How to Find Time for Art

If you enjoy art, or want to try and get into it for the first time, you’ll need a lot of practice at the beginning. But it can be really difficult to find enough time to really focus on your work. Here are a few tips to make sure you have the time to reach your art goals.

Schedule your time. At the beginning of the week, go over your calendar and block out time to draw or paint. It doesn’t have to be a long time, just twenty minutes is enough. You can gradually build up the amount of time you block out. When you schedule practice time early, you'll be able to prepare and organize tasks around these blocks.

Don’t wait for the perfect time. A mistake many people often make is “waiting for inspiration to hit you.” This will, more often than not, get you nowhere. When inspiration does hit, you’ll be too busy to sit down and record your ideas. Instead, sit down whenever you have the time and try to make something. Even something small is better than nothing.

Get up earlier. Try waking up half an hour earlier every morning. The morning can be a great time to be creative, depending on your preferences. Either way, this will create an extra half hour in your day that you can use to practice your craft.

Find a friend. Try and find a friend to do art with. Not only will this motivate you and be fun, but it’ll force you to find the time in your day to work on your latest piece. This can actually apply to different areas of your life too, like working out or studying.

Do art while you travel. If you have a long bus ride to work or school every morning, that can be a great time to get out your sketchbook and get inspiration from your surroundings. Doing quick sketches is relatively simple and won’t require a lot of room or supplies. If you take advantage of these short periods during your day, you’ll find you can fit in quite a lot of art.

Prioritize art. If you’re just starting out, this tip won’t apply to you as much. But if you sell your art or are very advanced, it’s important to prioritize your artistic progress. When you’re planning your time, you may have to put art over your other, less important obligations.

Make goals. Start out with a smaller goal. For example, try to go for twenty minutes a day. As you work and grow, increase it. Having a concrete goal in mind will motivate you to work harder and meet it. After several months, you can reflect on your progress and enjoy the product of your hard work!