We all make excuses why today isn’t the day to work towards our creative goals. We don’t have enough time, energy, inspiration, support, or whatever. Don’t let your excuses get in the way.

Dear Sister,

I’m tired. When I get home from work all I want to do is collapse into my bed, snuggle Pepper, and watch some mindless tv. But since my creative pursuits don’t happen by themselves, I must push through. 

Pepper is the best writing buddy.

There are plenty of nights I don’t. Just fixing dinner, cleaning dishes, or vacuuming is enough to make me say that I’m done for the evening. And then I do a double take when the clock says it’s only five thirty.

I’ve always been a low energy person. But despite your energy level, most people feel like they don’t have enough to get the extra done. Enough time. Enough energy. Enough support. Enough inspiration. Whatever your enough is, the sad truth is, we have to make it.

I went to a writer’s conference last summer, and the highlight was a session on blogging. The speaker was Javacia of See Jane Write. Something she said struck me as so painfully true. I’ve held onto it. 

“Being busy doesn’t make you special. Everyone is busy. You have to make the time.”

It was said out of love and with a smile, but I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who felt the truth. I have to make this happen. 

If I want to live a creative life, I need to make it a priority. I need to end my day writing a few hundred words instead of watching mindless television. 

So what do you need to say no to? Or yes to? How did I write fifty thousand words in November? I wrote every single day until I got there. I sneaked in a little time in the evenings. On Saturdays, I broke my writing into chunks so it wasn’t as exhausting. I snuck a thousand words in during study hall a few times. Shhhhh… don’t tell. I was creative and found the time and energy I needed to reach my goal.

If you’re struggling to find the time, energy, motivation, etc. to reach your creative goals, here are a few suggestions to get you started:

  • Put in the time even when you don’t feel inspired. Sometimes that comes later. Sometimes it doesn’t, but you still get the work done.
  • Switch your schedule up. Some people are more focused in the morning. Others come alive at night. Try changing when you’re creative. 
  • Find a routine. A lot of artists and writers go through a routine each time they create.
  • Find someone with similar artistic interests and schedule a consistent time each week to meet up and work.
  • Immerse yourself in the beauty of other people’s work. Find and analyze what you love about their work. Studying your craft will put you in the mood to create.
  • Let yourself create bad art. Sometimes when I feel blocked and the words don’t come, I tell myself I’m going to write a really bad version of a scene, chapter, or book. I can always edit it later. I can’t edit what’s not there.
  • Remind yourself that you love to be creative and do it for the fun of it. 
  • Break your creative time into smaller sessions or goals. If I want to write two or three thousand words, it’s going to feel overwhelming if I feel like I must do it in one sitting. Set a smaller goal. Take a break. Go back later. Then when you do hit your big goals all at once, it’ll be so much more rewarding. And you’ll be amazed how much more progress you make with a bunch of mini-sessions.

I hope one or more of these suggestions sparked something. Because I believe we can all live creatively. I shared my writing resolutions for 2020, and my goal was to finish this rough draft I started in November. I haven’t finished it yet, but I’ve made some progress. There are a few more days left this month, so maybe? I’ll have to borrow a few of my suggestions to make it happen.

What do you do to make sure creativity happens in your life? Please share in the comments!

Happy creating,

Mallary

XOXO