From The Sketchbook

Finding Time For Your Creative Life.

Hi everyone! Welcome to my new art site, oMordah at omordah.com! I’m excited and grateful to be able to start sharing with you some of the insights, lessons, musings and helpful ideas that I’ve learned the hard way over the years; to help make living your most creative life a little easier.

Ready? Let’s Go!

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Today let’s tackle what in my humble opinion is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to a consistent and happy creative life; time.

Without getting into the whole science of time, alternate timelines and space time continuum, one thing to realize is that we all have the same amount of time in a day. And although it’s not always up to us how we use that time—we have kids, pets, work, and bills to pay—there are ways to make time work for us.

So how do we do it? How do you do all the things, stay fairly sane and healthy, and still manage to live a creative life? Well, here are a few good things to remember:

• Know and respect your own limitations. Sometimes I wake up in the morning, and feel like I can tackle the world. I make a real plan, and set out with the energy and excitement of a puppy with a new ball, to get it all done before dinner. But then by the third item on my list I’ve had road blocks, and unexpected things happen, and I’m already getting tired. But I still feel I have to finish it all! This is discouraging and a fast track to giving up. Instead go ahead and make a plan, but be realistic, and fair to yourself, and understand that you may not always get everything done, or even half—but, make that plan, and take the first steps.
• Start slow. By this I mean, if you’ve never ever crocheted anything, maybe start with a smaller project. Something that won’t take too long, and you can feel a more instant form of gratification when you actually finish it (And maybe don’t buy the most expensive wool hand carded from Peru, enough yarn to cover a small car, or set out to paint 5 masterpieces in a month). No one needs that kind of pressure. You’ll feel happier, and more likely to move on to the next stage without it. Or even if you have done it many times, but know you only have so much energy at the time to go around, be honest with yourself.

• Take yourself seriously so others will too. This is a hard one. You’ve made your plan, and have all of your tools ready—you’re psyched. Then one of your family members needs something, or a friend calls, or one of a thousand other things come up. What do you do? It’s very easy to say, “oh, yeah, OK, it’ll only take a minute” or “I’l get back into this when I’m done”. This is energy sapping, and more than likely you won’t “get back to it”. If you’re serious about that painting, or practicing that cello, lock in your time. Lovingly make it clear to others you’ll help them out or be there another time, but right now you’re in the middle of something. Better still, let it be known ahead of time, you’ll be busy at that time. It’s usually better not to get into specifics that others (and yourself) can talk you out of. Also, enlist help when you can.

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So you’ve made a realistic plan, and let everyone know that you’re serious. You stand in front of that canvas, or computer, and … nothing happens. You suddenly can’t think, and it’s just not working. Now what? Is this it? Have you done everything that you can to set the stage to begin your creative life, and now suddenly you can barely remember your name, never mind create something?

Don’t give up! This happens to everyone. Take some pressure off, but don’t completely walk away. If you had planned to start a painting and that blank white canvas is just staring you in the face and mocking you; stop, grab a cup of tea or whatever your favorite calming tool is. Then sit down in the same space as your canvas, and maybe sketch or doodle. Take a ten minute breather and check out some photos online of something in line with what you had planned to paint. Use these few minutes to get re-inspired. If you still don’t “feel it”, don’t beat yourself up—come back to it on your next planned scheduled time and try again.

OK! Now you’ve cared enough to set a schedule, and be firm about others (and yourself) respecting your time. You’re excited, and maybe a little scared. But you’re ready, you can do this! Show the world (and yourself) what you’ve got!

Remember to stop by omordah.com for more inspiration and ideas to help you in your creative life.

Thank you for checking out my blog and supporting this new adventure! I look forward to seeing you back here next time!

I can’t be remiss in thanking my producer, and site designer Nikki Moore. Please check out her amazing Anime style plushies at BleedingHeartsCrafts at etsy.com/shop/bleedingheartscrafts