Finding time to be creative is something everybody struggles with. Often times there’s only a half hour or an hour to write, paint, what have you. By the time you sit down and get into your creative groove, it’s time to quit already.
Don’t you hate that?
The key to making the most of that time is to always be prepared for inspiration. If you have to set up anything or do something to get ready for generating ideas, you’re dead in the water.
Here are some quick tips you can use:
- Reserve your own space for creativity. Find a quiet corner or room in your house that has all your supplies, computer and files in one place.
- Be ready, always. Always carry a notebook and pencil. Always have a brush and paints ready to be uncapped. Keep your camera in the trunk of your car. Once you have an idea, you shouldn’t have to stretch some canvas and dig around for paints first.
- Get support from your friends and family. Tell them that your creative time is yours, and hold to that schedule. It’s easy for other things in life to steal 5 or ten minutes of that precious time.
- Plan for set up and tear down. If you know you absolutely have to do things like mix paint or strike a set, build that time into your schedule. If you need an hour to be creative, set aside an hour and a half.
- Keep focused. Unplug your computer from the internet (unless you are doing research). I’ve convinced Google Reader is creativity’s worst enemy.
