Basically it came down to a very simple ultimatum: (1) Stop doing anything but the day job or (2) Figure out a way to fit art and fun into my schedule.
I chose option #2. (Obviously, right?)
Okay, so I made that choice but now what? How in the world do I squeeze in extra time? The answer was very obvious: I don't.
Extra time is not the issue. Effectively using my time is. There are a lot of little blocks of time that go unused in the day. Ten minutes here, five minutes there. They hardly seem like they are worth anything but if you worked on a project for ten minutes every day, you'd have nearly an hour's worth of work in on it by the end of the work week.
Doesn't sound like much? An hour sounds a heck of a lot more then zero. Still not convinced? See this?
Red EyeLynn Krawczyk
That art quilt appeared with my article "Experiments with Thermofax Printing" in the 10th Anniversary issue of Quilting Arts Magazine and I made it in ten minute time blocks.
Its a habit. Not one that comes easily and not one that I can always keep up with. Sometimes I'm just tired and don't feel like working. And sometimes all I've got to give is ten minutes.
And that's okay.
Those ten minute time blocks keep me moving. They keep me producing and I feel productive and happy with the amount of work I put out.
So the next time you are sitting somewhere thinking about how you have no time to do something, take the time you would spend worrying about it and do something. Even just for a few minutes.
Ten minutes can make a huge difference in the long run.
6 comments:
I just love you!
I like this idea and have certainly tried using it myself, however I find it very difficult to accomplish. It is very hard for my brain to switch gears and I end up wasting more time than I am using. I seem to like large chunks of time better, but I keep trying to squeeze in little bits here and there anyway. Just hoping!
I've heard this from another quilter and I think it is absolutely true. While I prefer larger blocks of time (no pun intended!), I think as working artists--we also have an opportunity to create a "10 minute practice" as you suggest-not unlike a 10 minute block of meditation. Thanks for this!
There's a liveliness to it. I really like it. If I don't feel like working but make myself start, I always feel better.
This often works well for me too. I often know what the next step is - ten minutes of printing. painting, stitching, etc., but don't know what comes after that. By working in 10 minutes blocks - when the next work session rolls around, my sub-conscious has the next step figured out!
Lynn. This gives me hope. With a second floor studio and a dog who still doesn't come up the stairs, I despair not having lots of time to create. He will stay downstairs without barking and whining at times so I will learn how to use that time. I definitely will need to revise how my studio is set up so I can take advantage of shorter periods. Do you do have an tips on studio organization which makes it possible to do ten minute increments? Do you write out plans/sketches or just wing it?
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