• Intelligencer
  • The Cut
  • Vulture
  • The Strategist
  • Curbed
  • Grub Street
  • Subscribe to the Magazine Give a Gift Subscription Buy Back Issues Current Issue Contents New York Shop
    Subscribe to New York Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Profile
    Sign Out
Subscribe Give A Gift
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
  • The Cut Shop
  • Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • Parenting
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Horoscopes
  • Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
  • Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • NYMag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
  • Curbed
  • Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
  • The Cut Shop
  • Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • Parenting
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Horoscopes
  • Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
  • Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • NYMag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
  • Curbed
Sponsor Story
This is paid content produced for an advertiser by New York Stories. The editorial staff of thecut.com did not play a role in its creation.
Sponsored By Sothebys
Jan. 23, 2019

6 Ways to Stay Creative When Winter Gets You Down

By Colleen Barrett
Photo: Jenn Tuan/Sotheby’s Institute of Art

It’s cold. It’s gray. And it doesn’t matter that the days are getting longer, because you’d rather be home hiding under the covers. But there’s only so much blahness a creative being can take before feeling completely drained. If that’s where you’re at, it’s time to look up, look around, and see the world a little differently. This could be as simple as giving your apartment a quick visual update, as uncomfortable as trying meditation, or as eye-opening as taking a class at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. However you reignite your creativity, you’ll be that much more buoyed through the rest of winter.

Meditate

Meditation can unleash the dreamer in you — a bit ironic when you consider wandering minds are enemy No. 1 of this peace-promoting activity. As an act of mindfulness, it can improve your attention span, help you ideate, and boost resiliency in the face of skepticism and setbacks — all very useful in creative pursuits. Although 10 minutes is the sweet spot for results, any meditation is better than no meditation. Start at three or five minutes, and work your way up.

Take a Class That Inspires You

Photo: Sarah Bae/Sotheby’s Institute of Art

Need a dose of structure to help harness your creativity? Committing to an arts education class is a great way to explore something new, gain professional development, or turn an interest into a full-on art career. Sotheby’s Institute of Art — which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019 and, yes, was originally founded by the famed auction house — features six- and eight-week online courses. The offerings include options like The Gallery Business, Art as an Alternative Investment, and Writing for the Art World, which are led by a faculty of world-class scholars, critics, and artists.

Photo: Sarah Bae/Sotheby’s Institute of Art

If you prefer a shorter, IRL class, hold out for Sotheby’s summer courses, with classes like How the Art World Works; Secrets of the Auction World; and Art World Marketing, PR, and Communication. Each is a mix of lectures and visits to museums, galleries, artist studios, and special exhibitions. For something very substantial, consider one of Sotheby’s master’s programs, such as the brand-new weekend and evenings art business degree or the standard art business program — ideal for anyone looking to enter the business of international art — or a program in contemporary art or fine and decorative art design.

And if you have an art-loving teen, you can get them involved, too, with Sotheby’s summer pre-college program. It’s a two-week course where high-schoolers can submerge themselves in the New York art world, learning not only about fashion, architecture, and art history but also the business of art and how art can be used as a tool for activism.

Create a Vision Board

You don’t need to believe visualization can manifest destiny to benefit from a vision board. Think of it more as an exercise in creativity: one of those seemingly indulgent activities that splits the difference between work and play. You could do this online by curating images or go tactile with posterboard and a pile of magazines.

Either way, it’s good to have a vision — you might say — for your board before beginning. Will it be about work? Food? Fitness? Home? Travel? Everything? It can be whatever you want, really, but it helps to set some kind of intention from the get-go.

Go to an Art Exhibit

Photo: Sarah Bae/Sotheby’s Institute of Art

Whatever kind of creative you are, you’re bound to be rejuvenated by a day of art. Even if you’ve hit every New York museum, there are always new exhibits — like this much-hyped one starring the king of pop art — ready to pique your creativity. Another option is an auction preview at Sotheby’s, which, beginning January 30, will hold its first auction dedicated to female artists from the 16th to 19th centuries. And for the latest recommendations from discerning experts, follow Sotheby’s Institute of Art on social media, where its faculty recommends exhibits in New York, L.A., and London every Friday.

Redecorate — or Just Rearrange — Your Apartment

Cleaning might be for spring, but winter’s all about nesting, making it the perfect time to refresh your space. That could mean painting it (blue promotes creativity), buying a few new pieces, or the no-cost option of rearranging it. Besides compelling you to see your space differently, it will allow you to experiment with color, form, and function. And when you’re done, you’ll likely find your home a lot more inspiring.

Take a Trip

Just like rearranging your apartment can force your mind to see things differently, traveling can do the same in a more dramatic way. Traveling abroad — or even traveling within the country and engaging with different cultures — can improve cognitive flexibility, which is your ability to jump from idea to idea and is essential to creativity. Just the exposure to different sights, sounds, and tastes can spark your creativity and inspire your own art, even if the trip is as simple as trading the cold gray of New York for the warm sun of California.

If you do make it to L.A. this winter, consider these standout art events: Frieze LA will host a new contemporary art fair in February, bringing about 70 galleries to one space, Paramount Studios; Felix LA, which coincides with Frieze LA, will bring together 38 exhibitors from around the world at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel; and on February 11, Sotheby’s Art Institute will host Artists, Activism, Agency, an evening with Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova plus artists Tavares Strachan and Shepard Fairey. The night will culminate with a performance by Pussy Riot.

All images courtesy of Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

This is paid content produced for an advertiser by New York Stories. The editorial staff of The Cut did not play a role in its creation.

Tags:

  • sponsor story
  • sotheby's institute of art
  • 2019 courses
  • art
  • winter 2019
  • More
Show Leave a Comment
6 Ways to Stay Creative When Winter Gets You Down

Most Viewed Stories

  1. Madame Clairevoyant: Horoscopes for the Week of October 2
  2. What We Know About Lil Tay’s Rumored ‘Death’
  3. The Pandemic Skip
  4. The Return of the Marriage Plot 
  5. The 18 Absolute Best Drugstore Mascaras
  1. Madame Clairevoyant: Horoscopes for the Week of October 2
  2. The Pandemic Skip
  3. The Woman Getting Back Into Group Sex
  4. What We Know About Lil Tay’s Rumored ‘Death’
  5. Why Can’t Our Friendship Survive Your Baby? 

Best of The Cut

  • Dianne Feinstein, the Institutionalist
  • The Cost of Straight Hair
  • Dylan Mulvaney’s Girlhood, Interrupted
  • The Real Houselife of Jenna Lyons
  • Fashion’s Talent Problem
See All

The Latest

relationships 8:00 p.m.
The Woman Getting Back Into Group Sex This week’s sex diary.
astrology 8:30 a.m.
Madame Clairevoyant: Horoscopes for the Week of October 2 On Wednesday night, communication planet Mercury enters Libra.
By Claire Comstock-Gay
fashion Yesterday at 10:01 a.m.
Phoebe Philo’s Return: What We Know The highly anticipated return of fashion cult leader Phoebe Philo is set for October 30th.
pfw spring 2024 Yesterday at 8:58 a.m.
At Paris Fashion Week, a Play on Clothing as Armor Feeling a sense of power in your clothes isn’t about covering up, shows Yohji Yamamoto.
environment Sept. 29, 2023
Scenes From a Flooded New York Subway evacuations, school day chaos, a missing mayor, and at least one fugitive sea lion.
celebrity Sept. 29, 2023
Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Yeoh, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week Parties with Chanel, Nordstrom, YSL Beauty, and more.
obsessive tester Sept. 29, 2023
The 18 Absolute Best Drugstore Mascaras They lengthen, lift, and thicken lashes for just a few dollars.
By Brooke LaMantia and Kathleen Hou
always shopping Sept. 29, 2023
31 Travel Essentials for Any Length of Trip Only have a carry-on? No problem.
capitalism Sept. 29, 2023
Traylor Is Already Too Much We’re drowning in ketchup and seemingly ranch.
weather Sept. 29, 2023
A Rain-Soaked Nightmare for New York Parents Climate change comes for school pickup.
By Julia Edelstein
amazon prime day 2023 Sept. 29, 2023
37 of the Best Gifts on Amazon Under $50 The best gifts to get ahead of (and during) Amazon Prime Day.
obsessive tester Sept. 29, 2023
13 LED Light-Therapy Masks That Are Worth the Investment And will save you money on facials in the long run.
friday sales Sept. 29, 2023
23 Things on Sale You’ll Actually Want to Buy: From Knix to Ninja Including a coffee maker for camping and waterproof Chelsea boots.
october prime day 2023 Sept. 29, 2023
Every Product We Tested (and Liked) on Sale During Prime Day 2023 Get a head start!
athletes Sept. 29, 2023
Michael Oher Claims The Blind Side Was a Lie A judge terminated the NFL player’s conservatorship, but did not dismiss his lawsuit.
fashion Sept. 29, 2023
Azzedine Alaïa, Fashion’s Greatest Archivist Over 20,000 articles of clothing he amassed are now on display in Paris.
parenting Sept. 29, 2023
Why Do Kids Need Ambition? We’ve reckoned with how we view work — why hasn’t that same existential shift made its way to how we view achievement for our kids?
By Amil Niazi
obsessive tester Sept. 29, 2023
The Absolute Best Edge-Control Products for Baby Hairs No baby hairs will be left behind with these products.
bachelor nation Sept. 29, 2023
‘The Golden Bachelor’ Is the Same Old Show So much looked familiar — except maybe the names. Instead of a collection of Kaylees and Ashleighs, we got Peggy, Nancy, and Kathy.
power Sept. 29, 2023
Lizzo Wants a Judge to Dismiss Dancers’ Lawsuit The singer “denies each and every allegation” against her.
More Stories
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • About The Cut
  • About New York Magazine
  • Newsletters
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • We’re Hiring
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Accessibility
The Cut is a Vox Media Network. © 2023 Vox Media, LLC. All rights reserved.