5 Super Realistic Ways to Create Time for Creativity

How to Make Time to Nurture Your Soul

Do you feel capable of doing more? Do you wonder how you can ever find time to unleash all the untapped creative potential on the inside of you?

How do you create time for creativity is a question I often get asked? The other day at an open reception for an art show, a lady approached me and asked this same question that many have asked before her.  She turns out to be a multi-talented woman but she can’t find time in her busy schedule, even as a retired person, to do some of the things she’d love to do.

 

I know that many of us find ourselves in the same position.  It doesn’t matter whether we’re working 9 to 5 jobs or retired. Life has a way of throwing so many things at us daily, that it becomes impossible to create time for creativity. I too find myself in this position sometimes.

 

As a result of my commitment to groups, family and work, there are times when I find myself overscheduled, overcommitted with little or no room to create time for creativity.  But I’ve found that the following habits help to squeeze in enough time to create.

 

1. You Don’t Need Large Chunks of Time for Creativity

Most of the time, we’re looking for 2 hour or 3-hour blocks of time to use for our creative endeavors. But quite frankly, that kind of large time blocks are hard to come by and as a result we’re unable to find the time we need to start a project.  What we have though, are small chunks of time, like 30 minutes at a go. We need to recognize that the small chunks of time we get are useful creative times.  So, use them!! They add up!

 

2. Creativity Doesn’t Have to Be Sequential

To create time for creativity, don’t think that whatever you’re working on should be done sequentially. For example, suppose I have a few minutes on my hands right now. Although it is not enough for me to value shade the sketch I’m working on, it is just enough to take quick work-in-progress photos and start writing a blog post about that project. By doing so, I’d take care of something that should happen later in the process because I have the time now. Remember, you don’t always have to complete a creative task in a logical order. Use whatever time you have to work on something.

 

3. Creativity Doesn’t Only Happen in The Studio

We all have our own spaces, sanctuaries to speak, where we love to create.  We want to be there to create because that’s why they exist, right.  But as life will have it, we can’t always get in there when we want to.  That shouldn’t stop you from making time for creativity, though.  Be open-minded about where and how you can create. Then, you’ll see ideas begin to come to you when you’re in the bathroom, on your walks, on a drive or on a train ride, because inspiration to create is everywhere.  Embrace all of these as part of your creativity.  Then soon enough, you’ll find yourself making your way to your creativity sanctuary much more often.

 

4. Form Positive Habits to Support Your Time for Creativity

Habits are hard to form but they’re also hard to break when you form them.  What we really need is to form positive habits that support our desire to create time for creativity.  Starting small is great, but we need to gradually build it up to a habit. For some of us, it will take waking up 30 minutes earlier than we usually do or going to bed 30 minutes later.  Or for others, it will be cutting out one of your favorite TV shows at the weekend.  Let the intro or theme song for the TV show be your cue.  As soon as you hear the song you know it’s time to go create something. This will help you form a habit of making time to create and it can only get better from here. You can now form a strong habit of consistently setting aside meaningful time to  work on your creative projects.

 

5. Create Consistency in Your Creative Efforts

Now, talking about consistency. Consistency means that you keep at it.  Even if you’re not able to wake up 30 minutes earlier two days in a row as you planned, you have to wake up early on the third day.  Consistency means that when you make time for creativity then suddenly you find that you have no inspiration to create, you still use that time for creativity and nothing else.  Read a magazine for inspiration, listen to music or go see art.  It’s the time you worked so hard for and now that you’ve got it, use it solely for that purpose. Look at it as time to nurture your soul and build your practice!!

 

Question: What are some of the ways you make time for creativity in your own practice?  Do share your tips below.

 

Warmest Regards,