Well. It has been a long time since I last blogged. Over the past few months, I’ve been adjusting to working full-time again, and it’s been a challenge to find my balance and to make time and space for creativity. But I think I’m getting there. 
I actually think that having a regular routine can be great for creativity. And it’s often while I’m doing other daily tasks that I have the ideas that later become creative projects. When I’m busy, the problem is not lack of inspiration; it’s the difficulty of carving out time to actually sit down and write, or sit down and draw, or to try a new recipe in the kitchen. But slowly I’m getting there. This weekend I completed a pen and ink drawing. Tonight I made basil coconut curry for the first time. And at this moment, I am writing a blog entry.
The cycle of the work-week and household chores takes a lot of time and a lot of energy. And when I’m not busy with those things, it’s easy just to crash. But I know that I need to make time for creative work, or I won’t feel complete. So I’m trying to seize the moments I can, to not worry about being perfect (because I don’t have time for perfectionism), and to “add to the beauty” in small ways when I get the chance.
How do you find time for creativity in your busy schedule?
Elise! I feel like we are on the same page so much, it’s crazy.
I totally hear you on scheduling time to be creative. It’s hard when my schedule feels so full, but usually any time that I invest in creativity re-energizes me so much! Lately every couple weeks I’ve tried to focus on doing a smallish-size project on a specific day. So this Saturday, I know I need to make enough time to sew a clothespin bag that I’ve been wanting to make for a few weeks. I know it won’t take forever, and it will make me really happy.
I’ve also been thinking about starting a blog… being able to look at crafty things that I’ve created inspires me to try more. I’m trying to get more of a defined idea of what I want from a blog before I start it… any tips you have on how your blog has helped you creatively without being another thing on your to-do list would be great! I know you’ve touched on that subject a little bit before, so I’ll have to look through your older posts.
And I’m glad you are back to blogging; you definitely add to the beauty through the words and stories you share, and it inspires me!
Sara, I love your idea of setting aside a specific time on a specific day to do a project. So often, I have all these ideas in my head that never go anywhere, because I never know which one to start first or when to start it. I’ve been realizing that, in a lot of areas of life, I need to tone down my expectations of myself and enjoy doing what I actually can do.
I think that I enjoy blogging more and get less stressed about it when I brainstorm ahead of time about topics I’d like to write on. I try to think of different aspects of different themes that I’d like to explore.
And, lately, I’ve been trying to be less of a perfectionist about what I post.
I would love it if you started a blog; I love the crafts that you make. (Sometimes I’m a little jealous of your crafting and organizational skills, I must admit.)
Thanks for saying hi. You encourage me.
[...] No to Perfectionism In yesterday’s post, I wrote that I don’t have time for perfectionism. That thought has been running through my mind [...]