5 Tips for Balancing Art and Motherhood

Art and kids don't mix - or do they?

I'm always wondering why and or how I can keep the balance between art and motherhood. Most days, if I'm being really honest, there is very little art making when I compare it to the time that I need to spend with my family. I have two kids under the age of four, obviously they need a lot from me right now and they are home 90% of the time, (99% feels more accurate). So how do I get anything done? Well here are 5 things that have been working for me lately.

1. Babysitting swap. A while ago I realized I hadn't made any art for several weeks in a row, like the only brush that I had used was a toothbrush and hairbrush. I felt like I was going crazy because making art really is a stress release for me. But sometimes art seems like a luxury and one that I shouldn't be doing unless I have a good reason. Well, I was getting anxious and mentally I knew that if I didn't get a break I was going to break. So I reached out to several friends and asked them if they would be interested in watching my kids for me, and in exchange I could watch their kids too. I set it up so that once a week my kids leave for about 3 hours at a time and that is my time to create. Then I watch someone else's kids so they can have 3 hours to do whatever they want to do on a different day that same week. I do this with 4 different friends so each week I get to have some time to myself and it doesn't really burden anyone else too much. Game changer! Now things will always come up, kids get sick, we have appointments to do to, life is still life. But even getting this time, sometimes has helped me out a lot!
2. Make at least 15 minutes of art a day. This seems really hard but not when I count the times when I make art with my kids. Crayons count too! It might seem like this is unproductive but any time that I am creating it does help to. Building, creating, making messes, it can all be productive if you look at it the right way. The other day I found a kids craft painting with balloons instead of paintbrushes. Sure it was fun for my kids, but some of the textures we were creating sparked some inspiration for my own work, (yes you better believe I will be using balloons as paintbrushes soon). There are small pockets of time where I do just grab my sketchbook and create for 15 minutes and if that is the only time I get for the day, I have to say ok and hope for more time another day. No time is waisted time.
3. Prioritize. Prioritize. Prioritize. Every minute counts and when you already don't have a lot of time, you have to learn how to prioritize what things are the most important to be efficient. I have a running list on my phone of random things that I need to get done for my artwork and I am constantly re-working it so that I can prioritize everything. What images do I need to finish editing? What do I need to add on SM? What supplies do I need to get? I work on this list when my husband is driving us in the car or when I'm waiting for a doctor's appointment, or when the kids are eating first thing in the morning. Then when I do sit down to work on something, I already know what to work on first. And I learn to let go of a lot of things! That's what prioritizing does for you, it helps you actually focus on the most important things first. Like creating instead of posting about creating...yep.
4. Early morning art time. Getting up early for anything is a challenge, especially when you have young kids that might still be getting up in the middle of the night. However, getting up early to do something I enjoy isn't nearly as hard. And if that means that I get some alone time while everyone sleeps, then I'll take that too! So about once a week I have been trying to get up at 5 or 5:30 to work on a few things before everyone gets up when the house is still quiet. It works for me because it's another chunk of time that I can count on at least once a week, and it's totally up to me which day I want to get up early. My mind works better in the morning, it's completely refreshed and recharged so I can get a lot done in a little time.
5. Admin movie time. What's that? Well, there are days when I just need to get a few things done, so yes, I turn on a favorite movie for my kids to watch and I try to work on admin things on my laptop. I don't have to get out all of my stuff and everyone is happy, at least for a little while. I think every mom wishes they weren't that mom that turns on the TV to get things done, but we all do it sometimes, and there is nothing wrong with that.

I'm not superwoman and every time I try to be I realize I'm far from it! It is hard to do anything with kids, we all know that. Remember, it's the small things that we do every day that add up. I'd love to hear what works for you so if you have the time, drop me a comment below, I can always use more tips and tricks too!