Everyday Growing Artist

The problem with being an artist trying to grow her business is TIME.  There never seems to be enough time in a day to do what I want to do.  It seems like no matter how much I try to set aside the time something always comes up and steals it away.

I work full-time in addition to my art career and that takes up my weekdays 8-5PM.  When I get home from work I must cook dinner (unless my wonderful husband has done it for me, which he frequently does), spend time with Mom, the kids and my husband.  Whatever time is left is mine to spend doing my own thing. 

Sometimes Mom requires more time than other days though.  She is 81 years old now and needs care and attention.  I may not have her for long, so I sacrifice the time.  The kids, well they are teenagers and are usually doing their own thing but my youngest, still need time and attention and I want to be there for him no matter what.  My husband is a rock.  He is so supportive and loving and is always willing to help me carve out my time.  In exchange I let him watch football. ;-)  All kidding aside, he gets me and understands that I NEED this time and never complains. 

By the time my free time does come up, many days I am just too tired to be creative and all I can do is use the time to network a bit on Facebook or plan my next project.

I look at all wonderful artists online that paint every single day and I wonder how on earth they do it.  I wonder if they work at a job besides their art, and how they schedule their time.  I must admit I am a bit envious of their time and all the beautiful art they create. But this is my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

My time spent painting is usually productive and thankfully I paint pretty fast.  I can usually complete a painting in 1 to 2 days, depending on the size and the detail of the piece.  While it isn’t near enough time, I try to make every day count in some way artistically.  Whether I am pouring over all the wonderful art work on Facebook or reading an Art Book, I try to make art a part of every day.