making your creativity a priority

​Many people ask me how I make time to create with so much going on in my life.  Part of it is because I am a Gemini (ha,ha)...but mostly is because I learned the hard way what it feels like to not be able to create.  I decided once I unblocked myself, it was important for me to nurture and encourage my creative muse at all costs.  

To say that it has been easy would be untrue....there are days and weeks when my other world takes precedent and I am unable to make my creative practice a priority.  But in those times, I make note of the things that inspire me, the ideas that come to me, and the images that get my attention.  When the time comes again for me to resume my creative practice, I collect the ideas, images, etc., that I found during the time of unproductivity which helps me jump start my creative practice without searching for ideas. 

So you may be telling yourself, that's great for you, but how can I possibly fit in my creative practice when I have a household to run, a full-time job, care taking of elderly parents, and other demands on my time?  Here are a few ideas to help you determine whether or not that is truly a reality for you:

1. Decide how much your creative practice or life means to you.  Do you feel like it is something that needs attention?  Or is it not such a big deal?   How does it feel when you create?  Does it give you joy?  Improve your mood?  Help you de-stress?  Do you feel alive and accomplished?  Only you know the answer to these questions. Those answers will guide you in making a decision whether or not creativity will need to play a larger role in your life. 
2. If your creative practice means a great deal to you, decide that it will now become one of the priorities in your life.  Make a commitment to yourself that your creativity will now become a must-do part of your weekly schedule.  You may want to formalize it as a contract to yourself  or create an affirmation about it that you can post where you can see it.  Doing something in writing or tangibly gives your brain the message that this is serious.
3. Check your calendar of to-dos daily and for the week.  What activities are you doing that you must complete?  How much of that is for other people?  What is truly something that can be put off or really doesn't need to be completed?  Is there something that someone else can be delegated to do in the household (ex: are you the only one in the entire household that has to walk the dog?   Is there another family member that can help you with caregiving duties for mom?  Can someone give you a hand with picking up your son from soccer practice?
4. If you can find ways to de-obligate some tasks that someone can do, decide whether or not other stuff are on the agenda because of an inability to say "no".  Sometimes we are our own worst enemy when we obligate ourselves to things we really don't need or want to do because we don't want the people in our lives to think negatively of us.   
5. Think creatively about your schedule.  Could you get up a few hours before the house wakes up to work on your creative practice?  What about when you are at the swim meet watching your child, could you work on it then?  What about lunch time?  
6. Start viewing your creative practice as a means of self-care.  See it just as important as getting your nails done, a haircut, or a massage.  It is a part of your DNA, your soul.  It is precious time for yourself to regroup and re-connect to your spirit.  
7. Talk to your family members about how important it is to have time for your creativity.  If you do so much for others, why not sit everyone down and let them know that you are now going to schedule time for your creative practice and ask for everyone's support to help you stick to it?
8. Find a squad of like-minded creatives to schedule some time to work on your practice together.  Or discuss your challenges and get ideas and tips.  Support groups are a great way to meet like-minded people who are also creatives and can be easily scheduled on the calendar for meetings. 
9. Just schedule a time each week that you are dedicating for your creative practice.  If it is just 30 minutes, put it on your calendar in your phone or computer and put a reminder on it.  As you schedule this time, continue to look for opportunities to schedule more time in each week. 

Once you decide that your creativity IS an important part of your life that should not be given to chance, you can take the steps to infuse it into your schedule.  Don't worry about how much time you can spend right away, as you move forward and become more disciplined, you will find that it will take the right place in your schedule naturally.