How to Make Time for Creativity in Your Busy Schedule

Photo by Nazar Synytsia on Unsplash

As a creative person, you probably have lots of ideas for the kinds of things you want to make. I’m guessing that if I asked you what was stopping you from actually taking action on those ideas, you might say something like “I don’t have the time” or “I’m too busy with work” or something along those lines. 

It’s really easy to put your art on the back burner, especially if you have obligations to other people, whether that’s your employer, your kids, your partner, or someone else in your life. Like me, you are probably a kind, caring person, and you want to make sure your people are taken care of. And before we get any further, I want to say THANK YOU for being one of those kind people in the world. 

But over time, if we don’t make time for the things that are really important to us, life can feel deeply unsatisfying. It’s great to help others, but we also need to find the time to prioritize our own dreams and interests. Imagine how amazing it would feel to actually write your book, paint your paintings, compose your songs, or bake your beautiful and artistic cakes. Imagine how it would feel to get to play and create every single week. Maybe even every single day. 

I do know that finding pockets of time in a busy schedule is easier said than done, so I wanted to share a few of the things that have worked for me. Here are some of the ways I’ve carved out regular time in my schedule for creativity: 

Be consistent. 

The time in my life when I was most consistent with my art was actually when I was in school. I certainly did not have more free time then, but what I did have was a consistent schedule. I went to school every day, and then every day I came home and practiced the piano/violin/viola/French horn/flute (yes I was a bit of an overachiever) before doing my homework. It’s not a routine I’d want to go back to (calculus homework, no thank you) - but the consistency was really helpful. 

If you don’t already have that consistency built into your day, I think it’s important to create your own routine in whatever way you can. For me, that means working on my art every morning after I eat breakfast. This is also helpful because it means I can focus on my own projects for a little while before I check email or my to-do list for the day, and my brain gets filled up with other people’s requests and priorities. 

If you’re the kind of person who resists routine and structure, try giving yourself some flexibility within your creative time. Maybe you block out 30 minutes every evening for your creative practice, but you leave it open as to whether you get to work on your novel, try a new recipe, or teach yourself how to crochet. 

Find an accountability buddy. 

If you’re motivated by accountability (and a lot of us are), this can be really helpful. Find a friend, a co-working group, or a coach who you can check in with on a regular basis. When somebody is counting on you to show up and share your progress regularly, it adds a sense of urgency that is otherwise lacking from our own personal passion projects. 

Set a specific goal. 

It can be hard to sit down and work on your art if you know you’re going to be looking at a blank page. And sure, you can doodle and experiment - if that feels exciting to you, do that! But for a lot of us, it’s easy to get frustrated when it feels like we’re not working towards something. Going back to my musical roots, I was always working towards a concert or recital. Now, I have to come up with my own goals. I’ve found that once I get the ball rolling with a particular project, creativity starts to flow more and more easily. 

If you don’t have a specific project in mind that you want to start with, try thinking about your past projects. Is there anything you’ve already made that you could revisit with a fresh perspective? Or maybe you’ll find a theme in the kind of work you like to create - for me, this is often creating things for other people, like writing poems for friends and family. It can also be helpful to choose a series of some kind to start with. That way, when you finish one illustration/poem/song, you already have a bit of a plan for the next one. 

If you feel like you could use some guidance or accountability with all of this, I’d love to support you. You can learn more about creativity coaching and apply to work with me here. Happy creating!