One final post for this month and this year. This question is about my creative outlets other than making art. An interesting question, and one I had to stop and think about.
But first, here’s the question.
Do you enjoy other creative outlets?
As a matter of fact, I do, but you may be surprised by most of them.
My Creative Outlets
Believe it or not, blogging is a creative outlet for me. So is the newsletter and the magazine.
I have always enjoyed writing. I used to think I’d become a novelist. None of my novels (7) have ever been published, but I’ve published a lot of blog posts and newsletters over the years, and on December 1, 2025, I published the 72nd issue of CP Magic! magazine. That’s a lot of writing!
Among the things I most enjoy publishing are tutorials. There’s something motivating as well as creative about writing a step-by-step tutorial that helps another artist improve their skills or move toward their artistic goals. The creativity that goes into making an eye-catching publication was a surprise to me, but I do find a lot of satisfaction in it.
Photography is another creative outlet I enjoy, especially during the storm season and in winter. I love photographing clouds, dramatic landscapes, and snow. Granted, I don’t do as much of this as I used to because I no longer live in the middle of the things I most enjoy taking pictures of (country scenes), but there are still photo opportunities.
I enjoy tinkering with plants and if we had the space, I would probably garden a little bit. Those can be considered creative outlets, though I’m not making anything when I work with the plants.
Jigsaw puzzles are a fun pastime and while you may not think of them as creative, they can be. Especially the puzzles that are not square or rectangular. They’re a special challenge. They’re also a good way to keep my mind nimble and give it a rest at the same time.
The Bottom Line
There are no doubt other things I do that act as creative outlets. The activities listed above are the things I do most often; some of them are weekly. So they’re the things I think of first.
In closing this post and this series, I want to thank all of the readers who asked questions. You gave me things to think about, as well as some chuckles. What a great way to end the year. Thank you!
On to next year!
This post is part of a series in which readers ask questions about my life as an artist, and I answer them. Most of the posts this month will concern one of these questions. If you have a question you’d like to ask, please ask it. It’s never too late to get your burning questions answered!
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