Creative Oxygen

The saying goes that life is what happens when you’re making other plans. I ‘retired’ from my corporate job a few years ago to devote more time to my writing. Then my daughter announced her upcoming wedding. And not just any wedding. The Big Event was being held in my back garden. Trust me. There’s nothing like a wedding to provide a deadline for all those ‘tomorrow’ jobs.

My first thought? “My writing will have to wait a little longer.”

My second thought was “No. It’s waited long enough.”

I made a commitment to myself that somehow, in some way I’d squeeze in my art. If I didn’t make it a priority with me it certainly wouldn’t be with anyone else in my household. So here’s what I learned as I tucked creative time in the spaces around wedding preparations.

1) Invite success.
Take small bites. Recognize your time is limited and plan accordingly. Don’t promise yourself to write 1000 words a day or paint a huge canvas if you only have fifteen minutes to spare. And don’t underestimate the value of fifteen minutes. Which brings me to point number two.

2) Avoid the ‘all or nothing’ syndrome.
If you don’t have great swathes of time to devote to your muse remember -- few people do. Something always seems to come along. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have any time. Fifteen minutes a day for 365 days adds up to over 90 hours. What could you accomplish with 90 hours? Whether you use that fifteen minutes or not, it will still be a year later. Wouldn’t you like to have something to show for it?

3) Make a date with yourself and honor the commitment.
Make yourself the most important person in your own life. Think of it as your personal Safety Regulation. There’s a reason the airlines tell you to put on your oxygen mask first in an emergency. In order to help someone else you need resources to draw on. Fill your creative lungs.

4) Try something new.
Jump out of your creative rut and experiment. Excitement is a great motivator and will bring you back to the work. Take some creative risks. Ask yourself “If I’m only devoting fifteen minutes a day to a project how much is really at stake?”

5) Invite a friend to play.
Sometimes going it alone is just plain difficult. Declare a Play Day. Get some creative mojo going with a friend. Taking a whole day may seem like madness when you have so much to do but consider it recess. Trust me on this one. You’ll return to that To Do list refreshed.

6) Forgive yourself.
Some days even the smallest goal slips out of reach. Let it go. Tomorrow truly is another day.