second in our discussion of things that hold us back from pursuing our confident crafting dreams,
let's talk about our constant lack of time and what we can do about it!
not having the time is probably the number one excuse for not being able to craft enough,
and boy do i agree!
making time to craft can be so hard with all the other responsibilities we all have in our lives.
but if we don't have time to do the things we love, then what are we doing it all for?
although i am still learning, every single day, how to be better about making time to craft,
i thought i would share a couple little tid bits i've learned through my crafting years.
- its not about "finding time", its about "making time".
our days are so easily filled with distracting fluff
that if we wait around passively for our schedules to clear,
we'll be waiting a long time!
you need to purposefully set aside time in your schedule to craft and only craft.
- a little bit of time here and there is better than no time at all.
i am very guilty of not starting projects because i only have a short break between commitments
and there's no way i can begin and finish a project in that amount of time.
but what if i actually spent that little bit of time crafting instead of playing on the computer?
i may not finish my project, but i will have actually done something useful!
just a half hour every day adds up to quite a bit after a week... what could you do with four hours?!
- make simple and mobile crafts a part of other activities.
i love knitting because you can take it with you anywhere!
you can knit on the bus, waiting to pick up the kids, watching tv with the mr at night.
you'll be pretty surprised what you can accomplish just by casually working during a movie :]
- spend time crafting with friends!
if you have friends that also wish they had more time to craft,
support each other by setting up crafting dates!
then you have two reasons to go, to catch up with your friends and to work on your crafts.
i've had so much fun in the last couple months sewing with one friend who is also pregnant.
not only did we both make a cute skirt for ourselves,
but we have been able to talk a lot about what we've been learning about babies, haha.
of course i'm still learning how to fit all the crafting i dream of doing
into the limited 24 hours i have every day,
but the tips above have helped me be better about getting things done.
what are some ways that you make time to craft?
I really struggle with making time to craft, but I manage to do it. One thing that really helps me... I've given myself permission to leave the mess for later. This works in two ways. If I have to choose between doing a load of sheets and working on a collage, I'll do the sheets later. If I have to get my kids to practice and only have 15 minutes to paint, I paint, throw the dirty brushes in water and clean them when we get home. It's not perfect (and I'm not taking the best care of my brushes), but the art happens and I am happy!
ReplyDeleteThat is one thing that I'm not lacking these days. I feel like I'm making something each week. Which means that I put the organizing in the back burner. I need more of a balance of both I think. I keep thinking of new ideas all the time, and brainstorming about how to make it and what supplies I need, I get the supplies...and that's what piles up in my uhmmm "closet".
ReplyDeleteChristine
dela chic
Saw the post on Craftgawker - nice blog you have here! :) I'd say that finding time is the #1 obstacle in the way of crafting for me. I've reached the point that I'm just going to have to get up and at all my other commitments earlier in the day, so I have some time in the evenings - I'm a night owl, so that's prime creative time for me.
ReplyDeleteI will say, though, sometimes having to put off a project isn't all bad. I tend to think long and hard about every project long before I ever sit down to make it. Generally I have most of the bugs worked out in my mind before they ever have a chance to see the light of day, and it makes the actual crafting go much faster.
gotta look on the bright side, i like that! i think i'll just start telling people that i'm putting off doing things so i can work out all the kinks mentally ;]
DeleteI usually procrastinate starting new projects because I don't want to get going when I don't think I have enough time to finish. Lately though, I've decided to break down the project into smaller goals before I even start. For example, if I want to make a new dress or something from a pattern, I decide from the get go that day one is just for cutting the pattern pieces, day 2 is for cutting fabric, and then day 3 I'll actually get started on the sewing. This helps me from feeling overwhelmed and also helps me feel like I'm accomplishing more.
ReplyDeleteoh i really like the idea to break things down into manageable daily bits, thanks jenn!
DeleteHi! I just found your post via craftgawker :)
ReplyDeleteA while back (~4 years) I actually switched crafts just so that I could do more crafting. I used to sew and occasionally knit or crochet, after I had my son I actually stopped sewing and put all of my crafty energy into crocheting and knitting.
This works for me because we have a small house and I can't leave anything out or in reach of small fingers - especially anything where there might be tiny pins involved.
-I can take most crochet or knit project where ever I go (I've perfected knitting while standing on the train to work).
-If a little one wakes up in the middle of the night I can easily put down what I'm working on and pick it back up later right where I left off.
NOTE - if you knit or crochet with children around, always have a decoy ball of yarn :)
Julia, I just love this idea! I've started knitting/crocheting more too because I can spend more time watching shows with my husband and still getting my craft on. I love the idea to have a project to work on when your little ones are up at night, that's going to be in my future here pretty soon! Thanks for the idea!
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