About time management & a scoop

 

The other day, I got an email from a former student who asked how I keep myself motivated to make things and find time to do so.
Now picture me laughing out loud behind my computer... finding time to do so, hahaha! (I'm not laughing at my student, I laughing at myself here, let that be clear).

I remember telling friends just a few months after I gave birth to my son that working and babies were an easy combination. I felt I was not going to be one of those moms who started to neglect the bizz after baby got born, I was going to stick to my game and stay a working, creative person who also happened to be a mother. Then my son got a little bit older, slept a little less...

Now -like any other working mother I guess- I struggle daily to get the things done I want to get done (there's always more more more). You might have noticed that once, back in the days, I blogged every day (every day!!! I cannot imagine that anymore), today it got limited to once or twice a week. This is not only because I have less time to blog but also because I simply have less time to work and therefor things to show.

The picture above is an illustration I started befor my son was born. The plan was to make a yoga poster with bunny poses. Inspiration: our pet rabbit Seb and his variety of relaxing postures. Never got further than these two drawings...

I have a few tricks on hand though to keep on track with the work:

• Set fixed days for certain tasks. Like my webshop, I ship mostly on fridays. This makes things clear and manageable.
• Make to-do list not longer than 5 tasks (one big, 4 small) a day. If I make them longer, things just don't get done and that is not motivating.
• Be flexable with where you can work. If I'm looking at a long train ride for example, I bring my sketchbook or material to make comfort boxes.
• Find things to draw/ inspiration in every day things around you. Personal fascinations, your daily life (like the houses of my village project I'm doing at the moment). Keeping things close to you makes it easier to stay focussed and interested.
• Set priorities: what is the most important to get done (deadlines) and what can wait.

In the upcoming months it might even get a little bit harder to work like I wish to because... we're expecting our second child!
I have been feeling rather tired the last few weeks, somehow this second pregnancy comes with more typical pregancy issues (I won't bore you with them) than my first and I'm doing my very best to keep up with daily life.
I'm due in the beginning of september and will be teaching till about june (also for the private lessons). And till then, I'll be posting here every week like I intent to and the shop will be open as long as I can!