Cultivating time for a creative practice
I wanted to share 4 simple tips you can implement today that will help tackle the time hurdle and cultivate more creativity into your life, and no, they don't include purchasing more art supplies!
First, get out your calendar and schedule time to create. If you don't plan for it, it won't happen. Get over the guilt and stop making excuses-creating is good for the mind, body and soul, and there is tons of medical research to prove it. Treat it like exercise and plan it into your week-even if it's only 15-30 minutes. Learn to say, "No" during your scheduled art time. Once you start making it a habit, it will become a hard one to break. I schedule my creative time right into my planner and mark it as non-negotiable.
Make time to create a priority by setting up accountability and community. Join a local art association or online creative community, take a class or sign up for a creative challenge through social media. Ask a friend to join you for extra accountability and encouragement. While creating is often a solitary practice, involving other people will help you make your time to create a priority. Start by joining my FREE Creative Spark Facebook group HERE. I've been creating and teaching for over 15 years now, and for myself, and most creatives I talk to, lack of time is the biggest culprit for not creating. Every time I teach a workshop, I hear participants blame time, more than any other reason, for their inability to paint regularly and pursue something they truly enjoy.
Spend less time setting up and cleaning up by having a designated space to create. Even if it's your kitchen counter, have a small area that you can access easily for creating. Pull together some of your favorite supplies in a small basket and place near that area so you grab it and start creating without a lot of hassle or energy. Amy over at Mindful Art Studio lists some great ideas in THIS article about setting up an art space when you have no space.
Think small-start off creating on index cards or a small journal, and begin with short segments of 15-30 minute time slots. You don't have to create the Mona Lisa. Just enjoy yourself and create, focusing on the process not the outcome. One of my favorite challenges is Index-Card-A-Day (ICAD) hosted by Daisy Yellow-check out details HERE. See a great example of how creative you can be with just 15 minutes in this great video called 15-minutes of mixed media by Rae Missigman- HERE.
As your habit of just taking time to create grows, your creativity will too. Take a small step today and put creativity on your calendar! I'd love to hear how you cultivate creativity into your life-please leave a comment.