If you have a job that you enjoy, but you wish you could use your creative skills or ideas more, you don’t have to hand in your notice. If you don’t have a job you love, it’s a different story, but there are lots of ways you can satisfy your creative urges if you don’t want to change career at the moment. If you’re interested in some extracurricular creativity, here are some ideas to get you thinking.

Set up a sideline

Many people find their jobs very interesting, but sometimes, they don’t gain everything they need from their working day. If you work with facts and figures all day, for example, this may not give you the opportunity to use your imagination and unleash your creative flair. If you have talents or creative skills, consider setting up a sideline. You don’t have to devote all your free time to it, but this will give you the opportunity to continue in a role you love, and celebrate your creativity at the same time. If you’re an artist, you could start trying to sell some pieces or exhibit your work once a month. If you love to write, find out about guest posting opportunities or think about setting up your own blog. If you’re a musician, you could get in touch with local bars or music venues and ask about doing a gig. You may find that it really takes off, and you can earn some extra cash. Even if you don’t make any money, your sideline could still bring you satisfaction and joy, which is much more important.

Schedule time for your interests and hobbies

There’s no fun when your day consists of work and no play. If you have interests and hobbies, schedule some time out to enjoy or rediscover them. It’s important to work hard, but this shouldn’t mean that you don’t have any downtime to enjoy yourself. Next time you’ve got a free weekend, go to a gallery, take your camera out, or dust off your sheet music.

Try something new

If you can’t be creative at work, but you have an active imagination or an interest in art, music, literature or anything else that enables you to be innovative and original, think about finding new ways to express yourself. You may not be the most talented artist, but this doesn’t mean you can’t start going to classes. You might never have cooked before, but this shouldn’t stop you from trying out some recipes at home. You may not be green-fingered, but this doesn’t mean you can’t take an interest in designing outdoor spaces. There are so many ways you can express yourself, and you don’t have to be a maestro to reap the rewards of being creative.

Not all creative people have jobs that enable them to let loose on a daily basis. If you’re keen to celebrate your creativity, but you don’t want to change your job, there are so many ways in which you can do this. Hopefully, this guide has given you food for thought, and you can find that perfect balance.