Summer has a way of inviting us to slow down, try something new, and see the world a little differently. Whether you’re a practicing artist, an arts administrator, a creative entrepreneur, or simply someone looking to reconnect with your imagination, creativity doesn’t have to begin with a blank canvas. Sometimes it starts with paying closer attention, taking a different route home, or giving yourself permission to play.
This month, we’re inviting you to take part in the 20 for 20 Summer Creative Challenge.
Below are 20 simple prompts designed to help you explore creativity in everyday life. Choose one, choose five, or challenge yourself to complete all 20 throughout the summer.
And when you do, we’d love to see what you create.
Share your experience on social media, tag ABC and tell us which prompt inspired you. We’ll feature some of our favorite submissions on our social media channels and in an upcoming newsletter.
20 Ways to Spark Creativity This Summer
1. Explore a New Gallery: Visit a local gallery, museum, or public art installation you’ve never explored before. We recommend the Soundwaves Gallery at GEODIS Park!
2. Capture Your Summer: Start a summer photo album. Take one photo every day, then print your favorites and create an album to revisit long after summer ends.
3. Create Just for You: Spend 30 minutes making something with no expectation of sharing, selling, or perfecting it.
4. Refresh Your Space: Rearrange your creative workspace, desk, or studio to inspire fresh thinking.
5. Take Yourself on an Artist Date: Spend an afternoon exploring a Nashville neighborhood you’ve never really wandered. Pop into a local coffee shop, bookstore, or creative business and see where curiosity takes you.
6. Find Inspiration Outdoors: Spend time in nature at one of Nashville’s parks like Shelby Bottoms, Percy Warner Park, Cumberland Park, or venture outside the city for a nearby waterfall or hiking trail.
7. Discover New Music: Catch a local band at one of Nashville’s independent venues or check out a concert series like the Full Moon Pickin’ Party.
8. Gather Your Creative Community: Invite fellow artists or creatives to meet for coffee and exchange ideas, works in progress, or creative goals.
9. Cook Something New: Try a recipe you’ve never made before and enjoy the creative process in the kitchen.
10. Experience Live Art: Attend a local arts event, performance, exhibition, or concert—or find all of the above at Kindling Arts Festival!
11. Revisit an Old Project: Dust off an unfinished project and spend at least 20 minutes moving it forward.
12. Beat the Heat with Art: Visit Red Arrow Gallery’s Nashville Hot Summer exhibition and let one artwork inspire your next creative project.
13. Make Something from What You Have: Challenge yourself to create using only materials already in your home or studio.
14. Take an Inspiration Walk: Photograph interesting textures, architecture, shadows, or anything else that catches your eye.
15. Find Creativity in Sustainability: Visit the Nashville Farmers’ Market, stop by the Waste Less™ mural by Woke3, and reflect on how food, community, and creativity intersect.
16. Build the Soundtrack to Your Summer: Create a summer playlist and revisit it throughout the season—and again when winter rolls around.
17. Celebrate Another Artist: Share the work of a local artist and tell others why it inspires you.
18. Write with The Porch: Attend a writing event with The Porch and connect with fellow creatives through workshops, meetups, or writing circles.
19. Create Outside Your Comfort Zone: Try a creative medium you’ve never explored before—paint if you’re a writer, write if you’re a musician, or pick up a camera if you’ve never photographed intentionally.
20. Share Your Creativity: Post something you’ve created this summer, tag the Arts & Business Council, and let us know which prompt inspired you for a chance to be featured on our social media or in an upcoming newsletter.
Join the Challenge
Creativity grows when it’s shared.
Throughout July, we’ll be highlighting submissions from our community and celebrating the many ways creativity shows up across Middle Tennessee. Whether your medium is painting, music, writing, photography, design, cooking, crafting, or simply seeing the world with fresh eyes, we’d love to follow along.
Pick a prompt. Get creative. Tag ABC. We can’t wait to see what you make.