Identifying Time Wasters
When we first embark on a goal to pursue some sort of creative practice, one of the biggest challenges is finding the time.
Many responsibilities tug at us.
But is that the real problem?
I firmly believe that our responsibilities are what make our creative practices so meaningful and beautiful.
Of course our responsibilities (for me, things like childcare, meal preparation, and so on) come first, and it’s important to regularly evaluate whether you have let your creative passions impact your ability to tend to those responsibilities, but it’s possible something else entirely is getting in the way of your creative practice…
I have found two ways to transform how I use my time.
ONE: Take away the time wasters
Our world is set up with many, many distractions, but it can be a challenge to sift out the ones that are necessary from the merely attention grabbing. Try logging how many times you find yourself surfing the web, or obsessing over something that really didn’t need that much attention, or struggling with listlessness or against a lack of motivation.
Yet while it can be useful to take note of those time wasters before or after (or while) you are engaging with them, responsibilities always expand to fill the time.
Which brings me to the second way…
TWO: Add in something new
Whenever I have added in a new practice that I was sure I didn’t have time for – art, prayer, writing, reading – I DID NOT find myself getting any further behind in my legitimate responsibilities.
Over time, instead of reaching for a phone, I found myself reaching for my sketchbook, or opening up the word document for the book I was working on.
It will not look the way you imagined. You might come to your creative practice feeling like you have nothing to offer. You likely will not have uninterrupted hours (either because of life responsibilities, or because it takes time to build up that attention span)
But ten minutes is a start. Some days, 30 seconds is all I get, even now!
Remember:
The things we most long to be able to do will not detract from life and responsibility. The creative practices that express the most true and noble longings in our souls, will bring more to our reality than it ever demands.
Practical Tips for Creativity and Responsibility
Do you ever feel as though the advice you receive about how to write, draw, play music, (or whatever your desired creative practice) is specifically for someone who doesn’t have to juggle the realities of life? Do the people giving this advice understand what it’s like to have the demands of family, kids activities, school, jobs, meal planning, personal health, pet care….and the list could go on!
For those still in the middle of the chaos and only beginning to develop that creative practice that tugs at your soul, I offer this as a set of guidelines:
- Don’t Hustle. Live life, learn, observe, ponder. And then create. What you create will be all the more beautiful if you do those other things first. All that chaos that is your life? Learning to navigate those human experiences will be the life blood of your creative practice.
- Get Outside. Movement inspires imagination and brings clarity to the mind. We are human beings, which means we are physical creatures. We have bodies, and when we forget that, our minds and our souls suffer. It might feel like I’m adding just one more thing to do, but this one gives back tenfold.
- Confront what drains your energy. Likely having to run kids from activity to activity or work that extra shift isn’t the only thing draining your energy. Resentments and frustrations about life, or whatever interior struggle you have, probably drains your energy more than all of life’s responsibilities combined.
- Pay Attention to the small pockets of time. Time is a gift, and if you pay attention, you’ll recognize moments that you waste, and small pockets of time that come as gifts.
