How do you find time to create?

How do we find the time to create?



I think I can safely say most of us out there that create also have jobs, and or families that we need to devote time to. I don’t work anymore, but have a 6 and a 4 year old and another little one due in February so my time is ever dwindling. Even though my older two are self sufficient in that they don’t need me to help them with the toilet (thank god, wiping bums is really not my favourite job), they can get themselves a drink, etc, the time saved here is now spent helping my oldest with homework, and involving my youngest in learning. So what do I give up to get more time? I am quite fond of eating and sleeping, but one has to make sacrifices, and being a woman I can multitask so eating can stay – guess it is sleeping....


I find it a constant struggle to find the time to really focus on whatever I am embarking on at the moment. If I paint, I start at 8 o’clock at night and I paint until I am finished that canvas (needless to say my paintings are NOT full of detail, but they are full of colour!!). Or I try to find projects that I can get my kids involved in, so while I work away I have a miniature version of what I am doing set up so we can all work together. This isn’t my favourite, as just when I am starting to get focused on what I am doing it is inevitably the time when my kids have had their fill of the project and are ready to move onto the next thing. Oh well, it is all fun.


Sewing (my first love) is a little more challenging. As mentioned with my painting, if I can’t get it done in a small amount of time, I will not start. Whilst I pick things that aren’t going to take me days and days to make, sewing is a long process regardless. First it is cutting out the fabric as per the pattern (really not happy that that is part of the sewing process), and then the pinning, measuring, sewing, pinning, measuring, sewing, and on it goes. So rather than a day of sewing and I have a new outfit, which was possible pre kids, I have a week of trying to sewing and maybe a new sleeve. However au vante gaurd that may be, I am not Lady Gaga and I require more than a sleeve to make an outfit – I appreciate the value of pants ever so much.


I have adopted a new strategy though, which is working for me. Rather than just focus on sewing one item, I will pick a few different things to sew (generally something for me, for both my kids and maybe a new cushion) that all require the SAME coloured sewing thread. The really time consuming part is all the prep work – 4 patterns does take a while to cut out, and I tend to use Burda. (I LOVE Burda, but the tracing is very hard, especially now they have taken the pattern sheets down from two either side, to one either side). Once that is done, I have my four little piles and I methodically work through each pattern, pinning the first step on each item, then doing all my sewing at once, then pinning and sewing, etc. I have found it is far more time efficient and I have become a far better sewing because I am not rushing to get through the pattern and ignoring steps so I can get more than a sleeve made. I always thought I was a reasonable sewer, but after working through patterns this way I have found so many new techniques that make my final outcome look much better and are in most cases far easier.


So this is how we evolve I guess. I am determined not to give up the things I love just for the sake of time (or sleep) but my first and most important role is mum, so I just have to work with it. We would love to know how you manage your time, leave us a comment, you never know we all might pick up a new trick or two.

If you are an artisan and are wanting to display your work, drop us a line at Shimi, we are always on the look out for new designers to contribute.