My life is pretty busy, but I still need to be creative. Every day I do something creative – ‘cause if I don’t, I feel miserable and lose my energy. To me practicing art is important to stay healthy and happy. Making art makes me feel alive!

I love my day job, but OMG! working almost full time leaves me with so little time to make art! I’m twisting my hands, shaking my brain cells hoping they will come up with a fab solution, but so far nothing revolutionary really happened. So I try to deal with the situation as best as I can.

Find your own way 

Most artists I know feel short of time, even the ones with no day jobs. The more time you spend working on your art projects, the more you wanna create – ideas come easy when you’re having fun! 

Every artist has their own way of coping with “too little time to make art” so try to find your own way! 

Downscaling

Right now I’m downscaling wherever possible; social media, planned exhibits, projects, ideas, time consuming techniques and size of paintings. I limit everything down to: What’s most important now!

I’m challenging myself to say yes to the right things. Which means I turned down 4 invitations to exhibit my work this year!

And I haven’t regretted it for a second!

Remove distractions

How to get shit done as often as you want? Remove distractions. Make time to do what is important now. Plan. Make commitments to yourself. Show up! Do the work! 

One creative hour spent every day adds a lot to your portfolio in a year. You might want to set a creative morning/ afternoon/ evening time to work on a fun project for 30 days to get things started. Join an art group or an art challenge like #30dayartproject Just do it!

Depending on how much time I’ve got, I might pick something from the list below: 

1. Doodle 
2. Work small
3. Create one page every day in my art journal
   1. Paint with only one colour a day (on several paintings)
4. Make the same pattern in different sizes/colours on several paintings
5. Organize my flat files … (works on paper need safe storage)
6. Look through art books while having breakfast/ before going to bed
7. Mix the perfect colour to get on with a WIP (work in progress)
8. Make quick sketches
9. Play with ideas
10. Make collage
11. Design my own patterns
12. Make my own collage material
13. Try something new
14. Paint edges of finished canvases
15. Look at my unfinished paintings from new angles, or in the mirror
16. Read about art
17. Listen to art podcasts
18. Watch and learn from MoMa or Louisiana (classes)
19. Scroll some of my art groups to see what my colleagues are doing
20. Daydream about my next art project
21. Clean or tidy up a part of my messy studio
22. Re-arrange part of my studio
23. Order supplies
24. Write poems
25. Go for a walk and study the world around me
26. Meditate upon an unsolved painting
27. Make plans for my next exhibition (whenever that will be)
28. Collect ideas for blog texts
29. Write blog texts
30. Put my work out on social media
31. Join an art challenge
32. Journal about my own art
33. Photograph or scan some of my work
34. Brush up my website (research other artists websites/blogs)
35. Research galleries and/or art fairs to sell my work
36. Enjoy my studio, invite friends over for a workshop
37. Visit museums and galleries 
38. Hang out with other creative people
39. Have fun!

Time is a friend

But most of the time I pet my cat and water my plants… 

Time isn’t short, time is forever, it has always been there and it will continue. Time is not an enemy. Time is a friend. It is universal and eternal. If you spend your time well, you will feel good! So pet your cat or do whatever makes you happy! 

Gotta go, Mr Cat is calling for me…