It’s 7:08am — I’m helping my insistent toddler pick out the edges of the puzzle he’s going to attempt before breakfast. My little guy just yelled to me from the bathroom that he needs a wipe. Finn pup is standing behind me whimpering because he is ready to be fed. After I pour food in his bowl, I turn around to review my heavily packed calendar on the fridge. Then my mind drifts…

Is it possible to create through the chaos?

I’ve been thinking about this question a lot lately.

I’m always on the move and my mind, well — it runs. It runs like A/C on a sweltering day in July.

Creation, for me, has always happened during quiet moments. Focused moments. Moments of solitude where I have time, space and good music playing softly in the background.

So when this summer took off, my creative practice got the back burner. With the boys no longer napping and both of them going to bed later each night, time to create felt like a thing of the past. I got so frustrated waiting for quiet that I was forced to find another way.

So, is it possible to create through the chaos?

YES. YES, it is. This blog post is proof — but it takes a bit of discipline to do so.

Here’s two things that have been working for me:
1. Simplify
2. Take (and make) what you can get

Simplify

I’ve always wanted to do it all. Create collage, shoot photography, edit those photos, read a million books at once, write blogs and so on.
In order to get anything done, simplicity is necessary. Choosing one thing to focus on really helps me.
I also frequently remove tasks that don’t fit my vision. Sometimes when I shoot photography I’ll choose two photos to edit out of 50 that I’ve taken. Is it hard to pick only two? Incredibly hard but that’s the art of it. You have to be able to cull your tasks like you are culling photos.
Go with your gut and be confident in your decision.

Take (and make) what you can get

Secondly, you have to take and make time. This part was the hardest for me because, like I said above, I like to be sitting at my desk in a quiet room with music on to make stuff. That’s just not realistic for me right now and I’ve been pushing myself to do the best with what I have.

The discipline comes when you’re tempted to reach for your phone but pick up your sketchbook instead. It’s keeping a notebook handy when you’re playing at the park with your kids to jot down a good blog post idea. It’s writing during the 20 minutes between getting home and starting dinner. Taking time during small moments in the day to generate and spark ideas.

Now, after you go through your day taking little pockets of time to create, what do you do with it all? This is were you have to make time. For me, that looks like setting my alarm for 5am. This is my biggest secret!

Rising at 5am has been the game changer. It gives me time to sit with all of the puzzle pieces I’ve collected during the day and put them together.
I get a workout in, read a bit, finish blogs and even make art!

I’ve realized there are just too many demands during the day and if I rise at 5am I have about and hour and a half to myself before the sound of little feet come running down the stairs.

You are worth it! XO