MAKE THE TIME

February 25th, 2022

Creativity is often thought of as something that only happens when the spirit moves us, or when everything on our to-do list is done, or when the clouds part, the sun shines and all is right with the world. The problem is that whatever our perfect inspirational scenario is, it never arrives quite the way we imagine. The only sure-fire way to get to our creative work is to plan a time for it, to schedule it like we would a meeting or a doctor’s appointment. It sounds boring, I know, no room for spontaneity or inspiration. But without a time set aside during our week, within our day, the creative flow we fantasize about will get absorbed by laundry, bills, yard work and grocery shopping or worst of all, lost time on our phones. Make this time important, special, maybe even a reward for doing taxes. Make it something to look forward to. So when you sit in that seat, hold that brush, pull that pot, you can recognize it as something you’ve given yourself. We may fear that we won’t be in the right frame of mind when we arrive at our desks or soldering stations, but the first step is showing up. We can’t begin unless we show up. So the next time you get out your planner to schedule your week, block out the time you need to paint, write, bake, weld or garden. I guarantee it will feel better than making a dentist appointment.