The survey’s gone out, the results are in, and here’s one finding you can take to the bank: The number 1 reason by far that creatives give for not doing their art is “lack of time.”
What’s the solution to that? Do we really need 22 clever ways to find time? Maybe, but I think what we really need is to raise the stakes for not doing our art. It’s one thing to choose diversions when you have nothing to lose, but if you stand to lose everything, it’s a different story.
So which is true? Do we have nothing or everything to lose?
If You Don’t Do Your Art…
If you don’t do your art, chances are you’ll be okay, right? You’ll go on your current trajectory and retire and have a nice 401K to draw from and all will be well. Except you will have left the best you have to offer inside you. You’ll go to your grave knowing that you could have been and done more. You will have settled for safety. You’ll have all the creature comforts a person could want, perhaps, but you’ll die unfulfilled.
If you go the way of the Resistance, chances are none will be the wiser. Except you.
If You Do Your Art…
Now let’s think about the other scenario. What if you did your art? Chances are some things would have to change in your life. You’d have to take in fewer diversions. You’d have to stop cowtowing to the Resistance. In other words you’d have to make some good, healthy decisions. And in doing so you’d be setting yourself up to bring out your best. You’d be setting yourself up to thrive and hit your sweet spot, and you’ll go to the grave knowing you did as you were meant to do.
The Choice Is Yours
Of course life is not this simple. Every day you are somewhere between these two choices.
Of course life is this simple. At any given moment you have a choice to make.
My point is that by one way of calculating value, failing to do your art doesn’t mean a dang thing. But by another system of value, failing to do your art is in fact the ultimate failure.
How do you calculate value? The choice is yours, but remaining neutral is, I’m afraid, not an option.
Wonderful post there Chad. Thanks for sharing. I felt this was tailored especially for me. Once again, thanks for sharing.
Terrific! So glad to hear this.
Thanks for sharing this, and thanks for making me think! I have been struggling with this exact thing for the past several months. I have been trying to spend more time on my art- which for me is writing, drawing and painting- but I find that I only make the time when I remember how important it really is.
I sometimes look at my “creative time” as my selfish time. And then I don’t do it, because no one wants to be selfish. To do or not do…that is the ultimate question. Thank you for your post and thoughts. I think it helps. 🙂
Hi Chad!
I love this: “Of course life is this simple. At any given moment you have a choice to make.” I’m one of those that indicated on your survey that finding time is tough. Sometimes we make it a more dramatic decision in our head than it really is – it comes down to day by day choices that we are actually in control of. When we see it that way, it definitely helps remove the pity party mentality that we “just don’t have time” for what we truly want to do.
I’ve actually taken the time to color code my life hour by hour in a spreadsheet before (maybe you can imagine that? lol). I put every hour down the side and the days across the top. Then I color coded the hours that are “fixed” or unchangeable to see where my time goes. (We spend a much bigger percent of our time sleeping and eating than we realize. 🙂 That left the blocks of time that are available for personal decisions. It was really helpful to see 1) how much time I actually do have to make choices with and 2) when those times are so I can best allocate them. It’s a worthwhile activity, though admittedly a bit too type-A for some. 🙂
By the way, I love thew new blog design! Very professional. I just redesigned my blog too. Must be something about a new year!
Hey Natasha!
I love the idea of visually showing ourselves how much “choice space” we have in our lives, and yes, I can TOTALLY see you doing this!
Thanks for your kind words on the new design. It was definitely time for a change. And yours looks awesome too! I love the pen/cross image, and I also like the long line of posts on the left column. You’re giving readers a lot of different possible places to click on your homepage. That’s smart!
I have to be honest, with no judgment on anyone else. But I think that lack of time isn’t an issue at all. It’s priorities. If it’s important to me, I’ll do it. It’s really that simple. When I say “I don’t have time,” I’m making Time responsible, not my own decisions. Of course there are exceptions: serious illness. e.g. . But I’m finding it much more freeing to say “That isn’t a priority for me right now” (the truth) instead of “I don’t have time.” I acknowledge I’m in control of my schedule and life and not someone/thing else.
Amen, Lora, well said. I think “not enough time” can sometimes be code for “apathetic,” “don’t care enough,” or “too tired”! You’re right, it’s about priorities. My point in this post is that way to help us prioritize to consider the consequences of not making first things first. Thanks for your comment. I really appreciate it.
Several of my artistic friends and relatives say they cannot focus on doing their art (in whatever field) unless they have caught up on their chores and other responsibilities first, but in my case art has to become a “big rock” or it doesn’t get done at all. It doesn’t mean I make my kids hitchhike home from a school event in the dark
because I am too busy drawing pictures to go pick them up in the car; but it may mean that sometimes the dishes don’t get done, the carpet needs vacuuming, the clean laundry stays in the basket or I choose not to volunteer in a child’s classroom, because I have a deadline on a piece of art for a show I have registered to be involved in. I would like to learn how to get the little chores done, too, but I decided to make sure the art was being made at some point–making it a priority–instead of keeping the house immaculate and then looking back and saying, “what a nice clean house I’ve had all my life…but I never did learn how to paint with watercolours.”
Ah, I love it! Your comment points up the fact, though, that doing our art often involves REAL sacrifices. The time you spend painting will sometimes mean other things don’t get done! I have experienced this myself! It’s just reality, and it’s all about priorities. Thank you for this insightful reflection!
I have been struggling with this very thing. Finding time for my art is challenging because I think I make it so. I seem to find ways of excusing my lack of creating. The key for me is to find ways to get my mojo back. Thank you for making me think. 🙂
Well, you’re most welcome! I think an important tool is reflecting for a bit on the consequences of not creating. At least this is certainly motivating for me!