Making Time to Paint-Five tips for fitting creativity into a busy life
An Invitation.....
Experts say it takes 21 days to create a habit. Let's start the year with some simple tasks that will lead us to a more creative lifestyle for the upcoming year. Join me in planning for our upcoming year with my FREE Create 2025 Online Course.
Whether your goal is to be more intentional about painting, turning your hobby into a side business or cultivating a more creative lifestyle in general, lets set our creative intentions and top goals for the year together so we can have more time creating in the new year. Join me HERE.
As artists, we all crave time to create, but life often feels like a whirlwind of responsibilities. Whether you're juggling a 9-to-5, family commitments, or an endless to-do list, maintaining a creative practice can seem like an impossible dream.
Here's 5 simple tips (and no, they don't include purchasing more art supplies) that you can start to implement today to help tackle the time hurdle and cultivate more creativity into your life.
1. Schedule Your Creative Time
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 any other appointment or meeting, and honor it-even if it's only 15-30 minutes. Next, 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. Even 15-minute pockets of focused creativity can add up over time. Early mornings, lunch breaks, or evenings can become your sacred creative time. See the planner I ordered this year HERE.
2. Design a Functional Creative Space
Spend less time setting up and cleaning up by having a designated space for creating-and it doesn't have to be a studio or even a whole room. Even if it's your kitchen counter or a portable set up, have a small area that you can access easily. 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.
3. Think Small
Big projects and big art can feel overwhelming, especially when time is limited. Break them into smaller, manageable tasks, or tackle smaller paintings. For instance, instead of “finish painting,” set goals like “sketch layout” or “add base colors.” Completing smaller steps will keep you motivated and moving forward. Another option is to create small (read more about the benefits of creating small HERE). Start off creating on index cards or a small journal, and begin with short segments of 15-30 minute time slots. Just enjoy yourself and create, focusing on the process not the outcome. Learn more about my index card course HERE.
4. Embrace Progress Over Perfection
Not every session has to result in a masterpiece. Give yourself permission to create imperfectly; time to play; time to experiment. The act of showing up consistently matters more than the outcome. Over time, these small efforts will lead to significant growth in your practice.
5. Reframe Your Lifestyle
Make time to paint a priority by making creativity part of your everyday life-by cultivating a "creative lifestyle". Sketch while watching TV, brainstorm ideas during your commute, or use cooking as a way to explore colors and textures. Also, by setting up accountability, community, and daily habits, art and creativity can become an everyday blessing. Join a local art association or online creative community, take a class or sign up for a creative challenge through social media, or 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 more of a priority.
I've been creating and teaching for almost 20 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. By blending creativity with everyday activities, you can keep the artistic spark alive.
Life’s demands will always compete for your attention, but creativity is a worthy pursuit. With intentional scheduling, a creative-friendly environment, and a mindset focused on progress, you can balance your busy life while nurturing your artistic soul.
I highly recommend The Artists Way by Julia Cameron. It is one of my favorite art books that really helped me foster a creative mindset.
What strategies do you use to stay creative? Share your tips in the comments below!
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