25 Brilliant Ways People Have Been Channeling Their Creativity In 2020

Painters, dancers, designers, oh my! Learn how you can make the most of your talents with Adobe Creative Cloud.

We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to share how they've been channeling their creativity for good during this difficult year. Here's what this talented bunch had to show us:

1. This sustainable stitcher whose entrepreneurial dreams have become a bright and colorful reality.

ezraercolini

"I have always dreamed of working for myself, and I have used quarantine to begin to make that a reality. I have been creating up-cycled embroidery pieces and selling them on my Etsy shop: With Love, Ezra Store! It's been so exciting to connect with people through my art and creating unique pieces for commissions."

—ezraercolini

2. This radiant up-and-coming designer who has mastered her way around a sewing machine.

kiera1

"I’ve been spending more time sewing my own wardrobe. My bathing suit is probably my most favorite thing I’ve made this summer."

—kiera1

3. An eco-conscious artist who truly believes in the proverb "One person's trash..."

crazypantssavanna

"This year has really made me look at the way I live and the way I make art. Inspired by the garbage remains from human impact, Avant-Garbage developed from a broken world. Working from home during a pandemic, I found my 'artistic voice'. This project has pushed me to a place of peace; my mind, heart and creativity have aligned. This project has forced me to look at my environmental impact and find new way to use garbage."

—crazypantssavanna

4. This costume designer whose hobby of arts and crafts has been ~blooming~.

thejavidian

"I've been diving deep into large crafts and costuming! Giant flowers, wearable fish heads, townspeople from Over the Garden Wall... it's getting out of hand in the best possible way. 😅 You can see the rest on Instagram, @lindywitch."

—thejavidian

5. An illustrator who has used this time to convey a poignant message in a new medium.

melaniepmv

"I have always liked to draw cartoons, but with quarantine, I had this strong need of portraying people I love in a more realistic way so I could feel their essence near me. This is the result."

—melaniepmv

6. And this budding artist who has recognized their newfound talent.

tashac08

"I’ve always struggled with drawing and painting people, so with all of the extra time on my hands, I decided to take up portrait painting! I’ve definitely improved."

—tashac08

7. This painter who made the best of a bad situation by taking the time to cultivate their craft.

kmarek

"The pandemic started off wild for me because I had a bad leg break shortly before my state went into lockdown. I am a painter, but it took weeks of physical therapy before I could tolerate sitting up for long enough periods of time to work on a painting. When I could finally get back to work, I had a ton of pent-up ideas, and I made some of my favorite paintings I've ever done: Birds of the Air Gifts"

—kmarek

8. This mindful teacher who has been sparking important classroom discussions.

chelseab449f17348

"I made this bulletin board, which celebrates those who fought for freedom, to help facilitate diverse classroom discussions."

—chelseab449f17348

9. This jewelry maker who knows how to create the perfect quarantine accessory.

amoff123

"I’ve been spending my extra time making and selling jewelry on Instagram, @wire_things_. It’s been a great way to make a bit of money and get my creative juices flowing."

—amoff123

10. This woodworker whose talent we're totally grateful for.

LilyKat

"I’ve been working on making wooden mixed media portraits of some of my favorite artists, saints, musicians, and activists, like this most recent Jerry Garcia piece."

—LilyKat

11. This person who had a stroke of genius and created museum-worthy footwear.

ducttapehill

"My creativity has been has been blooming during quarantine. Here is the before and after of one of my newest projects."

—ducttapehill

12. This person who's putting out positive vibes to passersby.

jenrussell

"Made this front-door (or wherever you want to hang it) welcome sign. ☺️"

—jenrussell

13. This photographer who's discovered ways to make their work even more visually appealing.

katiew4689cd407

"I’ve been learning how to make patterns out of shapes and my photographs on Photoshop for cyanotype prints. I’ve even started selling some prints and T-shirts online. The quarantine took me away from my job, but gave me a lot of time for my creative juices to flow!"

—katiew4689cd407

14. This community of literature buffs who moonlight as skillful cross-stitchers.

kristinhowe7

"This year has given me more time to focus on my new small business, Stitching Book Club. We are an online cross-stitch community that reads classic literature with mystery stitch-a-longs. The Secret Garden was our summer project this year."

—kristinhowe7

15. This modern-day chandler whose charitable business idea is truly lit.

kaiyaperalta

"I started my own candle business with a focus on sustainability, and I donate 20% to nonprofits!! 🕯"

—kaiyaperalta

16. This multitalented mom who doesn't believe in dressing her kids in fast fashion.

fgradowski

"I've started sewing my son's entire wardrobe. I've also started selling custom made children's clothing because I enjoy it so much! My most recent make are these adorable denim pants."

—fgradowski

17. This thoughtful person who's sending out some light in a time of darkness.

kbi20

"I've been making cards to send to my friends and family."

—kbi20

18. A crochet maker whose creations are too cute for words.

madisonnicholebaker

"I learned to crochet! I will be selling my creations at my local market this November and I am so excited!"

—madisonnicholebaker

19. This person who can finally get away with drawing on the walls.

kayladewaldcraft

"I’ve been painting all the things. Below is a mural I sketched and then painted on my dining room wall!"

—kayladewaldcraft

20. This theater costume designer who believes the show must go on!

sbenitez2293

"I am a costume designer and technician in my day-to-day. With all of theater shut down due to the pandemic, I have been using my skills to revamp my wardrobe. This is my most recent dress in my quarantine collection. Since March, I've made 15 dresses and counting!"

—sbenitez2293

21. This dancer who's bringing joy to her life and our screens.

lindyenpointe

"I’m a dancer, and it was so difficult training at home and not being able to perform (especially during my senior year). My cousin and I worked together to make this dance video to spread some light to others during this wild time. It was so nice to choreograph and ‘perform’ again! It was to the song ‘A Million Dreams’. Here’s the link for the video."

—lindyenpointe

22. This person who's tapping into their ingenuity and making us feel nostalgic as heck.

jeselyn

"I started a new Etsy shop called ShrinkyPop with over 50 listings! I rediscovered my love of shrinkable polystyrene sheets from childhood, taught myself how to use epoxy resin, and started making uniquely designed expandable phone grips! It’s been so much fun so far, and so helpful to my mental health. Everything is uncertain right now, so it’s been great to make something tangible that people are responding to."

—jeselyn

23. This designer who's demonstrating that her artistic skills are totally transferrable.

baileyk658

"I’ve gotten to do a lot more digital design work for illustration and graphic design. I’ve posted a lot of my art on social media and have a small following on there. I also have opened an Etsy shop for crochet projects and canvas paintings I have done. This year has been a rough one, but I always say the best thing to come out of it is how creative people have become and how many small businesses are thriving."

—baileyk658

24. This crafter whose cute little sculptures are the perfect way to perk up any workspace.

emilyg4fcee85ca

"I've been a pretty crafty person pretty much my whole life, and I could just go on for hours thinking of creative things to do! Even though I don't end up doing them half the time, when quarantine hit, that just meant more time to do more arts and crafts for me! I made this little strawberry cow clay sculpture not too long ago and it's definitely one of my favorite things I've made! I'm not the best at painting so there are a few imperfections, also because it's a clay sculpture and clay is hard to work with, but I keep this little guy on my desk!"

—emilyg4fcee85ca

25. And this incredible baker whose decorative pies not only caught the attention of the internet, but have also helped feed an entire community.

freidt

"I had fun making a couple pies, posted them and they went viral in a couple days. I was contacted by Anna Sui and she used them in NY Spring Fashion Week. I used the publicity to raise $5,001 dollars for the Foodbank with a pie raffle. So one pie is now providing 20,004 meals to our community. ❤️"

—freidt

Submissions have been edited for length/clarity.

Look how much good has come out of this less than great year! If you're feeling inspired to embark on your creative journey, check out Adobe Creative Cloud to learn how you can take the first step. (And students, you can save up to 60%.)