Now that you have given yourself permission to take some art time for yourself, you’ve scheduled it in and have made space for your creativity to thrive by  organizing your physical space and clearing out your mental space, quieting or at least turning down the volume of those inner critics. You are all set for sustaining  a creative practice right?

In theory yes, however things are never as simple as they seem on paper.    Life can get busy. Other obstructions to your creativity are bound to surface. The key is deciding when they need to be attended to because they are really a priority and when they are just excuses disguised as “more important things”  

One way to tell is by tuning in to how you are feeling. If any of the feelings that are coming up coincide with your original excuses for not doing art or arise out of self-critical thinking, then in all likelihood whatever it is that is trying to jump ahead of queue (and delaying your art time) may just be an excuse.

If you think of your art time as sacred “me time”. This is a time that is for you to unwind, release stress or express for your own peace of mind.  Over time you’ll begin to see it as a necessary part of your daily or weekly routine which is essential for other areas of your life to run smoothly.  Because “all work and no play” just doesn’t cut it!  Also, it may help if you think of this art time as an appointment with your Self or inner Muse which thrives on consistency. In that sense, it’s vital that you maintain these appointments much like you may keep a doctor’s appointment.

If you cancel a doctor’s appointment do you skip it altogether or reschedule it?  So if something comes up where you have to delay your art time, it’s important to continue to respect your time by rescheduling in time for that day or week if possible. Be honest with yourself.

Time often is an excuse to avoid, and may be a sign of fear of change.  “I don’t have time to make art” often stems from discomfort with change in a routine. Effort is involved after all. But in order for shifts to occur for the better in your life and to move beyond your comfort zone, there needs to be some embracing of change. When we open ourselves up this way we are in fact opening our lives to new possibilities. 

When I found myself falling back on the “there is no time” excuse, I looked for ways to make the space. I predicted when it would be an issue and prepared some quick ways which I could access my art making thus giving myself the space while conserving time.  Art journaling is one of the ways I did this.  I also would work on my intuitive paintings in blocks of time rather than trying to get it all done in one day b(though a workshop helps with this).  Leaving my art out to remind and inspire me also helps me grab some time for this precious practice  whenever I have a little bit of down time.

There are always ways around the excuses. It may just take some effort at first to get past them. But then you’re worth it right ?