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Are you hoping this year is going to finally be the year you get your shit together and start being creative again? I want that for you too. It’s easy to set creativity-related goals for 2026 that feel fun and inspiring at first but quickly turn overwhelming when the slow start to January turns into the hustle-and-bustle of real life picking back up. This post will give you some tips on ways to make your creativity a habit, not an out-of-reach pipe dream.

Your Creativity-Related Goals for 2026 Need to Be Small

Like, laughably small.

If you are currently going days, weeks, or months between creative sessions, setting goals for 2026 like completing a project every week or doing something creative for 30 minutes a day will get overwhelming quickly.

You know what happens when things get overwhelming?

They get abandoned.

We’re not doing that with our goals for 2026.

Make your creativity goals very small so they’re doable and something you can stick with overtime. Instead of 30 minutes a day, aim for 5 minutes a day. Hell, aim for 2 minutes if 5 minutes is something you may not be able to stick to.

No goal is too small as long as it’s more than what you’re doing currently.

Choose Creative Activities That Are Easy to Start

If you’re just getting back into creativity, don’t choose something with a steep learning curve or that requires tons of equipment. These are easy ways to invite frustration when it’s taking you a long time to make halfway decent projects and to leave yourself feeling guilty if you end up not liking this particular hobby.

Choose something like crochet that you can start with only a few things – some of which you’ll already have – rather than something like a Cricut which requires an expensive machine and a bunch of materials.

This keeps things low-stakes so that if it’s not the right creative hobby for you, you don’t need to feel like you’ve wasted your money.

Another reason why I often recommend crochet as a beginner creative activity is that you can learn just one or two stitches and be able to make quite a few projects.

For example, You Should Craft has a round-up of patterns that only use single crochets which is generally the first stitch you learn when learning to crochet (aside from the chain stitch).

If you’re having a hard time thinking of an easy creative activity to start with, try thinking about the types of art projects you liked doing when you were a kid. Making some of those paper snowflakes we all used to make in elementary school is a great place to start!

Or you can also sign up for my email list using this link and I’ll send you a guide that has 25 different budget-friendly creative hobbies listed.

Focus on the Process, Not the Product

Let’s face it, we all like to make something that turns out really cute and pretty. But if your goal is to keep making things and not abandon your creativity again, you need to be ok with making crappy art. Especially as someone just getting reacquainted with their creativity, there are going to be things you make that don’t look how you wanted them to. That’s ok!

Don’t dwell too much on the end product. Focus more on the process of creating and how it made you feel. Hopefully, it helped relieve some tension and stress.

If it didn’t, you may be trying to do something that’s too complex for you right now. Try doing something simpler.

Be patient and forgiving with yourself.

I know when you were setting goals for yourself, your goal probably wasn’t to make art that you don’t like. But I’m sorry to say, that’s part of the process. Sometimes you just don’t like what you’ve created. That doesn’t mean you should fixate on it, beat yourself up, or give up on creativity.

It can be hard, especially if you have an issue with perfectionism, but you have to learn to be ok with the things you make not looking perfect.

It’s worth it, I promise!

TL;DR – Key Takeaways

• Start laughably small so you don’t quit. Think 5 minutes, not 30.
• Any goal counts if it’s more than you’re doing now (tiny progress will build momentum).
• Pick creative hobbies that are easy to start, with a low learning curve and few supplies.
• Keep it low-stakes and low-cost so you don’t feel trapped or guilty if you hate it.
• Choose activities where you can learn one or two basics and still make stuff (crochet is a good example).
• If you’re stuck, go back to what you liked as a kid. Simple projects are still creative projects.
• Focus on the process, not a perfect end result. “Crappy art” is part of getting back into it.
• If it keeps stressing you out, simplify the project instead of forcing it.
• Be patient with yourself. Perfectionism is a bitch, but you don’t have to listen to her.

Don’t set yourself up for failure when setting goals for yourself this year. If you keep these tips in mind when setting goals for 2026, you’ll have a much better chance of following through for longer than a week or two. And when you’re able to achieve these creative goals, I want to hear all about it!

If you want something free to help give you a little encouragement or a boost when you need it, sign up for my email list and you’ll get a set of printable affirmation cards that are all creativity-related. There are some in there that can help with that perfectionism I mentioned earlier.

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