The Palette - Take Time for Yourself

"The only time I feel alive is when I'm painting." -- Vincent Van Gogh

A house, two active kids, a dog (let's face it, cats are pretty self sufficient) and a full time job equals no free time.  It's not easy sometimes, especially if you like to paint with oils as I do, to find the time to devote to your art.  And quite honestly, occasionally you can feel a little guilty if you take the time. Especially if the laundry is piling up or you have a list of other errands or chores you should be doing -- but it is important!  Important for you, and your happiness, and let's face it . . . even your sanity.

Make the time.  No, you can't always put it on the house calendar, make an appointment for yourself in Outlook, or scribble it into your day timer.  And, if you have young children, you can't realistically arrange for a 3 hour play date a week from Saturday and know that you will be in the mood to actually follow through because, let's face it, you need to be in the mood to enjoy it.  That holds true for most things.

If you get that desire to create and if its a day that you can stay in, pull out your sketch book, water color pad or canvas and say to your family "OK guys, I need some time"  - just do it! Without hesitation.  As long as the kids won't go hungry or your spouse didn't make plans to visit their parents that day (OK, for some that may be the perfect time) or you don't have some great responsibility that you can't put off . . . then take some "me time" and go for it! 

A few hours out of a day can make a huge difference - for you and those around you.  There are 168 hours in a week - can you take four hours or even eight hours for yourself to create?  You can produce some pretty impressive work if you feel the freedom to take advantage of your desire when you are in the mood and not force it in time allocated. 

So, who's calling in sick tomorrow?

Challenge:  Maybe you can't paint this week, or the weather is not right for photography, or your sketch book has run out.  Still take the time! Photograph your previous work. Create something on your computer with your art.  In case you never saw this interesting take on Van Gogh's artwork, check out this video on YouTube.  Or, you may want to pick a song and set your own art to music!  I just gave it a try with a recent painting I did of Diamond Head.   The movie creation software was built right in Windows Live Photo Gallery where I keep my photos and was very simple to use. If you create one - post it here!