standby. Grab some paper and a pencil and get sketching. Online tutorials and how-to books are plentiful. You might even score some commissions if you’re looking to make some money from your drawings.
13. Calligraphy
Another skill that requires a steady hand, calligraphy is great if you love beautiful lettering. You can design tattoos, signs for businesses, or just use it to improve your own handwriting. It’s a beautiful way to communicate whatever you please.
14. Sculpture
This creative hobby is easy to learn and difficult to master. Many varieties of clay are available relatively inexpensively at most craft stores, and there’s no limit to the variety of shapes you can put together.
15. Jewelry Making
This artistic hobby can be combined with others on this list in some interesting ways. Found something on one of your nature walks that can attach to some string? Pretty soon you could have a wearable memento of your outdoor journeys.
Something To Flex Your Intellectual Muscles
16. Cartography
Similar to painting miniatures, this is a great one for tabletop gamers. Bring new worlds to life by drawing out a map for a fantasy world. Add some precision and believability by drawing your world out on graph paper.
17. Improv
Do you love to be in the spotlight? Love to make people laugh? Joining an improv class is a great way to express your comedic side, and it could be great practice for using your imagination for quick thinking and problem solving.
18. Writing
Not all arts are visual. This hobby is all about imagination – using your skill with words to create new and interesting worlds, filled with fascinating characters. Take inspiration from the books you love and see what happens. Your characters might surprise you!
19. Time capsule
This one has great potential for all kinds of results. Do you want to bury something for yourself to find later as a reminder of fond memories? Or do you want to leave a decades-delayed message for the next person that will be in this spot? Either way, there are many ways to get creative with whatever story you want to tell.
20. Worldbuilding
This one is a bit vague, but the outcomes can be truly incredible, and it’s entirely possible it may incorporate many of the other hobbies on this list. Imagine a world of your making, with continents, cities, creatures, and people of your making and use your imagination to see what they do and how they live. Then, you can bring them to life with drawings, paintings, miniatures, or anything else you want.
21. Poetry
If words are your forte, you might try writing some poetry. There are lots of different kinds to choose from (they don’t all have to rhyme!), and if done right, the impact of just a few words can be surprising.
Other Artistic Hobbies You Can Do on Your Own or With a Friend
22. Collage
Got some old magazines lying around? Give them some new life by trying out a collage! All you need is some scissors and glue and you’re on your way to an eclectic mix of imagery.
23. Filming
If you take your greatest inspiration from your favorite movies, this one may be for you. Depending on your goals, it may also require a bit more commitment, but with this creative hobby you are free to develop your own voice in ways that just aren’t possible with other mediums.
24. 3D Modelling
If you’re good with a computer, this is a great skill to try out if you want to create characters, creatures, or spaces in the digital world. Many 3D modelling programs are free, and with some practice you could be well on your way to making your own games, or just making creative scenes.
25. Makeup Art
Want to make an impression? Try some new makeup styles to see what you can do! There are lots of tutorials for achieving just about any look you can think of, or you can create your own from scratch.
26. Making Music
For this creative hobby, you don’t necessarily even need any instruments, just an ear for music. There are plenty of online programs for creating all kinds of music – from a fun 2-minute beat to a grand symphony.
27. Cosmetology
This one is a little risky, but the benefits can be well worth it. If you have an eye for style, you could try home haircuts for yourself and your family. This one is great for saving some money and experimenting with different looks.
28. Cooking
Who ever said cooking wasn’t an art? Start simple with some basics with salt and pepper, then try something new! Recipes are plentiful, and with enough practice you’ll be adding your own creative touches in no time.
29. Digital Art
Grab your tablet and stylus and see what happens! There are lots of free programs you can try, and tutorials are plentiful. With a bit of tweaking, you can use the software’s capabilities to achieve the look and feel of real charcoal drawings or real paint on canvas. If you like drawing and painting but don’t like the mess, this creative hobby is well worth investing in.
30. Wood Burning
And no, this isn’t just building a fire! With a special wood burning kit, you can create beautiful designs right on a block of wood that will last a lifetime.
Hobbies for Creativity are All Around Us
Artistic and creative hobbies are all around us, but one size does not fit all. From being visible to an audience to the privacy of your own home, art is what you make of it. One thing we do know though, art is an excellent way to showcase your creativity, and bring peace to yourself in whatever form works for you. I hope you found something exciting on this list of artistic hobbies.
