As soon as I've told someone I like to do a bit of art in my free time, I find myself guiltily wracking my brains to remember the last time I did in fact pick up a paintbrush. Although there are those sickeningly brilliant people out there who somehow manage to balance their full-time job, three kids and sky-diving hobby with a fully-functioning art studio in the back garden, I doubt it's just me who struggles to find the time to get creative.
In my case, I seem to always decide that I have something more productive and useful to do, like write an article or tick another thing off my to-do list. Then at other times, I figure that I really need to catch up on the latest episode of 24 Hours in A+E.
So, to help the both of us, I've come up with a few things that might prompt us find time to actually enjoy our hobby:
Sign up for an Art Class
Okay, this may not be what you were expecting, but a class is honestly such a good way to allow yourself time to be creative. If it's weekly, then that already a few hours each week that have been specifically set apart for you. As well as this, you'll probably find that you feel really inspired after a session and somehow manage to find a couple of free slots during the rest of the week to continue your project. I started a four week mixed media art class last week and have already come up with quite a few things I want to do, which has meant that I've been working on my sketchbook later on in the evening, instead of watching TV. Of course, some classes can be expensive, especially if materials are provided for you. But if you find one through a school or a local community program, then you won't have to pay too much and hopefully what you take away from it will make it worth the money.
Get inspired
As I said above, I'm often surprised at how much time I do actually have for art when there's a particular project I want to get on with. Understandably, I feel reluctant to get out the materials and set everything up if all I'm going to do is stare blankly at a white page, or produce something I'm not happy with. My number one go-to for inspiration is Pinterest, as I've got the app on my iPod and can be flicking through pages of amazing projects and ideas within seconds. If you've never used Pinterest, it's essentially a way of gathering all your interests/plans/ideas/inspirations in one place, without having to bookmark a load of pages on your toolbar, or trawl through Google every time. It's as though someone has filtered through a normal internet search and has picked out the best bits for you. For example, type in 'art journals' and you'll see so many beautiful books that it will be impossible not to be inspired. Then you can 'pin' the pages you like to your own 'boards', which nicely organises all your searches and ideas.
Multitask
This won't work for everyone, but I've found that art is the kind of thing I can do at the same time as watching TV. In fact, it's quite nice to have something on as a distraction, as I sometimes find that my ideas flow more naturally when I'm not thinking too hard about what I'm doing. There is a problem with this however, if you don't have enough time in your day to sit in front of the TV, which I'm sure is the case for a lot of people. Maybe if your life is super hectic, so that you barely have a spare moment to yourself, the idea below might help. But also, don't forget that you can use lunch-breaks and commutes to plan things you might like to do at some point in the future.
Take art away with you
Even if you just pack your sketchbook and a couple of pencils, taking your arty bits away on holiday with you can be the perfect solution. Not only does this allow you to produce art journals and memoirs about your travels and find inspiration in things you don't usually see, but you'll also move at a more relaxed pace. Depending on the kind of holiday you're on, you'll probably have at least a couple of hours each day just to chill out and unwind. Some examples of things you could do whilst on holiday are: sketches of your surroundings (e.g. flowers, boats, mountains, people, animals, birds etc), drawings combined with words to create a diary of your activities, and collages using things you pick up. Or, you could finally get started on that project you planned in your lunch-break six months ago!
Hopefully you're now feeling super inspired to make time to whip out your beret and easel. Off you pop, and thank me later...!
Harriet x
