How to Make Time for Art

The key to making time for art is the ability to say "NO".

If you say "yes" to everything that is asked of you, you will not have time to be creative. And it is so easy to say "yes" to all kinds of things and so hard to say "no". It is hard to say "no" to immediate family, extended family, demands of friends, organizations, messy houses, cluttered basements--the list is endless.

Making art takes lots of time. It not only takes a great deal of time to do whatever it is you are creating, but it also takes a great deal time for what most people would consider "down time". Artistic down time is a foreign concept to people who are not artists. Our society values busyness over artistic incubation, but you cannot create art without it.

You will feel immensely guilty saying to yourself that your art is more important than time spent with a certain friend, organization or clearing out that large dust bunny that is appearing under your bed! But ask yourself, if there was something really crucial, wouldn't you slash everything that was unessential in your life to take care of it. The answer is yes. Do the same thing with your art.

Learning how to say "no" takes practice. You may want to communicate to your nearest and dearest your new priority, so they won't feel emotionally abandoned. From time to time you will get sucked into situations and events; and it takes a great deal of effort to find a balance between creating art and also having a meaningful life outside of that endeavor.

But remember, "no" is a complete sentence. It will take everyone some time to adjust to your new way of living. There may be a lot of grumbling from a lot of people, but if creating art is really important to you, let them grumble away. You'll find out who your friends really are. The ones that really care about you will want what's important for you--to create art!

© Mary Baker 2005

Mary Baker is a contemporary realist painter, whose studio is in Newburyport, Massachusetts. This New England city, north of Boston, has been the inspiration for the artist's realistic oil paintings. Mary Baker is a professional artist and has shown in New York art galleries.

You can visit Mary at her website, Mary Baker Art, http://www.marybakera rt.com , see her beautiful paintings and read her commentary on a variety of subjects concerning art, including Why Buy Original Art and Art, Artists and the Web--Why Every Artist Should Have Their Own Website.

---

Creativity and Communication Lessons from Crossing the Street

Spring is in full bloom, which means it's 'get back... Read More

The Source of Growth and Creativity

Bare attention (to objects, people and circumstances) is what brings... Read More

Seeing Problems From Their Creative Side

Did you know that winning actually puts less wear and... Read More

A Book About Faith and Love

With news about Iraq and London and even our own... Read More

Get your Creative Juices Flowing

Copyright 2005 Cherry Communications/Be Heard SolutionsThe creative arts enhance our... Read More

Be Creative: 10 Easy Steps To Increase Your Confidence, Creativity and Cash In The Attention Economy

How can you be more creative? How can you turn... Read More

Top Ten Ways To Jump-Start Your Creativity

1 - Take A Tour of the Great Outdoors Consider... Read More

Creativity Management ? Working From Real Life

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Connect With Your Creative Dream

We get so busy in our day-to-day life, with all... Read More

Becoming More Creative -- What We Can Learn From Disney

When you think about the legacies Walt Disney left us,... Read More

Our Limitless Quantum Reality

Modern science tells us that on a sub-atomic level --... Read More

Overcoming Artists Block (Part 1)

How many times does an artist stare down at that... Read More

9 Steps to Supercharge Your Productivity with Creativity

Time is the great equalizer. Everybody has the exact same... Read More

True Power Series Part I. Visualization: Image Production and Verbal Thought

(5 minutes a day) There is no limit to what... Read More

Top Five Reasons to Cultivate Your Creativity

Cultivating your creativity is more than spending time with a... Read More

Sleep and Creativity

In my life, sleep is the number one way that... Read More

Art, Artists and Money

Practical money tips for people in the arts.1. Sock it... Read More

Think & Grow Rich

All wealth is a product of mind. Some economists will... Read More

Mindfulness and Poetry: Delicious Word Awareness

Everyone's a poet.Of course, everyone's a critic, too! This means... Read More

Improve Your Bottom Line, Kens Idea Saved over $100,000

Engaged employees can show us the way to continuously improve.... Read More

Revenge of the Sith ? Creativity and Structure

The common belief is that lack of structure and randomness... Read More

Creativity Management ? Finding Your Voice

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Recharge Your Battery

It was 4:15PM on a Thursday when I arrived at... Read More

7 Techniques to Supercharge your Creativity and Solve your Problems

Do you ever encounter problems, challenges or obstacles in your... Read More

I Want To Create...

What would you like to create? A peaceful life, a... Read More

Who Wants To Be A Creative Genius?

Can You Learn Creativity?Have you ever watched Robin Williams do... Read More

Why Creative Visualization Works

Experience has shown that creative visualization works. It is quite... Read More

Inspiration, Creativity, and Channeling ? Opening Ourselves to Greatness

Channeling is much easier to do than most people suspect.... Read More

Internet Business: 10 Important Creative Ways To Get New Product Ideas

Creativity is one of the most important keys to success... Read More

Are You A Creative Meathead?

Remember Archie Bunker's description of what a Meathead was on... Read More

Macrovision

These days it's all about breaking things down into manageable... Read More

The Elements of Creativity: What-ifs?

What if there is no toilet paper and I am... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Think Creatively

You may have heard of Roger von Oech's book, A... Read More