We’ve put together a helpful A-Z of Creativity to help you to channel all that New Year enthusiasm into a creative practice, and spark ideas on how to bring your creative ambitions to life.

A — Attend

Creativity begins with showing up! Attend local events, exhibitions, rehearsals, talks, sports matches or community gatherings. Presence is a creative act that sustains cultural life and shared experience.

See it in action: The Eng-Age exhibition, celebrating intergenerational connections is currently running at Red Rua in Dublin 24.

B — Belong

Create spaces where people feel seen and welcome – in clubs, choirs, collectives, online forums or community centres. This year, help  people feel like they belong. Creativity thrives where belonging is actively built.

See it in action: Silver Lining Fridays, virtual music appreciation sessions with the Forget Me Nots choir are inclusive and social opportunities for senior people to take part in music.

C — Cook

Celebrate food as culture and creativity. Try blending modern Irish cooking, global influences, seasonal produce and shared traditions.

See it in action: Taste of Home, is a multicultural cookbook, which is a celebration of food, memory, and the vibrant mix of cultures that make up our shared community in Cork.

D — Document

Record everyday life through writing, audio, photography or video. Capturing stories, traditions and moments preserves living culture for the future.

E — Express

Express who you are in different creative ways – through fashion, arts and crafts, language, storytelling, dance or photography. The possibilities are endless.

F — Facilitate

Create the conditions for creativity in others – by organising workshops, lending tools, sharing knowledge or simply holding space for ideas to emerge.

G — Grow

Take time to develop ideas, skills, confidence and connections. Creativity doesn’t happen instantly, it grows through care, patience and practice.

H — Heritage

Honour heritage while allowing it to evolve. Engage with Irish language, crafts, music, folklore and history in ways that are respectful, contemporary and alive.

See it in action: Check out the National Heritage Week line-up running in August 2026 which celebrates Ireland’s cultural, built and natural heritage.

I — Imagine

Imagine better futures for culture, climate, education, work and wellbeing – using creativity as a tool for collective possibility.

J — Journal

Reflect through writing, drawing or recording – capturing thoughts, tracking change and making sense of everyday life.

K — Knit

Create by hand – take up knitting, crocheting, sewing, weaving and mending as slow, mindful and meaningful creative acts.

See it in action: Create a Brigid-inspired bracelet at this craft workshop in Roscommon

L — Learn

Learn new skills, crafts, languages or perspectives – staying curious at every age and stage of life.

M — Move

Use the body as a creative tool. Dance, stretch, play sport, or explore movement as expression, wellbeing and connection.

N — Nature

Connect creatively with the natural world – through walking, observing, gardening, protecting biodiversity or making work inspired by land, sea and weather.

O — Organise

Create order with imagination – from playlists and wardrobes to community actions, festivals or shared resources.

P — Perform

Share live creativity –  through music, comedy, spoken word, dance, sport or simply showing up fully as yourself.

See it in action: The Sing for Joy Choir in Portlaoise, is an inclusive community choir for people with special needs, including intellectual and physical disabilities or mental health issues.

Q — Question

Ask better questions, challenge assumptions, rethink traditions,opening space for new ideas to emerge.

R — Restore

Repair what already exists – objects, relationships, traditions and places. Restoration is a creative act rooted in care and sustainability.

S — Share

Share skills, stories, food, time and lived experience –  strengthening creativity through generosity and connection.

T — Teach
Pass on knowledge – mentoring, facilitating, demonstrating or learning together across generations and communities.

U — Upcycle
Reimagine materials and objects – turning what already exists into something useful, beautiful or purposeful.

V — Volunteer

Apply creativity for social good – supporting arts, culture, environment, youth and community initiatives.

W — Write

Write to communicate, reflect and imagine – stories, poems, scripts, captions, letters or notes to yourself.

X — eXchange

Share ideas across communities and borders. Exchange knowledge, culture and experience locally and internationally to enrich creative life.

Y — You

Value your voice,  recognising that your background, experiences and perspective are essential to Ireland’s creative life.

Z — Zoom In

Pay attention to the small moments – a conversation, a detail, a gesture. Creativity often lives in the everyday and the overlooked.

These 26 ideas for 2026 remind us that creativity belongs to everyone. From everyday moments to shared experiences, each small act helps build a more connected, confident and creative community.

As we enter the new year, creativity continues to nurture wellbeing, strengthen belonging and shape a culture that is always growing and evolving.

Check our Creative Communities events page to find out more on over 1000 free events taking place across Ireland, supported by Creative Ireland. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to find more daily inspiration on how to access your creative self in 2026.