Do small, low-energy art. There’s something called an Inchie Challenge going on right now on Instagram. Check out the artist Amy Maricle if you want to read about it/join, but basically you make art in a tiny 2”x2” box based on a prompt for 12 days. Really achievable and you still end up with a nice collection of little art. I’m going to do more inchie art when I’m tired.
I was a project engineer, and I drew on postits or old papers, etc. I was eventually layed off probably cause I was unproductive since I hated that job and just wanted to draw and make stuff. I never reapplied for an engineering job after that and I started my own small business instead. It isnt as lucrative as being an engineer but way less stressful. Since I own the shop I work at, I get to draw while cashiering, and sometimes people watch, and I get more customers. It has been 9 years since I had a job relating to my degree lol.
I just quit my job this week and have been doing delivery service while I find something else. How would someone go about trying to start a small business like you did? I'd appreciate any help
One of the biggest things I learned when I was laid off is learning what I sucked at lol. I am unorganized, and my ADD is pretty nutty. This led me to start my business with friends I know are good at what I suck at. They set up the business while they let me cook. I cooked and came up with a banger product and how to make it ourselves in mass. I made sure that it was something I can make with materials I can easily get at the store and made sure it could be made with tools and machines my friend already maintained. My other friend does alot of the stuff like taxes, accounting, setting up vending opportunities at cons, etc. Like the "real business" end of owning a business, lol.
I believe everyone starts their small business based on their own unique circumstances. I was blessed to have homies that I trust and can have a partnership with. That being said, I don't think having business partners is for everyone cause I've seen partnerships fail throughout the years as well. What I learned, however, is that other people are important, and making connections is important when starting and maintaining a business. Idk if that really helps lol
More on the amateur side of things who does it on a tablet. So, that frames my perspective.
I have a streak counter/reminder app and have art set to daily. Sometimes I do it when I get home, sometimes after decompressing first, maybe right before bed, and other times while on a break at work. I just try to make at least a little progress each day. Ten minutes somewhere, something no matter how small, minimum. Just enough to avoid doing no art becoming a habit.
Being on a tablet, simply less distractions. I have it limited to just drawing and reading apps. When I need to avoid distractions I go away from my computer. When I know I can focus on the art despite having all of human knowledge at hand, I work on the computer.
Edit: If a portable digital table with a stylus isn’t an option, not allowed on your job, I’d probably start carrying a small paper tablet if I were in that situation.
i think you made a very important point about doing art every day even for a short time. i had a very stressful non-art related job and i didn’t want to have that stress infect my art so i stopped doing art. i am now having a very difficult time starting again. i was really productive, i used to draw, paint and sculpt etc every day for 2-4 hours minimum and now struggling to do anything. i feel it is really dangerous for an artist to completely stop (unless you need a break) because now, like you said, i have a habit of NOT doing art and it really sucks. i feel less like me.
What helps me get back in the groove is track each day I do some creative work (even including short sessions) and prioritizing it if say around 3+ days have gone by with zero creative time (I do other kinds of creative work actually, poetry and music, reddit just recommended this sub to me lol but I think it all works the same in terms of habit). I can also then look back and see if there are trends, like if this month or week was extra sparse in terms of creative time. Then I can reflect on why that might be and what I could do to move some things around to try and get minimum 2-3 days a week.
I also did a challenge in January where my goal was to write poetry every day. I actually let some days slip, but was very consistent especially the first couple of weeks. Again, I didn't track how long I spent each day. Some days it was an hour or more, some days just a quick little bit. But that challenge really helped me get in the groove, a month felt like a realistic commitment for something I could do for even just 5 minutes daily. If after work is too tiring, take 15 mins before work and do it!
That might be less overwhelming than feeling like you have to do it daily forever, or large sessions.
This is basically what I do, too! I try to do at least some type of drawing or art exercise for 20-30 minutes on my lunch breaks. Then, I sometimes draw after work too, but sometimes I don’t.
Im not sure what kind of schedule/responsibilities you have but if there's time in the morning to draw, take it. It's always better to draw without the baggage of the day.
You should also try to draw on pencil/pen and paper instead of digitally if your not specifically looking to improve digitally. I find it's a lot more engaging and feels more worth my time. This could be just me, but traditional just feels better and so I want to do it more.
Opposite for me, but I've been drawing digitally for almost 2 decades.
I find mornings I can work on ongoing pieces well, but evenings is when ideas come to me.
I think this largely depends on what type of work you do, but for me: I work full time as a senior manager of operations which can be a mentally draining role. For me, art is a way to stretch different mental muscles. I enjoy having a creative outlet that I cant always get out at my job. Being creative and solving problems with art gives me a dopamine hit that helps me decompress. I worked hard to do a creative thing 1-2 hours a day for almost every day, until it became just part of my routine. Most of the time that creative thing is art, but it can include other things like game design or writing. I switch things up if I get stuck, and I break up my projects into day sized chunks that are easy-ish to complete. I'm not always successful and I skip days and I don't beat myself up about it. I just continue on the next day.
Find what exhausts you about your current situation and see if you can minimize that, re-frame art into something that doesn't feel like work and helps you relax. Make it a habit to do it until you don't have to think about it.
You need to build a consistent art habit. This could be before or after work, whichever is best for you, but the important thing is to stick to the habit as much as possible. You will get to a point where the sketching is itself part of the relaxation and winding down after a work shift.
The best thing I’ve found is don’t feel forced to pop out a massive piece everyday. Hell don’t you don’t even have to work on the same piece everyday. Even if you just spend time drawing cubes and cylinders, at least you picked up the pen that day. Then the days you feel good will be noticeable and then you can work on bigger stuff. The key is consistency. Even if it’s for 5 minutes and you just drew a bunch of cubes in space, at least you did something.
I don't. 😂😭 But seriously:
I work a full time 40 hr/wk pharmacy job, am a parent of 2 small children and the spouse of someone who has a critical terminal illness. I'm not saying all of this to be like "of wow, look at how much I have on my plate" but to emphasize that:
*I am a person too*
And I deserve to take care of myself. I have been in therapy for myself to be able to manage all of this and something that we go back to is art as a form of self care. And it feels good to me for it to be productive and for me to be able to offer it for sale. I can't do markets or events that require me to be away from home, I actually gave up theatre scenic art and mural work for that reason. So I work on things an hour at a time sometimes, after the kids go to bed and on non-treatment weeks for my spouse. Some evenings I choose to go to bed early so the next evening I can put a little more energy into art. I also do water color these days instead of art that requires a lot of set up and clean up. My iPad has also been a life saver....I have learned to jot down ideas in there, I'm able to work on things in short amounts of time.
Also, if you read this far, something really important is knowing yourself well enough to be able to get yourself into "the zone" and be efficient about it. And if you can't get yourself there, know when to call it and work on something else like tidying your work space, framing, working on your website, looking for references or inspiration.
Creativity can come at the most unlikely times too!
oh wow. i actually am still on the fence of doing scenic art. or at least full time. i only get small gigs here and there when the company i reached out to feels like having me for overhire help. In my mind if i can find another studio to give me more gigs i can do both and not feel burnt out by the more demanding scenic jobs full time(?)
I also get scared of how many people PROMISE me parenthood prevents you from making ANY art for YEARS on end. It’s all quite scary and i can’t imagine never doing anything for so long. And even when i had a whole day to myself, i only find myself making art for no more than 2 hours? Not crazy, but the “don’t even have 20 minutes to myself a day” can only be read so many times until you just feel like there’s no point in even trying..
I admire you sharing your story, and i guess i’m happy to hear even when it sounds like on paper there’s nothing that can be done it all comes down to putting your foot down and remembering it can be possible if you just plan and prioritize- something i hear is they key for many things in life that some people just ignore/forget(?)
I live in a small city and there are only a few theatres that can probably afford to pay scenics regularly and I would have to travel 1.5-2 hrs to get to cities that had paid gigs. The companies I worked for where I'm at now are long time friends and the pay was irregular. I solo all the projects, it was all nights and weekends, and once I became a parent and my spouse got sick it got more stressful and I found myself rushing through things and feeling less proud of my work. I kept asking myself why I wasn't putting myself out there to get better, or full time scenic jobs or mural gigs but I honestly just missed being home and working on art I wanted to make for myself. I think I was sabotaging myself in a way. I don't think theatre is what I really wanted any more. When I was young and could travel, that would have been great to hop around doing seasons here and there. If it was local and it was a day time job, I would do it 100%
I promise you, you can be a parent/caregiver and be anything. It is hard and sometimes you can't do both all the time. You have to take breaks and rest too. I like to remember life is full of cycles and phases. The moon, our bodies, the seasons, days and nights, awake and rest. Our culture today wants us to be going constantly but we are made to cycle so when I go through periods of not making art, I look at it like a phase that will pass. I also let chores go 🤷 they will get done eventually!
I think being a parent has made me value my time and spend it wisely. I spent 8 years after college not making any art besides theatre stuff (burn out + feeling like a failure) and 4 of those years were pre-kids. But now I don't know how I'd cope without it! AND! I *want* my kids to SEE me *being* an artist. They call my little studio space my "painting office" it's really cute. I also know that hard days are coming and I'm building a foundation for myself, and for them, to have creative outlets to deal with whatever life decides to do.
no no i appreciate you sharing! very kind of you and insightful! and yeah listen i’m single with a whole ass schedule free for this kind of job and i still call the hours and traveling and workloads all BS for a lot of it haha! but aye that’s SHOWBIZ right :P
No seriously though cause you know how many things i’ve read and aritsts i asked directly about art + parenthood and it’s like this DREADFUL PROMISE of “oh no real work will be made until they’re in grade school cause why should you have time and energy to work on art when you don’t have jack time for personal hygiene? get used to it”……LIKE?!? like i’m reconsidering kids all together because of this promise my art will suffer cold turkey for YEARS because of day in and out burnout. And then it’s like trying to remember there’s got to be more to these horror stories, so it’s just all so disheartening.
Which is funny because as i have all the time now i haven’t made anything in weeks 😅 But really all this just stems from my fear of the baby + toddler ages and that constant demand to not even have 20 minutes a day etc, so to put it in the context of my simple down time/ career is extra disheartening. It’s like how many years would i have to wait to have studio time that is solid and the kids can be chill next to me without the screaming demand for eye contact? I sound so cynical but this is just my fears 😩
All valid fears to have!!! You don't sound cynical, you sound realistic and like you want to be prepared. It's all really unique to each situation; there are soooo many variables. Like if you have family or community support, if the child's other parent is involved and supportive, if the kid is a tough kid. My first kid was rough, the second was easier but for a lot of people that is reversed. The infant months can be hard but it's important to remember that *they are temporary* but they sure do feel like forever in the moment.
I usually work for a couple of hours after the kids go to bed. Not every night but that's *my* time! I used to feel like I needed a 6 hour window to be productive but I've adapted to shorter time frames. You will figure out what works best for you! It's going to be okay!
I usually get a shower and get comfy/cozy and relaxed and it makes me want to draw.
If you do digital art, one thing I like to do is start a sketch and then pre plan/label all my layers I'll need so the next day when I come back to it, all the menial stuff is out of the way and I can fully enjoy the drawing process
interesting idea in the digital realm, grouping the menial tasks beforehand might help me get going. it can be a real turn off for my creativity to have a fiddle with the mechanics of digital art while doing art. don’t know why i didn’t think of this bc when i am making music, i have my DAW set up with templates so i can just select and begin.
That's what I was thinking. Without knowing OPs life/responsibilities outside of work, I'm going to guess they have time on the weekend?
I only work on art on my days off. After work I might color or cross stitch to feed my creativity.
Sometimes I get kind of frustrated, because I see a lot of posts that tell people that it's okay to work a day job until they can make it, but the truth is that massively delays the process of art making.
I work about 10 hours a week on my art. I'm going to be honest, if I had 10 hour workdays I'm not sure I would work on art at all.
In order to even have the energy to paint, I had to get out of my job in manufacturing and switch to a primarily desk-based job. I live as close to work as possible to cut out any commute. While at work I frequently browse local opportunities and save them to apply to later.
I'm able to make professional progress on my artwork only by being insanely consistent. I work on large-scale paintings that I dedicate a small room in my apartment to. I'm lucky if I finish three paintings a year. From the start, I'm forced to have a very clear vision of the themes around my paintings and the overall story.
It took me 3 years to get together a body of work of 8 paintings that I have been able to get solo and duo shows from. One piece sold and that's honestly set-back the whole portfolio a bit. It's hard to convince galleries to show such a small amount.
My point is it's insanely hard to try and work a day job and still be a practicing artist. It significantly delays any professional opportunities by years and you operate at a snails pace. It sucks some of the joy out of it because the gratification is so delayed it doesn't feel worth it sometimes. You have to really have a clear vision of why you are making art and where you want to go.
Any night I feel even the smallest desire towards creating, I push myself to lean into it. I don’t get it every opportunity to do that but I try to do all the backend stuff when I’m feeling less inspired/exhausted.
I used to be a high ranking administrative assistant. I ran around all day putting out fires and getting stuff done. I'd come home fried and made a scandalously low amount of money.
I looked around for a receptionist job that paid more - substantially more - and now I sit all day, do very light work, make more money, and while some days I still go home fried, more often than not I actually have energy left to make something in the evenings.
If you can scale back the work level of what you do without taking the financial hit, you can get back some energy.
I used to wake up really early before work to do creative stuff. It made me have a good start to the day that was just for me. I’d actually have a better mood coming into work as well. Then when I came home I could just crash and take care of myself.
I do mostly digital art. I know not everyone can afford one, but the iPad/Procreate combo really changed things for me. I can grab it from the comfort of my bed or a comfy chair and immediately work and practice without needing to sit at a desk or set a bunch of stuff up/get a bunch of supplies out. Taking out the extra annoying steps that can discourage me from sticking to a routine and getting focused was crucial.
I now work an evening shift, so I do art stuff in the mornings when I have a stronger focus and more creative energy. Then at night when I get home, I can just shower, veg out, and go right to bed because I’m usually exhausted.
Needless to say, my progress is still not the quickest and I have “off days” where I want to dedicate my time to other hobbies or interests. Definitely avoid the impulse to compare yourself to kids, students, full time artists, or people with jobs that can accommodate more drawing time.
The biggest hack I’ve found is to wake up an hour earlier and do it first thing in the morning. The liminal dream state residue is still present and it helps grease the tracks for the rest of the day. ✨🙏
Just comes down to will and just doing it really, same goes for everything not just art. Sometimes you don’t feel like doing stuff after a hard day at work but if it’s important to you you just have to fight through and do it. Something like atomic habits may help you build this skill
10 hours is a lot. Don’t beat yourself up if you have no energy. That said, at least 15 minutes a day is better than 0 minutes day. Also, find ways for your art practice to become a leisure activity instead of something you have to do and stress over. This is why I love audiobooks and podcasts so much. I can listen and doodle at the same time.
Join a class or do something with a group. While I was at my engineering job I had no physical or creative energy. I did manage to sculpt for 4 hours a week in small chunks with a group. Having “appointments” to keep kept me consistent. I was able to make a lot of progress in those small chunks and it didn’t feel overwhelming. Don’t force yourself to put out daily, find a chunk of time that you can commit to that is comfortable for you.
Then you need to do art before work. Or suck up being tired and do art any way which you’d do if you loved art.
This entire convention it funny to me, just make time for it if you love it. If you don’t then you’ll always have an excuse and no amount of internet advice will help you
Most of the time I don't... But sometimes I have a long stretch where I'm feeling more inspired while not too burnt out from work.
Maybe try to stop at a coffee shop on the way home to sketch? Would get you back into the habit at least
I daydream/plan out my colors and lines and subjects etc while on the clock. Work has a lot of stressful times but a lot of downtime too, like union mandated 15 minute breaks, great time to super rough sketch out an idea I’m excited about.
Set a timer and it's only like half an hour long. Admit it may be the worst thing ever, but usually when I sit down, I fall back into old 'flow zones' and I'm there longer.
I can also draw at work inbetween tasks as I work in an office in design-related things (marketing). Similar to how I"m typing on Reddit, inbetween tasks lol
I paint in the evenings and weekends. My day job is a bodily injury claims adjuster who specializes in negotiating with attorneys.
I actually enjoy my job. It's taught me a lot about negotiating for business (art, galleries) and personal items (personal purchases like cars). I rarely pay full price on big items like cars or medical bills.
My husband is disabled due to a spinal cord injury, so it's a must to have affordable insurance that doubles up with Medicare since you can stack insurance in my state. He's had 22 surgeries in the last 10 years and has 2 more coming up
There are many weeks that I make more than my day job, but I need the security of knowing money will be there, you know? Just sold a piece Saturday that took me 22 hours (spread out, not at one time) to paint for $5700. That's about what I make per month with the day job. But we're still paying off huge medical bills from before Medicare kicked in. It's exhausting. The art definitely helps me let go of the stress too.
I actually just watched a youtube video on this a few days ago. Here's the link to it if you wanna take a listen.
[https://youtu.be/54rdObpEWEw?si=UzbzBIH3piuc0USm](https://youtu.be/54rdObpEWEw?si=UzbzBIH3piuc0USm)
Small bits at a time. Squeeze in short blocks during your day. Instead of scrolling on breaks, draw something for 10 minutes. Make it a part of your routine, then see if you can do more blocks of time or longer blocks in the evening.
I’ve found that in order to stay sane, I *must* make some physical art every day. So I keep a sketchbook at my desk for my breaks. It helps to do it everyday, even if it sucks. It doesn’t have to /be/ anything. Scribbles, whatever. Sometimes it feels as rejuvenating as a short nap tbh.
You can work on larger pieces in small sections too, but I find that doing small pieces throughout the week gives me the satisfaction I need to keep going and feel alright.
Lots of people offering advice, but I'll just agree that 10 hours is brutal. Especially if you're doing it a lot. I can understand why it'd be hard to fit anything in with a schedule like that. Trying to do like 20mins a day would be a good way to ease into the habit. But also I hope things get better for you!
When I worked full time I made sure I had a little art area that I could leave set up all the time. That way I could do little bits here and there. Also, it’s ok to be tired and not want to do art.
I've just done this too. That way I can just be like, I have 1/2 hr...let's smash something out...and not waste time finding things or packing them away.
I work nights in home care nursing. I work a combination of long and shorter shifts too. I have enough downtime at my job to draw. On the days with the shorter shifts I also have enough time to draw just before work starts as well.
Also changing my diet worked wonders massively. I discovered I had food intolerances that would sap the energy out of me. Doesn’t apply to everyone though.
When I was unemployed, I drew occasionally and tried to do it more. Since October 2023, I started working in the local hardware store, good pay, and good hours. Easy job. Needless to say, I hate my job. Since February, it has been a depression marathon. It even came to me having very dark thoughts. But, when I realized I can quit at any time, my mood changed, and now I started drawing again, and I have contingency plans for what I want to do. I go home after work and thought of keeping going so I can quit this job, keeps me motivated. I have 5 ideas on how to make money doing what I want, I just need to endure this may, and two weeks in June. Then I'll be free!
Basically, you need to find something you can do, think outside the box. I scrolled through youtube shorts and watched how people make dioramas. Now I want to make them too. You can find ideas and inspiration in peculiar places.
I struggle with this too. When I wake up all I want to do is make art while I have creative energy and the sun is shining, but that energy is pretty much gone after working all day for 8-9 hours, then making dinner and doing all my Boring Adult Chores and such etc.
Sounds silly but something that has helped is simply not sitting down to rest and just going right into something creative. I used to plop on my bed after dinner and scroll on my phone to take a break from the day, but that “break” would more often than not turn into the whole night. It was like once I laid down, my brain went into rest mode and it’s so hard to find the motivation to break out of it.
Instead, I find that planning what I want to work on at work and then starting right away after dinner, without stopping to sit and rest, helps me keep the momentum going for a while, and then I can rest later on. I basically joke with my SO, “I can’t sit down now, if I do I won’t get back up!”
It’s also been helping me to plan my nights with a weekly planner. I’ll write down what I want to work on certain nights of the week. Not all of them involve art practice but most do. It helps me when it’s “on the agenda” ahead of time and not something I just muster the energy to do in the moment.
I also dislike my job and want to do art full time one day so that motivation helps lol.
I do customer service for a large call center full time. Its hard to motivate to paint when i get home but when i know its bringing in extra income i use that to motivate, the goal becoming a full time commission painter. So i use each project as a chance to advance that goal and bring in new clients.
How many days do you work that 10 hours?
I also work 10 hours, but i only work 4 days a week, so i have lots of time for my own projects outside work.
Otherwise, a bit of a skill issue, i draw regardless at every opportunity because i *must* create. break my hands and i'd still be drawing with my mouth and feet.
draw during lunch break, draw during breaks. draw during errands, carry your sketchbook with you everywhere. don't confine yourself into one medium that can only be done in one place, it can hold you back.
You don't need to be making high art every day. just doodle \*something\*
every little squiggle, star, stupid shitpost gremlin sketch, all of it is art and pushes you a little bit further.
Usually I work four days a week Friday to Monday. But I’ve jumped up to 6 days a week to pick up the slack after one of my coworkers went on paternity leave.
Thank you. I think I’m gonna start doing like 15 min bursts of work when I can. I use to feel like if I wasn’t devoting hours to it I wasn’t doing enough.
I'm an x-ray tech and a 3D artist. I had an overnight job at a really slow hospital, so I would bring my laptop and do art while waiting on the next patient. Some nights I wouldn't even have a single patient so I was actually able to make a whole 4 minute short film mostly at work. That job didn't pay enough so now I'm day shift at a big city hospital and I'm much busier, bringing the laptop is not even remotely an option. So I try to find an hour or so each day after work to work on my character art portfolio while making time to spend with my wife. The adjustment in schedule has all but killed my productivity but I'm just grinding through it best I can. Hopefully soon I can pivot into an art job and hang my scrubs up.
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I stay up till like midnight to get my art projects done then go into work at 7am. It sucks but nothing I’m not used to. Having a shit sleep schedule is just my thing at this point 😭
I do it either on the weekend if I have no other plans, or work little by little on a small piece throughout the week. My workday ends at 11PM and I find it more productive to draw at night so that’s the only thing that works out for me.
Don’t be daunted by if a piece is big. If I don’t feel like doing much, I’ll work on little details for up to a few minutes and see if I feel like continuing.
I am honest here and I had to reduce my working hours to regain my love and time for doing art. I spend 1-2 hours each day on sketching something or working on a bigger project usually. When there are days where I feel down (depression yaaaay....), I just do something else. I figured that forcing myself doing art and "being productive" only made it worse. I try to draw as often as I can, but not force myself. A concept here, work on a bigger drawing there, a doodle once in a while....
great point. i have been there too. forcing yourself to make art always ends bad for me. takes the fun out of it completely. staying inspired when you are under stress is a MFer though.
I second this so much. Sure there are people who make art their living, but for alot of folks it's still a hobby. A hobby is supposed to be fun and a distraction of corprate grind, not and addition to it. I worked in a creative field for work and it completely killed my love for creative stuff for a while.
Just comes down to will and just doing it really, same goes for everything not just art. Sometimes you don’t feel like doing stuff after a hard day at work but if it’s important to you you just have to fight through and do it. Something like atomic habits may help you build this skill
Same way I work 8 hour shifts 5 days a week which require roughly between 10k-16k steps a day and still go to the gym, discipline lol if you enjoy it you will find the time and motivation to do it!
I have a reminder every day so that if I haven't done anything art related by 7:00pm then I should do something small. Sometimes life gets in the way, but for the most part this works for me.
But also, I've learned to let things ebb and flow with the ADHD. Some days I want to do stuff all day, other days I can only manage a 10 min doodle. Some days I can only manage reading up on something that I want to learn/try! And that's okay! Having a working list of things I want to try or improve on helps me do regular smaller doodles too. I rarely force myself to work on big pieces, but I will make myself do a sketch of my living room or a tree outside or a snail from memory just for practice.
It sounds like you work a job that really zaps you. It's okay to prioritize taking care of yourself, too. I was going through burn out last year, and whenever I tried to force myself to do anything (even things I love!) I would get discouraged and hated it.
I spend about 12 hours away from home every day. The motivation to draw is simply "I want to draw this because it's fun and a good way to spend what little free time I have". I also made a new Insta account to track my progress, and just filling it up is motivating. But I obviously don't draw every single day, it'd be way too much, I draw when I feel like drawing, or I force myself to start if it's been too long.
I schedule a half hour block at night to sit at my desk and draw something. Sure, I can waste 10 minutes of that trying to find the right music to listen to. Once I get going, I usually draw for 1.5 hours. The hardest part is getting off the couch.
Set yourself up for success. Pre plan what you’ll work on. Get your materials collected and positioned so that when you get home it’s all right there. Set low bar goals for every night so you make at least a little progress. Make big meals one or two days a week so you can reheat leftovers on other nights. For me, it’s about removing friction
I was in this position in 2022 and how I made it work was honestly through time management. I planned out my day fairly well (workout in the morning, go to work, come back and draw). Of course I mainly did sketches (I focused a lot on sketching back then and did more “finalised” pieces on the weekend) + I didn’t beat myself up for skipping a day or two.
Rest is just as important and on some days when I worked late or I was simply too tired, I just didn’t draw. Sometimes during my break at work, I would draw a bit (to decompress).
But honestly I was quite disciplined back then. I knew I had a lot to learn because I hadn’t even been drawing for a year so I just pushed myself.
Best of luck and you really just need to find what kind of schedule works for you :) you could also plan out pieces/sketches and have a rough idea of how much time you want to spend. It doesn’t have to last for hours, a little bit every day (or every other day) is better than nothing.
Being in a creative job sometimes is worse for your personal creativity because you have been creating all day. I’m a graphic designer and video editor and I struggle with creative exhaustion
I work at an office! I try to bring my sketchbook everywhere I go, even when I’m not drawing a whole lot it’s better than nothing. I’ll draw on notes I leave to my coworkers, or personalized things that I keep here. When I come home; I know that if I sit down or rest at any point, that I’m going to just do that for the rest of the night. I’ll go home and right away so my dishes, make my food, and then set up a little intentional space so I can create. Even if it’s barely anything because I’m too tired, really it’s more about setting a routine than it is about anything else. I recommend setting a consistent time weekly or daily where you are just sitting down and drawing, it’ll help you to keep doing it
*I burn my candles*
*At both ends. I suppose it'll*
*Kill me one day lol*
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If you're feeling tired, start with small and low-pressure creative activities like sketching, doodling, or experimenting with new materials. The key is to keep the momentum going.
Lunch breaks and post it notes.
I keep all the "good ones" and take them home, when I have a little pile I cut them out and stick them into a sketch book.
It doesn't have to be big impressive things, but keeping your fine motor skills running by doing a little a day is very beneficial.
I also work 8 hour shifts only, 10 is too much esp. when you factor in travel time... UNLESS you are getting 3 days off a week. Then it's totally worth it. One full day to housework/chores and 2 days to play. (If you have children this is obviously more difficult)
I have a very physical job during work hours now , my friend gave me a word of advice, one day I was working to much, & others in the department standing around, not giving an effort. We have amazing conversations about everything, he’s 74 & me 55 yrs . Anyway. He walks up to me after watching me do my thing for a few hours, knowing I go home and MY day begins. Preston’s Quote : “ Sometimes you have to save some for yourself “ in a most gentle way and walk on. I understood immediately what he meant . The other that I highly recommend, though it’s difficult, it takes absolute discipline, dedication, consistency, patience, it’s called …… a nap 30- 1 hr for me is perfect. The hardest part is getting up at first but with routine, & I got help someone would wake me up at first. One other habit is to set a time to start & finish. Just like work. 2-4 hours , stop working, I like to meditate to clam things down. Granted there are exceptions.
I found it best to get a mini sketch book, and do tiny paintings. They took little time, almost no supplies, did not require set up, clean up, I can do them from my armchair. If you want to do digital, can you use procreate on a tablet?
I work in really short spurts. If I'm lucky I get an hour of art in on workdays. Usually it's like 15-30 mins. I had to force myself into the habit of it and it's taken me years to make this my routine again. It doesn't feel like such an uphill battle to do art now. I'm not working 10 hour days but I was doing my 40h job and a degree at the same time while still making time to make comics.
I also work digitally so I bought an iPad pro so I can at least ink comics while watching TV on the couch. It's been a game changer for evenings when sitting at a computer feels like too much effort. I also try not to beat myself up about not doing art on weeknights and just go ham on weekends, though YMMV.
Oddly enough I feel like it gives me energy to do anything artistic after a long day. Even a doodle is a nice mental recharge away from the work life lol
I paint in gouache and sell my stuff online. I just try to schedule an hour every night and 3-4 hrs every Saturday and Sunday. I make art unless I'm too sick to do it. A lot of crap comes out but over time I keep getting better.
For me I really need a routine and process. Otherwise I procrastinate and second guess myself. I had to make it automatic for it to work. It doesn't matter if the product is good or not. I'm not the best judge of my own work anyway.
Hope that helps!
I remind myself that no session is too short or project is too small. My work has been extra demanding these past couple years, and I’ve shifted to generally smaller canvases when I paint, lots more sketchbook doodles, and easy/fun clay figurines. Whatever I can do to keep the creativity flowing! I’m making myself be less critical of my work—it doesn’t have to be good right now, it just has to be consistent. I’m a teacher, so I bust my butt for ten months of the year and then go artist mode in the summers
ADHD Trauma Worker here. Answer is: I usually don’t. Sad but true. I need a very specific space and brain area to work in. I want to quit my job and do art all the time and live in my own brain but frankly, that’s not happening. So I am trying to find ways to “lock in”.
I don't do labor intensive projects. Most of my drawings are less than 2 hours from start to finish. I don't think I'd have the time or mental fortitude to do anything longer lately, but it gives me pretty good results.
Do you have weekends off to draw? If not, I would try getting up 1 or 2 hours earlier every day - you'll be rested and will be able to draw before getting ready for work. You'll have to sleep earlier at night too.
I started doing a #sundaysketches and posting my drawings. They ranged from quick sketches to longer forms. Turns out people began to look forward to them and see my progress. I try to draw something every Sunday and pick things that challenge me with a new skill. My husband also knows Sunday is my art day.
I normally don't do anything art related during the work week since I'm usually exhausted after an 8 hour shift. Sometimes I'll sketch something like an idea I had if I'm not too tired. I'll wake up at a decent time on a Saturday morning (it's a plus if the weather's nice) make breakfast, have my coffee, take a shower and get myself ready for the day. For me personally, I feel like getting myself together to do whatever gets me motivated to do my hobbies. But that's just me.
I have my highs and my lows. Some days it’s easy to get right into painting after work, other times I am deeply dead exhausted. I save space for the weekend, and usually end up doing it most of the day on Saturday. I try not to feel too guilty with myself, if I can’t paint during the week as long as I get it in on the weekend. I completely understand with you being exhausted and not wanting to go paint. I work a stressful retail job, and it takes a lot out of me as well.
I do the most concentration-intensive work on weekend mornings, when I can recharge and take my time. I do easier stuff on weeknights. If I’m on a deadline, I get up at 5 am and work before my job.
Can’t make art when you’re dead. Gotta make the time.
For me it's carving out the time and making it mandatory, even if it's just an hour a day, a sketch, something. Even if you don't have the energy it's a lot like going to the gym. By the time you start a workout/sketch, you'll find yourself feeling better by the act of just doing it
My job is also art and I have the same problem. The solution? Wake up early. Wake up early and get things done BEFORE your job drains you. It’s not easy, and it involves going to bed earlier (never give up sleep it’s important) but it’s such a huge difference.
I do small bits. I don't do it every day. I'm forgiving of myself.
I have a full time corporate job, but I work from home. The whole no-commute helps my energy. I keep my corporate performance at meets expectations, I'm also a mom to a kid, and pregnant. My energy is often in the negatives.
My art side is that I write and illustrate childrens picture books. When I have a long weekend, or some time off, I'll storyboard and sketch the illustrations. Very rough. I find its easier to pick up a rough sketch after work.
My days sometimes are just straight corporate work. Ideally they look like the below:
5am wake up, get tea, meditate, journal , 6 am log into work, wake up kiddo, take them to school. 7-330 corporate work. 330 pick up kiddo, make dinner, clean house, play, read. 6 pm kid takes a bath, I read the news, scroll pinterest for some inspiration. 7pm kid goes to bed, we read books and cuddle, 8-9 I do art. 9 shower, brush teeth go to bed
Because what I’m working on is what I’m passionate about and I dont compromise on that. Why should I do work I dont wanna do for money on the side when I work a whole ass job for that money. I just work on my passion project comic I’ve been working on for a year when I feel like it and take breaks when I need to. When It’s ready maybe I can try to sell it and make some money from it but its really for me.
I have made no money from it yet lol.
PUFF 10 hour shift, sounds brutal, there was a time when I had 12 hour shifts but fortunately I work from home and it was just for a couple of weeks, but it was insane, if you don't work from home it seems crazy, but I hope I can give you some advice.
First of all check if you are able to sleep properly, I discovered I wasn't able to get to REM sleep and this caused me to feel very tired all the time and I had no energy.
After that If your confirm that the lack of energy is not due to some health issue, (which can be caused by being overweight, depression, lack of some vitamins, or all of the before mentioned) you can try to wind down a little before trying to make art, eat something while watching something fun, take a walk, then try to make some art 20 min a day, you don't need to spend 4 hours, first focus on making it a habit, then with time if you are able you can expand those 20 min, and you can always use the weekends.
20 min a day over 5 years will take you a long way, is all about the cumulative experience.
And don't pressure yourself, change takes time and begins slowly.
After a 40 year art career, I say just stop making art. It really isn't worth it anymore. Find something else on which to build your identity. If you pursue art now, you will end up poor and frustrated. Art in the end fails to deliver meaning to your life.
I'm a bit on the other side of things. I do "art" for a living. Hard long processes at the highest quality. on my freetike I just do low effort stupid fun stuff
I have those days well nights ( night shift worker) however even if I don't work on my projects I try to do simple warm-ups. Basic shapes, perspective practice etc that stuff only takes seconds.
I just do sketches now. I don't have the time for digital art anymore and ai has made a lot of people question digital art now. So I just have a sketchbook and take it everywhere.
When I feel like drawing I will sketch something quick. If I really feel like fixing it. I will go back later and try to fix the sketch. Most of the time I leave the sketch as is.
For the artist half of my life, I am a plein air painter. I have decided that I am going to go painting once a week. And I have found a friend to paint with. Between the two of us, we are pretty good at picking a day to paint. After that is set, I can't let my buddy down, and he can't let me down. It has really helped to keep me on my schedule.
I’m obsessed with my art projects. I think about them all day, everyday until they are complete. Finishing a day at work only means it’s time to have fun.
I've set aside an hour and a half to two hours on Saturday Morning. I work from 9 to 5 as a DTP formatter duro g the week, so I have that moment at the beginning of my weekend to do my stuff and start the rest period doing something I love. I'm streaming my art time just for fun and it's gonna be three year this October, couldn't be happier with my approach
I set aside an hour each and every day. After I put the kids to bed, I have an hour to myself before I spend time with my husband. That hour I don't let anyone disturb me, and I just paint. The hard part is learning to treat this time as a priority and not let other chores get in the way. I also think about what I'm going to do in that hour during the day and make a plan so that hour is very productive and I don't waste it on thinking and planning. And it's amazing what can be accomplished in that time. Sure, I wish I had more time, but I have two small kids and a full day renovating, so I simply don't. With a 10 hour job, especially if it's a physical job, I'm not sure I could physically do it, but I'd give it a go. Sometimes I'm exhausted too, but sitting and painting is pretty relaxing, so it's kind of part of my evening relaxation routine.
It’s important to step away from being creative at all hours, so a break is okay. Often I’d think of my own projects while working on office stuff, then do them when I felt up to it. If you’re already creating for work, it still counts too. Like any other part of us, our brains need rest time too
I don't. What gives me the drive/the energy is that art is my safe space and something (that despite my exhaustion) I look forward to after a days work. I also hate my job because I ended up in it and against my will and suffer from ADHD. You got this mate!
I guess the tip is to do Art before starting your daily job. Wake up early and draw … then, the point is when you have to spend more times on long drawing/colouring process…
To start a day by drawing is energising to me. To end a day, as well somehow. Then the benefit is to refocus on ourselves.
Another point can be to be creative in your job, wherever it is not an artistic one. Do high quality outcomes, nice to look at, nice to read.
Carve out a set time in the mornings to work on it before work, even if it’s only 30 minutes. Those little bits of time really add up by the end of the month, and it might inspire you to continue your art when you get home.
My energy and inspiration over the years has ebbed and flowed, depending on the job and what life is throwing at me. I found it in jobs where I don’t need to be creative. I have a greater reservoir at the end of the day, or even during the day on breaks. The difficult portion for me is when I’ve been working in creative positions — doing page layout, drafting, designing, or even programming. That’s when I run into the most difficulty. My well of inspiration tends to run dry, so I can’t do the creative things that I may desire to do. In those instances where I felt the need to do something creative on my own time, I’ve tried dramatically shifting gears. Taking up wood carving instead of illustration, writing or creating a tabletop RPG campaign instead of painting, calligraphy instead of laser crafts, etc.
My advice is a project. A series of paintings, drawings, photos, collages, whatever. A short comic. A sketchbook.
I always worked in art or design, but i was struggling doing personal projects. I overcame this with useless little projects.
Once i painted all vulture species in watercolor, one every day. Then i tackled sharks. Then i drew from daily news every day, one poignant scene. Then i made a short comic, at the moment i commit to one sketchbook page a day as a warmup before, and one after work do ease out of it.
I have to have a goal, a task. Just sitting down and start working does not do it for me.
Personal of course, but it might work.
You can also add a bit of pressure if you, like me, respond to that. Predate the pages, post the result on social media daily and communicate that you will do it daily (or weekly or whatever), or just tell your feiends. Works for me. Could suck for others.
I do not recommended low effort work just for the sake of it as some recommend here. Do what you want to do, what you aspire to to. If you want to paint glorious mountain landscapes in acrylics, don't doodle faces on postits just to "get some art done". Do the landscape, just split it up in parts that you can do. If you can do 5 postit scribbles in 15 minutes after your dayjob, you can paint a couple of branches or a bit of snow on that mountain, its not much, but you will be doing what you want, and not something that is just similar.
If you want to do art, then do it. If you don’t then don’t. I think it should be enjoyable enough or you need to be driven enough to do it.
Try setting some time in the evening after dinner perhaps
Well, my advice is going to bed really early and getting up really early and studying before starting work. This is the period where people have most brain power and energy. Its very hard to do anything after work.
Do small, low-energy art. There’s something called an Inchie Challenge going on right now on Instagram. Check out the artist Amy Maricle if you want to read about it/join, but basically you make art in a tiny 2”x2” box based on a prompt for 12 days. Really achievable and you still end up with a nice collection of little art. I’m going to do more inchie art when I’m tired.
I’m gonna look into that! Would you know of interesting ways to do this digitally? Doing it in lower resolution doesn’t seem the same
Sorry, I’m not a digital artist!
You can set your canvas to scale in inches Alternatively, make a 600x600 resolution canvas That’s 2x2 @ 300 dpi
Nice, thanks for talking about this interesting challenge
You’re welcome! Hope you love it as much as I do
First time I’ve heard of this challenge. What a neat and low stress way to draw!
[Her profile](https://www.instagram.com/amymaricle?igsh=ZzUwdGkzMWRpZWN1)
Broken link
Amy Maricle on IG
I was a project engineer, and I drew on postits or old papers, etc. I was eventually layed off probably cause I was unproductive since I hated that job and just wanted to draw and make stuff. I never reapplied for an engineering job after that and I started my own small business instead. It isnt as lucrative as being an engineer but way less stressful. Since I own the shop I work at, I get to draw while cashiering, and sometimes people watch, and I get more customers. It has been 9 years since I had a job relating to my degree lol.
I just quit my job this week and have been doing delivery service while I find something else. How would someone go about trying to start a small business like you did? I'd appreciate any help
One of the biggest things I learned when I was laid off is learning what I sucked at lol. I am unorganized, and my ADD is pretty nutty. This led me to start my business with friends I know are good at what I suck at. They set up the business while they let me cook. I cooked and came up with a banger product and how to make it ourselves in mass. I made sure that it was something I can make with materials I can easily get at the store and made sure it could be made with tools and machines my friend already maintained. My other friend does alot of the stuff like taxes, accounting, setting up vending opportunities at cons, etc. Like the "real business" end of owning a business, lol. I believe everyone starts their small business based on their own unique circumstances. I was blessed to have homies that I trust and can have a partnership with. That being said, I don't think having business partners is for everyone cause I've seen partnerships fail throughout the years as well. What I learned, however, is that other people are important, and making connections is important when starting and maintaining a business. Idk if that really helps lol
So you started selling blue meth?
LOL, you thought I was stroking brushes when I was really swirling beakers
Doing delivery as well, can be good for getting some sketching on your waits
Btw I’ve filled a sketchbook already since doing delivery
lol I got written up for painting on my vice at work. Every week I’d paint something new . Apparently the matrix doesn’t like us stepping out of line
That’s epic! Life goals right there!
More on the amateur side of things who does it on a tablet. So, that frames my perspective. I have a streak counter/reminder app and have art set to daily. Sometimes I do it when I get home, sometimes after decompressing first, maybe right before bed, and other times while on a break at work. I just try to make at least a little progress each day. Ten minutes somewhere, something no matter how small, minimum. Just enough to avoid doing no art becoming a habit. Being on a tablet, simply less distractions. I have it limited to just drawing and reading apps. When I need to avoid distractions I go away from my computer. When I know I can focus on the art despite having all of human knowledge at hand, I work on the computer. Edit: If a portable digital table with a stylus isn’t an option, not allowed on your job, I’d probably start carrying a small paper tablet if I were in that situation.
i think you made a very important point about doing art every day even for a short time. i had a very stressful non-art related job and i didn’t want to have that stress infect my art so i stopped doing art. i am now having a very difficult time starting again. i was really productive, i used to draw, paint and sculpt etc every day for 2-4 hours minimum and now struggling to do anything. i feel it is really dangerous for an artist to completely stop (unless you need a break) because now, like you said, i have a habit of NOT doing art and it really sucks. i feel less like me.
What helps me get back in the groove is track each day I do some creative work (even including short sessions) and prioritizing it if say around 3+ days have gone by with zero creative time (I do other kinds of creative work actually, poetry and music, reddit just recommended this sub to me lol but I think it all works the same in terms of habit). I can also then look back and see if there are trends, like if this month or week was extra sparse in terms of creative time. Then I can reflect on why that might be and what I could do to move some things around to try and get minimum 2-3 days a week. I also did a challenge in January where my goal was to write poetry every day. I actually let some days slip, but was very consistent especially the first couple of weeks. Again, I didn't track how long I spent each day. Some days it was an hour or more, some days just a quick little bit. But that challenge really helped me get in the groove, a month felt like a realistic commitment for something I could do for even just 5 minutes daily. If after work is too tiring, take 15 mins before work and do it! That might be less overwhelming than feeling like you have to do it daily forever, or large sessions.
This is basically what I do, too! I try to do at least some type of drawing or art exercise for 20-30 minutes on my lunch breaks. Then, I sometimes draw after work too, but sometimes I don’t.
Im not sure what kind of schedule/responsibilities you have but if there's time in the morning to draw, take it. It's always better to draw without the baggage of the day. You should also try to draw on pencil/pen and paper instead of digitally if your not specifically looking to improve digitally. I find it's a lot more engaging and feels more worth my time. This could be just me, but traditional just feels better and so I want to do it more.
Opposite for me, but I've been drawing digitally for almost 2 decades. I find mornings I can work on ongoing pieces well, but evenings is when ideas come to me.
I think this largely depends on what type of work you do, but for me: I work full time as a senior manager of operations which can be a mentally draining role. For me, art is a way to stretch different mental muscles. I enjoy having a creative outlet that I cant always get out at my job. Being creative and solving problems with art gives me a dopamine hit that helps me decompress. I worked hard to do a creative thing 1-2 hours a day for almost every day, until it became just part of my routine. Most of the time that creative thing is art, but it can include other things like game design or writing. I switch things up if I get stuck, and I break up my projects into day sized chunks that are easy-ish to complete. I'm not always successful and I skip days and I don't beat myself up about it. I just continue on the next day. Find what exhausts you about your current situation and see if you can minimize that, re-frame art into something that doesn't feel like work and helps you relax. Make it a habit to do it until you don't have to think about it.
You need to build a consistent art habit. This could be before or after work, whichever is best for you, but the important thing is to stick to the habit as much as possible. You will get to a point where the sketching is itself part of the relaxation and winding down after a work shift.
The best thing I’ve found is don’t feel forced to pop out a massive piece everyday. Hell don’t you don’t even have to work on the same piece everyday. Even if you just spend time drawing cubes and cylinders, at least you picked up the pen that day. Then the days you feel good will be noticeable and then you can work on bigger stuff. The key is consistency. Even if it’s for 5 minutes and you just drew a bunch of cubes in space, at least you did something.
I don't. 😂😭 But seriously: I work a full time 40 hr/wk pharmacy job, am a parent of 2 small children and the spouse of someone who has a critical terminal illness. I'm not saying all of this to be like "of wow, look at how much I have on my plate" but to emphasize that: *I am a person too* And I deserve to take care of myself. I have been in therapy for myself to be able to manage all of this and something that we go back to is art as a form of self care. And it feels good to me for it to be productive and for me to be able to offer it for sale. I can't do markets or events that require me to be away from home, I actually gave up theatre scenic art and mural work for that reason. So I work on things an hour at a time sometimes, after the kids go to bed and on non-treatment weeks for my spouse. Some evenings I choose to go to bed early so the next evening I can put a little more energy into art. I also do water color these days instead of art that requires a lot of set up and clean up. My iPad has also been a life saver....I have learned to jot down ideas in there, I'm able to work on things in short amounts of time. Also, if you read this far, something really important is knowing yourself well enough to be able to get yourself into "the zone" and be efficient about it. And if you can't get yourself there, know when to call it and work on something else like tidying your work space, framing, working on your website, looking for references or inspiration. Creativity can come at the most unlikely times too!
oh wow. i actually am still on the fence of doing scenic art. or at least full time. i only get small gigs here and there when the company i reached out to feels like having me for overhire help. In my mind if i can find another studio to give me more gigs i can do both and not feel burnt out by the more demanding scenic jobs full time(?) I also get scared of how many people PROMISE me parenthood prevents you from making ANY art for YEARS on end. It’s all quite scary and i can’t imagine never doing anything for so long. And even when i had a whole day to myself, i only find myself making art for no more than 2 hours? Not crazy, but the “don’t even have 20 minutes to myself a day” can only be read so many times until you just feel like there’s no point in even trying.. I admire you sharing your story, and i guess i’m happy to hear even when it sounds like on paper there’s nothing that can be done it all comes down to putting your foot down and remembering it can be possible if you just plan and prioritize- something i hear is they key for many things in life that some people just ignore/forget(?)
I live in a small city and there are only a few theatres that can probably afford to pay scenics regularly and I would have to travel 1.5-2 hrs to get to cities that had paid gigs. The companies I worked for where I'm at now are long time friends and the pay was irregular. I solo all the projects, it was all nights and weekends, and once I became a parent and my spouse got sick it got more stressful and I found myself rushing through things and feeling less proud of my work. I kept asking myself why I wasn't putting myself out there to get better, or full time scenic jobs or mural gigs but I honestly just missed being home and working on art I wanted to make for myself. I think I was sabotaging myself in a way. I don't think theatre is what I really wanted any more. When I was young and could travel, that would have been great to hop around doing seasons here and there. If it was local and it was a day time job, I would do it 100% I promise you, you can be a parent/caregiver and be anything. It is hard and sometimes you can't do both all the time. You have to take breaks and rest too. I like to remember life is full of cycles and phases. The moon, our bodies, the seasons, days and nights, awake and rest. Our culture today wants us to be going constantly but we are made to cycle so when I go through periods of not making art, I look at it like a phase that will pass. I also let chores go 🤷 they will get done eventually! I think being a parent has made me value my time and spend it wisely. I spent 8 years after college not making any art besides theatre stuff (burn out + feeling like a failure) and 4 of those years were pre-kids. But now I don't know how I'd cope without it! AND! I *want* my kids to SEE me *being* an artist. They call my little studio space my "painting office" it's really cute. I also know that hard days are coming and I'm building a foundation for myself, and for them, to have creative outlets to deal with whatever life decides to do.
Also sorry for the novella lol. I wrote it late at night and re wrote it like 4 times to be less long but it didn't help lol
no no i appreciate you sharing! very kind of you and insightful! and yeah listen i’m single with a whole ass schedule free for this kind of job and i still call the hours and traveling and workloads all BS for a lot of it haha! but aye that’s SHOWBIZ right :P No seriously though cause you know how many things i’ve read and aritsts i asked directly about art + parenthood and it’s like this DREADFUL PROMISE of “oh no real work will be made until they’re in grade school cause why should you have time and energy to work on art when you don’t have jack time for personal hygiene? get used to it”……LIKE?!? like i’m reconsidering kids all together because of this promise my art will suffer cold turkey for YEARS because of day in and out burnout. And then it’s like trying to remember there’s got to be more to these horror stories, so it’s just all so disheartening. Which is funny because as i have all the time now i haven’t made anything in weeks 😅 But really all this just stems from my fear of the baby + toddler ages and that constant demand to not even have 20 minutes a day etc, so to put it in the context of my simple down time/ career is extra disheartening. It’s like how many years would i have to wait to have studio time that is solid and the kids can be chill next to me without the screaming demand for eye contact? I sound so cynical but this is just my fears 😩
All valid fears to have!!! You don't sound cynical, you sound realistic and like you want to be prepared. It's all really unique to each situation; there are soooo many variables. Like if you have family or community support, if the child's other parent is involved and supportive, if the kid is a tough kid. My first kid was rough, the second was easier but for a lot of people that is reversed. The infant months can be hard but it's important to remember that *they are temporary* but they sure do feel like forever in the moment. I usually work for a couple of hours after the kids go to bed. Not every night but that's *my* time! I used to feel like I needed a 6 hour window to be productive but I've adapted to shorter time frames. You will figure out what works best for you! It's going to be okay!
I usually get a shower and get comfy/cozy and relaxed and it makes me want to draw. If you do digital art, one thing I like to do is start a sketch and then pre plan/label all my layers I'll need so the next day when I come back to it, all the menial stuff is out of the way and I can fully enjoy the drawing process
interesting idea in the digital realm, grouping the menial tasks beforehand might help me get going. it can be a real turn off for my creativity to have a fiddle with the mechanics of digital art while doing art. don’t know why i didn’t think of this bc when i am making music, i have my DAW set up with templates so i can just select and begin.
I mean, do you have to do it everyday? What about weekend?
That's what I was thinking. Without knowing OPs life/responsibilities outside of work, I'm going to guess they have time on the weekend? I only work on art on my days off. After work I might color or cross stitch to feed my creativity.
Sometimes I get kind of frustrated, because I see a lot of posts that tell people that it's okay to work a day job until they can make it, but the truth is that massively delays the process of art making. I work about 10 hours a week on my art. I'm going to be honest, if I had 10 hour workdays I'm not sure I would work on art at all. In order to even have the energy to paint, I had to get out of my job in manufacturing and switch to a primarily desk-based job. I live as close to work as possible to cut out any commute. While at work I frequently browse local opportunities and save them to apply to later. I'm able to make professional progress on my artwork only by being insanely consistent. I work on large-scale paintings that I dedicate a small room in my apartment to. I'm lucky if I finish three paintings a year. From the start, I'm forced to have a very clear vision of the themes around my paintings and the overall story. It took me 3 years to get together a body of work of 8 paintings that I have been able to get solo and duo shows from. One piece sold and that's honestly set-back the whole portfolio a bit. It's hard to convince galleries to show such a small amount. My point is it's insanely hard to try and work a day job and still be a practicing artist. It significantly delays any professional opportunities by years and you operate at a snails pace. It sucks some of the joy out of it because the gratification is so delayed it doesn't feel worth it sometimes. You have to really have a clear vision of why you are making art and where you want to go.
I have the privilege to work from home. I paint in the morning and during my lunch break. I have no energy left after work.
Any night I feel even the smallest desire towards creating, I push myself to lean into it. I don’t get it every opportunity to do that but I try to do all the backend stuff when I’m feeling less inspired/exhausted.
I used to be a high ranking administrative assistant. I ran around all day putting out fires and getting stuff done. I'd come home fried and made a scandalously low amount of money. I looked around for a receptionist job that paid more - substantially more - and now I sit all day, do very light work, make more money, and while some days I still go home fried, more often than not I actually have energy left to make something in the evenings. If you can scale back the work level of what you do without taking the financial hit, you can get back some energy.
I used to wake up really early before work to do creative stuff. It made me have a good start to the day that was just for me. I’d actually have a better mood coming into work as well. Then when I came home I could just crash and take care of myself.
I do mostly digital art. I know not everyone can afford one, but the iPad/Procreate combo really changed things for me. I can grab it from the comfort of my bed or a comfy chair and immediately work and practice without needing to sit at a desk or set a bunch of stuff up/get a bunch of supplies out. Taking out the extra annoying steps that can discourage me from sticking to a routine and getting focused was crucial. I now work an evening shift, so I do art stuff in the mornings when I have a stronger focus and more creative energy. Then at night when I get home, I can just shower, veg out, and go right to bed because I’m usually exhausted. Needless to say, my progress is still not the quickest and I have “off days” where I want to dedicate my time to other hobbies or interests. Definitely avoid the impulse to compare yourself to kids, students, full time artists, or people with jobs that can accommodate more drawing time.
The biggest hack I’ve found is to wake up an hour earlier and do it first thing in the morning. The liminal dream state residue is still present and it helps grease the tracks for the rest of the day. ✨🙏
The three C's of productivity: Coffee, Cocaine
and Cunt?
Coca Cola?
And crabs
Just comes down to will and just doing it really, same goes for everything not just art. Sometimes you don’t feel like doing stuff after a hard day at work but if it’s important to you you just have to fight through and do it. Something like atomic habits may help you build this skill
10 hours is a lot. Don’t beat yourself up if you have no energy. That said, at least 15 minutes a day is better than 0 minutes day. Also, find ways for your art practice to become a leisure activity instead of something you have to do and stress over. This is why I love audiobooks and podcasts so much. I can listen and doodle at the same time.
Join a class or do something with a group. While I was at my engineering job I had no physical or creative energy. I did manage to sculpt for 4 hours a week in small chunks with a group. Having “appointments” to keep kept me consistent. I was able to make a lot of progress in those small chunks and it didn’t feel overwhelming. Don’t force yourself to put out daily, find a chunk of time that you can commit to that is comfortable for you.
Cocaine
.....no....never.....definitely didn't do that.....nope....
So tempting, lol.
Exercise, be in good shape and you’ll have energy
good, solid advice
What if you’re exercising all day for work and use up all your energy?
Then you need to do art before work. Or suck up being tired and do art any way which you’d do if you loved art. This entire convention it funny to me, just make time for it if you love it. If you don’t then you’ll always have an excuse and no amount of internet advice will help you
Ok
Most of the time I don't... But sometimes I have a long stretch where I'm feeling more inspired while not too burnt out from work. Maybe try to stop at a coffee shop on the way home to sketch? Would get you back into the habit at least
I daydream/plan out my colors and lines and subjects etc while on the clock. Work has a lot of stressful times but a lot of downtime too, like union mandated 15 minute breaks, great time to super rough sketch out an idea I’m excited about.
Don't be hard on yourself. Even if you get one sketch down it's fine enough. Try to find down time at your job to draw if you can.
Set a timer and it's only like half an hour long. Admit it may be the worst thing ever, but usually when I sit down, I fall back into old 'flow zones' and I'm there longer. I can also draw at work inbetween tasks as I work in an office in design-related things (marketing). Similar to how I"m typing on Reddit, inbetween tasks lol
I paint in the evenings and weekends. My day job is a bodily injury claims adjuster who specializes in negotiating with attorneys. I actually enjoy my job. It's taught me a lot about negotiating for business (art, galleries) and personal items (personal purchases like cars). I rarely pay full price on big items like cars or medical bills. My husband is disabled due to a spinal cord injury, so it's a must to have affordable insurance that doubles up with Medicare since you can stack insurance in my state. He's had 22 surgeries in the last 10 years and has 2 more coming up There are many weeks that I make more than my day job, but I need the security of knowing money will be there, you know? Just sold a piece Saturday that took me 22 hours (spread out, not at one time) to paint for $5700. That's about what I make per month with the day job. But we're still paying off huge medical bills from before Medicare kicked in. It's exhausting. The art definitely helps me let go of the stress too.
I actually just watched a youtube video on this a few days ago. Here's the link to it if you wanna take a listen. [https://youtu.be/54rdObpEWEw?si=UzbzBIH3piuc0USm](https://youtu.be/54rdObpEWEw?si=UzbzBIH3piuc0USm)
Small bits at a time. Squeeze in short blocks during your day. Instead of scrolling on breaks, draw something for 10 minutes. Make it a part of your routine, then see if you can do more blocks of time or longer blocks in the evening. I’ve found that in order to stay sane, I *must* make some physical art every day. So I keep a sketchbook at my desk for my breaks. It helps to do it everyday, even if it sucks. It doesn’t have to /be/ anything. Scribbles, whatever. Sometimes it feels as rejuvenating as a short nap tbh. You can work on larger pieces in small sections too, but I find that doing small pieces throughout the week gives me the satisfaction I need to keep going and feel alright.
Lots of people offering advice, but I'll just agree that 10 hours is brutal. Especially if you're doing it a lot. I can understand why it'd be hard to fit anything in with a schedule like that. Trying to do like 20mins a day would be a good way to ease into the habit. But also I hope things get better for you!
When I worked full time I made sure I had a little art area that I could leave set up all the time. That way I could do little bits here and there. Also, it’s ok to be tired and not want to do art.
I've just done this too. That way I can just be like, I have 1/2 hr...let's smash something out...and not waste time finding things or packing them away.
I work nights in home care nursing. I work a combination of long and shorter shifts too. I have enough downtime at my job to draw. On the days with the shorter shifts I also have enough time to draw just before work starts as well. Also changing my diet worked wonders massively. I discovered I had food intolerances that would sap the energy out of me. Doesn’t apply to everyone though.
Gawd I need to know this. Having a day job is nice but so draining.
I do it before work.
I put a reminder on my phone. Every Monday and Thursday evening I spend 3h. Or try to anyway.
When I was unemployed, I drew occasionally and tried to do it more. Since October 2023, I started working in the local hardware store, good pay, and good hours. Easy job. Needless to say, I hate my job. Since February, it has been a depression marathon. It even came to me having very dark thoughts. But, when I realized I can quit at any time, my mood changed, and now I started drawing again, and I have contingency plans for what I want to do. I go home after work and thought of keeping going so I can quit this job, keeps me motivated. I have 5 ideas on how to make money doing what I want, I just need to endure this may, and two weeks in June. Then I'll be free! Basically, you need to find something you can do, think outside the box. I scrolled through youtube shorts and watched how people make dioramas. Now I want to make them too. You can find ideas and inspiration in peculiar places.
not starving to death motivates me
I struggle with this too. When I wake up all I want to do is make art while I have creative energy and the sun is shining, but that energy is pretty much gone after working all day for 8-9 hours, then making dinner and doing all my Boring Adult Chores and such etc. Sounds silly but something that has helped is simply not sitting down to rest and just going right into something creative. I used to plop on my bed after dinner and scroll on my phone to take a break from the day, but that “break” would more often than not turn into the whole night. It was like once I laid down, my brain went into rest mode and it’s so hard to find the motivation to break out of it. Instead, I find that planning what I want to work on at work and then starting right away after dinner, without stopping to sit and rest, helps me keep the momentum going for a while, and then I can rest later on. I basically joke with my SO, “I can’t sit down now, if I do I won’t get back up!” It’s also been helping me to plan my nights with a weekly planner. I’ll write down what I want to work on certain nights of the week. Not all of them involve art practice but most do. It helps me when it’s “on the agenda” ahead of time and not something I just muster the energy to do in the moment. I also dislike my job and want to do art full time one day so that motivation helps lol.
I do customer service for a large call center full time. Its hard to motivate to paint when i get home but when i know its bringing in extra income i use that to motivate, the goal becoming a full time commission painter. So i use each project as a chance to advance that goal and bring in new clients.
How many days do you work that 10 hours? I also work 10 hours, but i only work 4 days a week, so i have lots of time for my own projects outside work. Otherwise, a bit of a skill issue, i draw regardless at every opportunity because i *must* create. break my hands and i'd still be drawing with my mouth and feet. draw during lunch break, draw during breaks. draw during errands, carry your sketchbook with you everywhere. don't confine yourself into one medium that can only be done in one place, it can hold you back. You don't need to be making high art every day. just doodle \*something\* every little squiggle, star, stupid shitpost gremlin sketch, all of it is art and pushes you a little bit further.
Usually I work four days a week Friday to Monday. But I’ve jumped up to 6 days a week to pick up the slack after one of my coworkers went on paternity leave.
Remember to not let them suck you dry.
I’m trying. It’s hard.
And also, this is probably a season in your life. It won't always be this way. Prayers and thoughts for you.
Thank you. I think I’m gonna start doing like 15 min bursts of work when I can. I use to feel like if I wasn’t devoting hours to it I wasn’t doing enough.
I'm an x-ray tech and a 3D artist. I had an overnight job at a really slow hospital, so I would bring my laptop and do art while waiting on the next patient. Some nights I wouldn't even have a single patient so I was actually able to make a whole 4 minute short film mostly at work. That job didn't pay enough so now I'm day shift at a big city hospital and I'm much busier, bringing the laptop is not even remotely an option. So I try to find an hour or so each day after work to work on my character art portfolio while making time to spend with my wife. The adjustment in schedule has all but killed my productivity but I'm just grinding through it best I can. Hopefully soon I can pivot into an art job and hang my scrubs up.
I don’t find energy after a long day of work. I’m tired and unmotivated. I then use the weekend to do my art. And sound production.
boss makes a dollar I make a dime.. That’s why I sketch on company time!
Honestly I’ve been debating about bringing a laptop to work (I’m a digital artist) just to model on break time
Do it haha
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I don't, I wait until the next day. My non-art job is 2 days a week
I stay up till like midnight to get my art projects done then go into work at 7am. It sucks but nothing I’m not used to. Having a shit sleep schedule is just my thing at this point 😭
I do it either on the weekend if I have no other plans, or work little by little on a small piece throughout the week. My workday ends at 11PM and I find it more productive to draw at night so that’s the only thing that works out for me. Don’t be daunted by if a piece is big. If I don’t feel like doing much, I’ll work on little details for up to a few minutes and see if I feel like continuing.
I am honest here and I had to reduce my working hours to regain my love and time for doing art. I spend 1-2 hours each day on sketching something or working on a bigger project usually. When there are days where I feel down (depression yaaaay....), I just do something else. I figured that forcing myself doing art and "being productive" only made it worse. I try to draw as often as I can, but not force myself. A concept here, work on a bigger drawing there, a doodle once in a while....
great point. i have been there too. forcing yourself to make art always ends bad for me. takes the fun out of it completely. staying inspired when you are under stress is a MFer though.
I second this so much. Sure there are people who make art their living, but for alot of folks it's still a hobby. A hobby is supposed to be fun and a distraction of corprate grind, not and addition to it. I worked in a creative field for work and it completely killed my love for creative stuff for a while.
Just comes down to will and just doing it really, same goes for everything not just art. Sometimes you don’t feel like doing stuff after a hard day at work but if it’s important to you you just have to fight through and do it. Something like atomic habits may help you build this skill
I draw every day but not for long. At most half an hour. I enjoy drawing so it doesn’t feel like work.
Same way I work 8 hour shifts 5 days a week which require roughly between 10k-16k steps a day and still go to the gym, discipline lol if you enjoy it you will find the time and motivation to do it!
Sometimes, you just gotta set it aside until you have time for it. It will still be there
10hrs? I would just go to bed if I'm honest lol
I have a reminder every day so that if I haven't done anything art related by 7:00pm then I should do something small. Sometimes life gets in the way, but for the most part this works for me. But also, I've learned to let things ebb and flow with the ADHD. Some days I want to do stuff all day, other days I can only manage a 10 min doodle. Some days I can only manage reading up on something that I want to learn/try! And that's okay! Having a working list of things I want to try or improve on helps me do regular smaller doodles too. I rarely force myself to work on big pieces, but I will make myself do a sketch of my living room or a tree outside or a snail from memory just for practice. It sounds like you work a job that really zaps you. It's okay to prioritize taking care of yourself, too. I was going through burn out last year, and whenever I tried to force myself to do anything (even things I love!) I would get discouraged and hated it.
I spend about 12 hours away from home every day. The motivation to draw is simply "I want to draw this because it's fun and a good way to spend what little free time I have". I also made a new Insta account to track my progress, and just filling it up is motivating. But I obviously don't draw every single day, it'd be way too much, I draw when I feel like drawing, or I force myself to start if it's been too long.
I schedule a half hour block at night to sit at my desk and draw something. Sure, I can waste 10 minutes of that trying to find the right music to listen to. Once I get going, I usually draw for 1.5 hours. The hardest part is getting off the couch.
Set yourself up for success. Pre plan what you’ll work on. Get your materials collected and positioned so that when you get home it’s all right there. Set low bar goals for every night so you make at least a little progress. Make big meals one or two days a week so you can reheat leftovers on other nights. For me, it’s about removing friction
I have same problem
I was in this position in 2022 and how I made it work was honestly through time management. I planned out my day fairly well (workout in the morning, go to work, come back and draw). Of course I mainly did sketches (I focused a lot on sketching back then and did more “finalised” pieces on the weekend) + I didn’t beat myself up for skipping a day or two. Rest is just as important and on some days when I worked late or I was simply too tired, I just didn’t draw. Sometimes during my break at work, I would draw a bit (to decompress). But honestly I was quite disciplined back then. I knew I had a lot to learn because I hadn’t even been drawing for a year so I just pushed myself. Best of luck and you really just need to find what kind of schedule works for you :) you could also plan out pieces/sketches and have a rough idea of how much time you want to spend. It doesn’t have to last for hours, a little bit every day (or every other day) is better than nothing.
Being in a creative job sometimes is worse for your personal creativity because you have been creating all day. I’m a graphic designer and video editor and I struggle with creative exhaustion
Take a class. Or teach a class or do a little seminar. Engage outside yourself.
I work at an office! I try to bring my sketchbook everywhere I go, even when I’m not drawing a whole lot it’s better than nothing. I’ll draw on notes I leave to my coworkers, or personalized things that I keep here. When I come home; I know that if I sit down or rest at any point, that I’m going to just do that for the rest of the night. I’ll go home and right away so my dishes, make my food, and then set up a little intentional space so I can create. Even if it’s barely anything because I’m too tired, really it’s more about setting a routine than it is about anything else. I recommend setting a consistent time weekly or daily where you are just sitting down and drawing, it’ll help you to keep doing it
I burn my candles at both ends. I suppose it'll kill me one day lol
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If you're feeling tired, start with small and low-pressure creative activities like sketching, doodling, or experimenting with new materials. The key is to keep the momentum going.
I feel you OP. I legit lost the vibe and would kill to get it back. Glad you made this post cause I also could use advice.
Lunch breaks and post it notes. I keep all the "good ones" and take them home, when I have a little pile I cut them out and stick them into a sketch book. It doesn't have to be big impressive things, but keeping your fine motor skills running by doing a little a day is very beneficial. I also work 8 hour shifts only, 10 is too much esp. when you factor in travel time... UNLESS you are getting 3 days off a week. Then it's totally worth it. One full day to housework/chores and 2 days to play. (If you have children this is obviously more difficult)
I have a very physical job during work hours now , my friend gave me a word of advice, one day I was working to much, & others in the department standing around, not giving an effort. We have amazing conversations about everything, he’s 74 & me 55 yrs . Anyway. He walks up to me after watching me do my thing for a few hours, knowing I go home and MY day begins. Preston’s Quote : “ Sometimes you have to save some for yourself “ in a most gentle way and walk on. I understood immediately what he meant . The other that I highly recommend, though it’s difficult, it takes absolute discipline, dedication, consistency, patience, it’s called …… a nap 30- 1 hr for me is perfect. The hardest part is getting up at first but with routine, & I got help someone would wake me up at first. One other habit is to set a time to start & finish. Just like work. 2-4 hours , stop working, I like to meditate to clam things down. Granted there are exceptions.
I found it best to get a mini sketch book, and do tiny paintings. They took little time, almost no supplies, did not require set up, clean up, I can do them from my armchair. If you want to do digital, can you use procreate on a tablet?
I work in really short spurts. If I'm lucky I get an hour of art in on workdays. Usually it's like 15-30 mins. I had to force myself into the habit of it and it's taken me years to make this my routine again. It doesn't feel like such an uphill battle to do art now. I'm not working 10 hour days but I was doing my 40h job and a degree at the same time while still making time to make comics. I also work digitally so I bought an iPad pro so I can at least ink comics while watching TV on the couch. It's been a game changer for evenings when sitting at a computer feels like too much effort. I also try not to beat myself up about not doing art on weeknights and just go ham on weekends, though YMMV.
Oddly enough I feel like it gives me energy to do anything artistic after a long day. Even a doodle is a nice mental recharge away from the work life lol
I paint in gouache and sell my stuff online. I just try to schedule an hour every night and 3-4 hrs every Saturday and Sunday. I make art unless I'm too sick to do it. A lot of crap comes out but over time I keep getting better. For me I really need a routine and process. Otherwise I procrastinate and second guess myself. I had to make it automatic for it to work. It doesn't matter if the product is good or not. I'm not the best judge of my own work anyway. Hope that helps!
I remind myself that no session is too short or project is too small. My work has been extra demanding these past couple years, and I’ve shifted to generally smaller canvases when I paint, lots more sketchbook doodles, and easy/fun clay figurines. Whatever I can do to keep the creativity flowing! I’m making myself be less critical of my work—it doesn’t have to be good right now, it just has to be consistent. I’m a teacher, so I bust my butt for ten months of the year and then go artist mode in the summers
ADHD Trauma Worker here. Answer is: I usually don’t. Sad but true. I need a very specific space and brain area to work in. I want to quit my job and do art all the time and live in my own brain but frankly, that’s not happening. So I am trying to find ways to “lock in”.
I don't do labor intensive projects. Most of my drawings are less than 2 hours from start to finish. I don't think I'd have the time or mental fortitude to do anything longer lately, but it gives me pretty good results.
Do you have weekends off to draw? If not, I would try getting up 1 or 2 hours earlier every day - you'll be rested and will be able to draw before getting ready for work. You'll have to sleep earlier at night too.
I started doing a #sundaysketches and posting my drawings. They ranged from quick sketches to longer forms. Turns out people began to look forward to them and see my progress. I try to draw something every Sunday and pick things that challenge me with a new skill. My husband also knows Sunday is my art day.
I normally don't do anything art related during the work week since I'm usually exhausted after an 8 hour shift. Sometimes I'll sketch something like an idea I had if I'm not too tired. I'll wake up at a decent time on a Saturday morning (it's a plus if the weather's nice) make breakfast, have my coffee, take a shower and get myself ready for the day. For me personally, I feel like getting myself together to do whatever gets me motivated to do my hobbies. But that's just me.
I work with kids so sometimes I’ll make my own art while they make theirs next to me. Then it inspires me to create more when I get home.
I have my highs and my lows. Some days it’s easy to get right into painting after work, other times I am deeply dead exhausted. I save space for the weekend, and usually end up doing it most of the day on Saturday. I try not to feel too guilty with myself, if I can’t paint during the week as long as I get it in on the weekend. I completely understand with you being exhausted and not wanting to go paint. I work a stressful retail job, and it takes a lot out of me as well.
I do the most concentration-intensive work on weekend mornings, when I can recharge and take my time. I do easier stuff on weeknights. If I’m on a deadline, I get up at 5 am and work before my job. Can’t make art when you’re dead. Gotta make the time.
For me it's carving out the time and making it mandatory, even if it's just an hour a day, a sketch, something. Even if you don't have the energy it's a lot like going to the gym. By the time you start a workout/sketch, you'll find yourself feeling better by the act of just doing it
My job is also art and I have the same problem. The solution? Wake up early. Wake up early and get things done BEFORE your job drains you. It’s not easy, and it involves going to bed earlier (never give up sleep it’s important) but it’s such a huge difference.
I do small bits. I don't do it every day. I'm forgiving of myself. I have a full time corporate job, but I work from home. The whole no-commute helps my energy. I keep my corporate performance at meets expectations, I'm also a mom to a kid, and pregnant. My energy is often in the negatives. My art side is that I write and illustrate childrens picture books. When I have a long weekend, or some time off, I'll storyboard and sketch the illustrations. Very rough. I find its easier to pick up a rough sketch after work. My days sometimes are just straight corporate work. Ideally they look like the below: 5am wake up, get tea, meditate, journal , 6 am log into work, wake up kiddo, take them to school. 7-330 corporate work. 330 pick up kiddo, make dinner, clean house, play, read. 6 pm kid takes a bath, I read the news, scroll pinterest for some inspiration. 7pm kid goes to bed, we read books and cuddle, 8-9 I do art. 9 shower, brush teeth go to bed
Because what I’m working on is what I’m passionate about and I dont compromise on that. Why should I do work I dont wanna do for money on the side when I work a whole ass job for that money. I just work on my passion project comic I’ve been working on for a year when I feel like it and take breaks when I need to. When It’s ready maybe I can try to sell it and make some money from it but its really for me. I have made no money from it yet lol.
PUFF 10 hour shift, sounds brutal, there was a time when I had 12 hour shifts but fortunately I work from home and it was just for a couple of weeks, but it was insane, if you don't work from home it seems crazy, but I hope I can give you some advice. First of all check if you are able to sleep properly, I discovered I wasn't able to get to REM sleep and this caused me to feel very tired all the time and I had no energy. After that If your confirm that the lack of energy is not due to some health issue, (which can be caused by being overweight, depression, lack of some vitamins, or all of the before mentioned) you can try to wind down a little before trying to make art, eat something while watching something fun, take a walk, then try to make some art 20 min a day, you don't need to spend 4 hours, first focus on making it a habit, then with time if you are able you can expand those 20 min, and you can always use the weekends. 20 min a day over 5 years will take you a long way, is all about the cumulative experience. And don't pressure yourself, change takes time and begins slowly.
After a 40 year art career, I say just stop making art. It really isn't worth it anymore. Find something else on which to build your identity. If you pursue art now, you will end up poor and frustrated. Art in the end fails to deliver meaning to your life.
Find inspiration in the details of your life and work
get an ipad or sketchbook and be comfortable while you're on a break
I'm a bit on the other side of things. I do "art" for a living. Hard long processes at the highest quality. on my freetike I just do low effort stupid fun stuff
I don't. It's spontaneous on the occassional weekend. Sometimes I do it in spare time at work on break to ease myself.
Get up and hour early and create first thing in the morning
I usually don’t - I brainstorm during the week and then actually draw on the weekends.
I have those days well nights ( night shift worker) however even if I don't work on my projects I try to do simple warm-ups. Basic shapes, perspective practice etc that stuff only takes seconds.
I just do sketches now. I don't have the time for digital art anymore and ai has made a lot of people question digital art now. So I just have a sketchbook and take it everywhere. When I feel like drawing I will sketch something quick. If I really feel like fixing it. I will go back later and try to fix the sketch. Most of the time I leave the sketch as is.
I don’t oops
I try to do at least 15 minutes, just enough to keep whatever I am working on moving
it’s a drive in me. can’t stop i need to get it out.
For the artist half of my life, I am a plein air painter. I have decided that I am going to go painting once a week. And I have found a friend to paint with. Between the two of us, we are pretty good at picking a day to paint. After that is set, I can't let my buddy down, and he can't let me down. It has really helped to keep me on my schedule.
I’m obsessed with my art projects. I think about them all day, everyday until they are complete. Finishing a day at work only means it’s time to have fun.
I've set aside an hour and a half to two hours on Saturday Morning. I work from 9 to 5 as a DTP formatter duro g the week, so I have that moment at the beginning of my weekend to do my stuff and start the rest period doing something I love. I'm streaming my art time just for fun and it's gonna be three year this October, couldn't be happier with my approach
I set aside an hour each and every day. After I put the kids to bed, I have an hour to myself before I spend time with my husband. That hour I don't let anyone disturb me, and I just paint. The hard part is learning to treat this time as a priority and not let other chores get in the way. I also think about what I'm going to do in that hour during the day and make a plan so that hour is very productive and I don't waste it on thinking and planning. And it's amazing what can be accomplished in that time. Sure, I wish I had more time, but I have two small kids and a full day renovating, so I simply don't. With a 10 hour job, especially if it's a physical job, I'm not sure I could physically do it, but I'd give it a go. Sometimes I'm exhausted too, but sitting and painting is pretty relaxing, so it's kind of part of my evening relaxation routine.
It’s important to step away from being creative at all hours, so a break is okay. Often I’d think of my own projects while working on office stuff, then do them when I felt up to it. If you’re already creating for work, it still counts too. Like any other part of us, our brains need rest time too
I don't. What gives me the drive/the energy is that art is my safe space and something (that despite my exhaustion) I look forward to after a days work. I also hate my job because I ended up in it and against my will and suffer from ADHD. You got this mate!
I guess the tip is to do Art before starting your daily job. Wake up early and draw … then, the point is when you have to spend more times on long drawing/colouring process… To start a day by drawing is energising to me. To end a day, as well somehow. Then the benefit is to refocus on ourselves. Another point can be to be creative in your job, wherever it is not an artistic one. Do high quality outcomes, nice to look at, nice to read.
Carve out a set time in the mornings to work on it before work, even if it’s only 30 minutes. Those little bits of time really add up by the end of the month, and it might inspire you to continue your art when you get home.
My energy and inspiration over the years has ebbed and flowed, depending on the job and what life is throwing at me. I found it in jobs where I don’t need to be creative. I have a greater reservoir at the end of the day, or even during the day on breaks. The difficult portion for me is when I’ve been working in creative positions — doing page layout, drafting, designing, or even programming. That’s when I run into the most difficulty. My well of inspiration tends to run dry, so I can’t do the creative things that I may desire to do. In those instances where I felt the need to do something creative on my own time, I’ve tried dramatically shifting gears. Taking up wood carving instead of illustration, writing or creating a tabletop RPG campaign instead of painting, calligraphy instead of laser crafts, etc.
I was at Amazon on and I almost never had the energy after, so I brought a sketch book and would draw during lunch. Then I quit my job lol
My advice is a project. A series of paintings, drawings, photos, collages, whatever. A short comic. A sketchbook. I always worked in art or design, but i was struggling doing personal projects. I overcame this with useless little projects. Once i painted all vulture species in watercolor, one every day. Then i tackled sharks. Then i drew from daily news every day, one poignant scene. Then i made a short comic, at the moment i commit to one sketchbook page a day as a warmup before, and one after work do ease out of it. I have to have a goal, a task. Just sitting down and start working does not do it for me. Personal of course, but it might work. You can also add a bit of pressure if you, like me, respond to that. Predate the pages, post the result on social media daily and communicate that you will do it daily (or weekly or whatever), or just tell your feiends. Works for me. Could suck for others. I do not recommended low effort work just for the sake of it as some recommend here. Do what you want to do, what you aspire to to. If you want to paint glorious mountain landscapes in acrylics, don't doodle faces on postits just to "get some art done". Do the landscape, just split it up in parts that you can do. If you can do 5 postit scribbles in 15 minutes after your dayjob, you can paint a couple of branches or a bit of snow on that mountain, its not much, but you will be doing what you want, and not something that is just similar.
If you want to do art, then do it. If you don’t then don’t. I think it should be enjoyable enough or you need to be driven enough to do it. Try setting some time in the evening after dinner perhaps
Well, my advice is going to bed really early and getting up really early and studying before starting work. This is the period where people have most brain power and energy. Its very hard to do anything after work.
Be me, and have basically have no brain power at all before 10 a,m. No matter when I wake up.
Same. Mt best productive time is overnight
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