8 Mood-Lifting Creative Projects to Brighten Your Day

You know crafting is good for the mind and heart, and you’ve probably enjoyed a range of crafts in your lifetime. Still, that doesn’t mean you always have an idea and materials at the ready.

Life is demanding, and whether you’re experiencing low energy, a lack of motivation or difficult news, it may be tough to know where to start, even with an activity you enjoy. This post is designed to help you find a project that will lift your mood and know exactly where to start. 

Did you know that a study from the United Kingdom found that arts and crafts can provide greater life satisfaction than work? On average, engaging in creative activities leads to a 2% increase in overall well-being. While this doesn’t sound like a huge increase, public health officials agree that the boost would make a positive impact on public health. 

Of course, the more a project resonates with you, the more likely it is to have these types of benefits. Take however much time you need to select the right craft, based on your skills, enjoyment and budget. If you’d like to do more reading about creativity and mood, check out these articles:

All of the classes in this article are designed for beginners, so absolutely anyone can have a go at these. Keep in mind that these projects are more about the process and journey than a perfect outcome, so focus on relaxing and enjoying yourself! 

Overview: Creativity Experiments: Mixed Media Abstract Painting guides you into the liberating experience of creating an abstract piece with paint, pens, pastels and any other media you want to use. Get comfortable trying a range of techniques and approaches, and find confidence in your own creativity! 

Taught By: Kate Cooke is a textile designer and illustrator living in England. With a background in fashion and homeware design, Kate combines several passions to create multiple classes on hand-painting natural subjects in vibrant colors.  

Perfect For: This class is ideal for anyone looking to get their creative juices flowing with items they likely already have at home. Whether you’re aiming for relaxed and playful or want to sharpen a specific skill, mixed-media painting can offer it.   

Overview: Bring Your Sketchbook to Life: Creating Interactive Sketchbook Pages shows you how to recreate those fun pages from childhood books. You’ll add fold-outs, cutouts, windows, pockets and more to your sketches, giving them depth and playfulness.   

Taught By: Samantha Dion Baker is an artist, designer and author living in New York City. Her significant background in graphic design laid a foundation for the creativity she brings to interactive sketchbooks and digital art.  

Perfect For: This class is about making the most of materials and ideas you already have, so is ideal for anyone who enjoys sketching. Whether you’re looking for a new project style or want to work on a specific skill, something within interactive sketchbooks will resonate. 

Overview: Learn Indie Filmmaking by Making a Short Film walks you through a step-by-step guide to making your own one-to-three-minute film. You’ll learn workflow fundamentals and the entire film production cycle, as well as tips on developing your own style. 

Taught By: Olaf De Fleur is a filmmaker and creative coach with decades of experience on short and feature-length films. Olaf loves teaching the building blocks of visual storytelling, and helping you build competence through thoughtful guidance. 

Perfect For: This class is designed for all skill levels, though a little experience with film projects would be helpful. Olaf works to make the steps accessible to you, no matter your background, style or budget. 

Overview: Sewing Your First Quilt Block: A Quilting Project for Beginners teaches you to the basics of quilting, beginning with a single square made with only the most essential materials. The idea is to learn a relaxing craft that may be the launching point for a whole new hobby! 

Taught By: Esther Nariyoshi is an illustrator and digital pattern designer in the United States. Esther brings a wide range of talent to a variety of classes, from watercolor therapy to making the most of Procreate brushes. 

Perfect For: This class is meant for absolute quilting beginners. The resources include a PDF guide, and Esther explains the fundamentals of cutting fabric, constructing the block and sewing. 

Overview: Photography for Creative Block: Create a Photo Collage of Meaningful Images shows you how to jumpstart your creativity by using prompts, original photos and collage to build a meaningful image. Whatever you make is wonderful, though this is more about the process. 

Taught By: Sophia Emmerich is a photographer based in Berlin and passionate about challenging social norms and how they impact perceptions of beauty. In addition to being an established photographer, Sophia is a graduate of law school and incorporates justice into creative work.   

Perfect For: This class is for absolutely anyone hoping to break through a creative block. All you need is a camera of some sort, and a phone camera is just fine. As a bonus, you’ll gain an understanding of photography basics. 

Overview: Marks & Moods: Brush Pen Adventures With Lines and Textures walks you through using the simple yet dynamic brush pen. You’ll get a deep dive into working with lines and textures, learning to enjoy the breadth of possibilities this fun tool can offer.  

Taught By: Marie-Nӧelle Wurm is an artist and illustrator based in France. Marie is serious about helping you reconnect to yourself and your creativity, even when the journey is a bit difficult. You can enjoy Marie’s classes on sketching, painting and composition fundamentals. 

Perfect For: This class might be a little easier if you’ve worked with brush pens before, though it’s not a requirement. In fact, learning about the tool, which is like an ink brush crossed with a fountain pen, might provide just the relaxation you need. 

Overview: Hand Lettering in Procreate: Fundamentals to Finishing Touches teaches you to turn text into art through line, color, texture and embellishment. Whether you prefer to work in traditional or digital environments, lettering in Procreate is a fun place to try this technique. 

Taught By: Gia Graham is a designer, letterer and illustrator living in the southern United States. Gia brings experience in corporate branding and design, stationary design and photo styling, and uses that to teach techniques such as lettering, floral designs and paper art. 

Perfect For: This class is meant for hand lettering beginners and includes a primer on lettering terms, sketching, inking, styles and the finishing touches. Even those with lettering experience will discover ideas for enhancing their skill and enjoyment. 

Overview: The Giving Square - Crochet for Creativity, Compassion & Connection teaches you, step-by-step, to crochet a simple “granny” square that can be used as a coaster, decoration or as a piece of a larger craft, such as a blanket. 

Taught By: Jane Snedden Peever is a creative who loves to crochet and doodle. She enjoys exploring creativity through shape, texture and color, and turning that into fun classes on fiber and drawing arts. 

Perfect For: This class is designed for the beginner crocheter. Jane will guide you through the basics of crochet and discuss the larger purposes crafting can serve in your life and relationships. 

Remember, being creative is about finding activities that bring you joy. Better yet, you’ll boost your mental health while engaging your brain and hands in crafts that you like. All of this makes it well worth your time to find projects that align with your interests and style.  

Signing up for Skillshare gives you access to a wealth of classes and projects, all with excellent instructors who love to show you their ideas and techniques. No matter how you’re feeling or what you want to create, you’ll find something in the Skillshare library to add a touch of inspiration to your day.