Recently I was on a web show called “Erin Makes” { you can watch the replay here: Erin Reed Makes with…. Keri Sallee } and in the comments I got asked a very interesting question.
Someone asked “How do I make time to be creative?”
I thought “That is a great question!” and while I did my best to answer it live on the spot, I have had time to think about it for the last week or so and I thought I would share what I came up with!
Don’t try to “fit” it into Your Day
Life will always throw you curve balls and “creating when you have time” means that you will NEVER have time to create. Something will always take precedence over your creativity (hello adulthood!)
Instead, make a conscious effort to set aside time to create.
Look at your schedule and set a side a time. Do you have kids that nap? Great. Use that time. Stuck in carline? (My least favorite place on the PLANET!) Create a “to go” art supply kit and redeem that time from your usual social media scrolling.
Sometimes there is no time “in” your day. Maybe you work full time or have littles that need constant attention or a myriad of other things.
If that is you, ask the question: Am I an early bird or a night owl? And based off that answer, make the decision to get up a little earlier or have your creative time be after the rest of the world has gone to bed.
It doesn’t have to be HOURS… just a little creativity can go a long way to helping with stress, mental health, physical health and even can help with issues like dementia, ADD/HD and autism.
Which leads into my next point…
It doesn’t have to be a grand masterpiece that takes hours!
Too often people decide that if they don’t have HOURS to devote to creativity, then they aren’t really meant to be creative.
And that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Creatives are people who create. Period. End of story.
Telling yourself that if it doesn’t take hours it isn’t art is robbing yourself of the opportunity to stretch your creative brain.
Create within the time you have to create.
Want to create a larger piece? Work it in sections as time allows.
There is no rule that says a piece must be done 100% when you get up from your creative space.
Think smaller.
We can all agree that smaller is sometimes better.
Smaller electric bills. Awesome.
Smaller puppies. Adorable.
Smaller jean… ok…well not everything. HA!
But working in a smaller format can allow you to create and finish a piece in a shorter amount of time because you have less “real estate” to cover.
In the world of Bible Journaling, the BIG thing right now is the Dayspring Illustrating Bible, but the large format 12×12 pages have A LOT of space to fill.
So instead, if you are pressed for time, use a single column journaling bible, where the margin is only 2 ¼ in X 9 in.
Or choose a scripture notebook like this that I found on Christianbook.com. It is a smaller page, lighter weight book. And is a great price at less than $5 each. (This is also my recommendation for those who are just getting in to Bible Journaling and don’t have the money to spend on a traditional journaling bible)
ATCs or Artist/Artistic Trading Cards are also a great “mini” art project. They are small works of art that are the size of a playing card and can be finished in a small amount of time because at only 2 ½ in X 3 ½ in… there just isn’t a lot of room for stuff!
Other alternatives to downsizing your art: index cards, choosing a smaller art journal like the Dylusions Journal from Ranger Ink, smaller canvases or canvas panels, creating cards or even switching to digital art on a tablet so that you can “art” anywhere!
Look for cheats and shortcuts.
I have seen so many pinterest posts about DIYing your art supplies, from homemade gesso to making your own watercolors to handsewn journals.
And as cool as those things are… I just DO NOT have time for that.
Instead, I look for things that are going to make my life easier so that I can “art” more efficiently.
One of my favorite things is a Brothers Label Maker. It is my “go to” for quick and easy titles. The one I have is from Walmart and I think was around $25. It comes with a bunch of different fonts, and you can even change out the ribbon colors.
Like paints, but can’t afford them? Don’t think that you have to buy the most expensive, name-brand art supplies. While, yes, they have their place in the art world but if your option is to create with cheap supplies OR not create because you can’t afford the expensive ones… always choose whatever gets you creating.
I always tell people to buy the cheap stuff to “try” out the process. You might spend $30-50 on a set of watercolors and then decide you absolutely HATE watercolors. Then you never use them again. Start with a $10 set and see if you even like the process. You can always “upgrade” later!
Heck… I have an entire series on my YouTube channel that is all about creating with Dollar Tree Craft supplies. Art can happen even if you are on a budget. { You can check it out here: Creating Dollar Tree ART }
Another cheat? Borrow ideas!
No one says that you must reinvent the wheel every time you create. Find a technique to try from Facebook Groups or Youtube. Be inspired by a color palette on pinterest. Pick up a quick tip on an Instagram reel!
NOTE: Yes… borrow and share the love of art, but always remember to give credit to the original creator. Even if it’s a “this was inspired by @whoever” it is just respectful.
Don’t try to be a Jack/Jill of all trades.
It can be so easy to be “inspired” as artists and then we want to TRY ALL THE STUFF!
But by trying EVERYTHING, we are sometimes getting ourselves to a place of creative paralysis because now we have too many options.
Instead, find your niche.
Find what brings you the most joy and stick to that for a while.
For me, it is bible/art journaling. I do have supplies for other things like clay working, scrapbooking, creative planning and 3-D art, but right now to keep my brain from getting too scrambled, that has been my focus.
Also, challenge yourself to use LESS.
Much like tips 2 and 3 where you use less time and less space… using less supplies is a whole other challenge and can save you time and mental power.
Some ideas of potential “supply” challenges:
- Try a limited color palette, like a 3-color challenge or nothing but blues
- Source from supplies you own (also known as the “no spend” challenge)
- Use only one medium, like ONLY paint, stickers, paper, etc
- Repurpose or finish an old project
The creative Nemesis… organize.
I know. This is the LEAST fun thing on this list and that is why it is last. LOL
Organizing does not always compute well with the creative brain. We would much rather spend time creating that cleaning or sorting things.
However, think about it this way… would you rather spend 10 minutes creating OR 10 minutes trying to find that baby blue, block letter sticker set that you just bought at Hobby Lobby, but you can’t find?
Obviously, we would all choose the 10 minutes of creativity, but too often we end up being the second option because our creative supplies aren’t organized in a way that makes them easily accessible.
Here are a few tips to organizing your creative space:
- Figure out how your brain works. When I was BIG into scrapbooking, I organized my paper my manufacturer. I was the manager of a scrapbook store at that time, and it was something I was constantly dealing with, so when I created at home my brain automatically thought in terms of manufacturers and product lines. Maybe you think in colors? Or textures? Figure that out.
- Keep things you use often handy. I have a couple of rolling carts and desk top organizers that keep the things I use the most at arm’s reach: my favorite pens, paints, tools and supplies like paper towels. That way I don’t have to get up to get those things. The same goes for my Bibles. They are in shelves above my desk so I can just reach up for either a reference bible if I need it or to switch between my illustrating bibles, single column and interleaved bible.
- Group similar products together. I have a bunch of small drawers where I have paints and inks organized and they are grouped by types. All my permanent inks are together, all my Distress Oxides, all my liquid inks, etc. They are labeled so that I don’t have to remember what is in each of them or spend time opening and closing drawers. All of my letter stickers are together and separated from other stickers to make them easier to sort through when I need them.
- GET RID OF STUFF! I know… this is hard for us creatives to do. We like all the options, but if they are hindering us from being creative is it worth it? Since we have been in this house the past 10 years and I have had my own creative space, I have done 3 BIG “purges” where I gut my entire space (my husband loves this because it all ends up in the living room! LOL) Then I go through EVERYTHING and if it doesn’t spark creativity in my or is damaged or missing pieces, I get rid of it. This is also a great time to bless your local non-profits with much needed creative fodder. (don’t forget to get that tax receipt!!)
Organizing doesn’t have to be expensive either. Stores like the Dollar Tree have plastic bins and boxes. My 3 drawer organizers are from Walmart and only cost $8 each (and they are pink and grey to match my studio! #bonus.)
Stores like Micheals have expensive rolling carts and of course we can’t forget IKEA and it’s plethora of affordable organizing options (as long as you don’t mind putting things together! LOL)
Also check out thrift stores for items you can repurpose. The desk in my studio when we first moved here was an old 6 foot kitchen table and my storage was a entertainment center we found on Facebook Marketplace.
Closing Thoughts
I hope these tips can help you in some way to find more time in your life to be creative.
They are definitely things I have learned by living them over the years.
Until Next time,
XOXO,
Keri
