Another wonderful post Julie. It’s so hard to balance everything especially when we have all the financial aspects to consider. I try to rotate walking, yoga, reading, journaling etc, I just can’t fit all the things into each day, or even each week often. At least this way allows a couple of studio sessions a week, for this season of my life anyway. It’s lovely that you’re prioritising time with your daughter. Keep on keeping on!
Thank you for sharing these reflections. I was also a teacher and, like you became so used to the tightly scheduled, planned days, weeks, years. It is a hard habit to get out of even in retirement from it!
Your decision to put in place time/space every week - with no specific plan sounds perfect and what I should have been doing all this time. Remembering that I don't have to justify that time but can just 'be'. I think it's about giving myself permission & not feeling like I have to walk out of the studio (yes, I am very lucky in having one) saying I made this or that today. I used to do it - it's called play - and I think I can again. Thank you! And best wishes for your creative space 😊
Potent reflections Julie. A balancing act that most of us know, even if some have more time for art than others. Perhaps it is that it is not not always the physical space that is the real prerequisite (even thought that would be nice), as much as the mental space. A date with yourself. I am inspired to experiment with blocking time for studio time, because sometimes I should be able to find time, but sometimes for various and weird reasons I struggle to get around to it. And why is that so? Well, you hint at that too, the demands that I tend to put on myself for those hours. To be 'useful', 'clever', 'mindful', 'sticking to one idea' (and the list goes on and on). thanks for sharing these ideas. Lets go and have some art-time.
Yeap, our lives feel so orchestrated, either imposed by our own hand or external influences. Like you, I try to meditate as a way to set/reset. Every morning in the working week when I first wake up I do about ten minutes of meditation and 10mins of free creative thinking, both whilst sitting in bed with a cup of lovely coffee (my most creative time of day!). I used to spend this time reading emails, scrolling on Instagram or anything else that seemingly demanded my immediate attention, but I decided those things can wait (or be forgotten about with luck), and instead I purposefully gifted this little slice of time to ME! My partner leaves for work as I wake up, he brings me coffee and then I am alone, not needed anywhere for anything, it is my time, my space, until its time to get up and start the day. It might not sound a lot, but I very quickly began to treasure this daily ritual and my creative thinking has flourished. I am now considering turning my mobile off on Sundays, and on weekdays by 8pm.... whether I can achieve this remains to be seen but I am very curious to see & feel how much more time and feeling of space I have without it being a constant in my life. Take care.
Another wonderful post Julie. It’s so hard to balance everything especially when we have all the financial aspects to consider. I try to rotate walking, yoga, reading, journaling etc, I just can’t fit all the things into each day, or even each week often. At least this way allows a couple of studio sessions a week, for this season of my life anyway. It’s lovely that you’re prioritising time with your daughter. Keep on keeping on!
Thank you for sharing these reflections. I was also a teacher and, like you became so used to the tightly scheduled, planned days, weeks, years. It is a hard habit to get out of even in retirement from it!
Your decision to put in place time/space every week - with no specific plan sounds perfect and what I should have been doing all this time. Remembering that I don't have to justify that time but can just 'be'. I think it's about giving myself permission & not feeling like I have to walk out of the studio (yes, I am very lucky in having one) saying I made this or that today. I used to do it - it's called play - and I think I can again. Thank you! And best wishes for your creative space 😊
Potent reflections Julie. A balancing act that most of us know, even if some have more time for art than others. Perhaps it is that it is not not always the physical space that is the real prerequisite (even thought that would be nice), as much as the mental space. A date with yourself. I am inspired to experiment with blocking time for studio time, because sometimes I should be able to find time, but sometimes for various and weird reasons I struggle to get around to it. And why is that so? Well, you hint at that too, the demands that I tend to put on myself for those hours. To be 'useful', 'clever', 'mindful', 'sticking to one idea' (and the list goes on and on). thanks for sharing these ideas. Lets go and have some art-time.
Yeap, our lives feel so orchestrated, either imposed by our own hand or external influences. Like you, I try to meditate as a way to set/reset. Every morning in the working week when I first wake up I do about ten minutes of meditation and 10mins of free creative thinking, both whilst sitting in bed with a cup of lovely coffee (my most creative time of day!). I used to spend this time reading emails, scrolling on Instagram or anything else that seemingly demanded my immediate attention, but I decided those things can wait (or be forgotten about with luck), and instead I purposefully gifted this little slice of time to ME! My partner leaves for work as I wake up, he brings me coffee and then I am alone, not needed anywhere for anything, it is my time, my space, until its time to get up and start the day. It might not sound a lot, but I very quickly began to treasure this daily ritual and my creative thinking has flourished. I am now considering turning my mobile off on Sundays, and on weekdays by 8pm.... whether I can achieve this remains to be seen but I am very curious to see & feel how much more time and feeling of space I have without it being a constant in my life. Take care.