Making time for art is no small order in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives.

The benefits of making art are numerous, but when we’re occupied by our daily responsibilities, it’s all too easy to let art fall by the wayside. Making the time for art can transform our relationship to ourselves, and unlock the creative energies we all share. So if that sounds good to you, how can you incorporate art into your busy schedules?

“Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get the work done. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you’re not going to make an awful lot of work.” – Chuck Close

Schedule Time For Art

Treat your creative time as a non-negotiable appointment with yourself. If you block out the time in your schedule, it will be that much easier to keep your commitment to yourself. Setting aside the time for art is an investment in you, just the same as scheduling proper exercise and good nutrition. There may still be times where life will get in the way, and art will have to take a backseat, but setting aside the time for art in your calendar will make it far more achievable than otherwise. 

Start Small 

When we’re exploring the possibilities for our artistic endeavors, it can be tempting to set out on a grand expedition. This grand expedition in your mind might take the form of a novel, a mural, or any other piece that requires an ambitious workload. While it can be fun to imagine our dream projects coming to fruition, it can be incredibly challenging to break up all that work into manageable bites, especially if you’re not in the practice of making art consistently. That’s why it’s important to keep things small and completable when you’re starting out. These are things like… 

• Writing a poem. 
• Doodling in your sketchbook. 
• Making a comic strip. 
• Folding origami. 

Create A Dedicated Artistic Space

Find a place in your home where you can feel comfortable making art. Having a dedicated space for art removes the hassle of having to set up and clean up every time making it more convenient and accessible to get into your artistic flow. Each time you see that room, corner, desk, or table, you can be reminded that you are an artist who has the time and space to work creatively. The same way that working in an office can bring focus to your professional endeavors, making a creative space in your home can help you stick to your creative tasks. And whenever you do make the time for art, you can be fully immersed in it without worry or distraction. 

“As I work at my drawings, day after day, what seemed unattainable before is now gradually becoming possible. Slowly, I’m learning to observe and measure. I don’t stand quite so helpless before nature any longer.” – Vincent van Gogh

Making A Change

Working on art can feel like a lot of pressure, but paradoxically, neglecting to work on art can feel like a lot of pressure too. It isn’t easy, it only sometimes comes naturally, and it takes dedication to get into the habit. When you start making more time for art, you might notice the therapeutic effect that it has on you. That is because when you create, you slip into a theta brain wave state, which is the same brain wave you move into when you are meditating. It can feel like you are in flow with yourself, and that allows the left side of your brain to converse with the right side. When this happens, you are able to feel your deep emotions and then make sense of them through the creative process. 

This is something that you can do on your own, but, often, we find that we need support in making sense of it all.

Integrative Counsel proudly offers virtual Art Therapy with Quinn. Quinn uses virtual art therapy to treat individuals with OCD and Anxiety, as well as those undergoing a major life transition or adjustment and are  experiencing grief. Click here to schedule your virtual art therapy session!

Sunny Ebsary is an educator, multi-modal artist, and writer specializing in the intersection of myth and mental health. Sunny’s writing walks the line between poetic and logical, giving readers a chance to interface with the mind and imagination. Sunny’s been putting pen to paper since he was a child, writing everything from albums, novels, and plays, to essays, interactive games, and of course, many articles! While studying both psychology and writing, he realized his real passion in life was helping others unlock their creative spark. Whether he’s leading a D&D game, directing a production, or diving deep into the brain, you can be sure Sunny will be ushering you toward finding meaning in your life.