Behind the Scenes: My creative process

Wondering how things are going on the artist side of life?  Slow, but steady.  A mixture of answered prayers, thoughts, comments, messages and signs from above all crashed into each other a couple of weeks ago and that's when I decided to go for it and say the words out loud, that I was aiming to be an artist.  The scariest proclamation I've ever made thus far in my life I think.

That kind of a statement can seem big and exciting but also kind of vague to anyone outside of my mind, meaning the entire rest of the world.  My creative thought process is anything but vague but just doesn't get mentioned very often.  Honestly, I always just assume that everyone has as much going on in their minds as I do.  Surely it's normal to have more ideas than time, to think in colors and sketches, to see the world as a constant photo op.  What I'm learning lately is maybe not all minds are wired like that and what a good thing it is!  Can you imagine if people like myself ran the world?  It would be a happy, carefree, artistic kind of world but with less organization and order which is also sometimes needed.

(we had some extra kiddos around the art table-our cousins!)

At any given moment of any given day I typically have two or three creative projects stirring in my head, heart, and home.  This could mean a decorating project for the house (inside or out), a handmade gift for a friend, or planning a party or get-together for friends or family.  Add in the staples of blogging and painting and a creative life is built.  I was asked this week how I find time to create so let's start there today.  I could write about my creative process 'till the cows come home and trust me that's a LONG time.

I've tried lots of times (unsuccessfully) to rise before the girls and go into the craft room.  It just doesn't work for me.  I wake up hungry and in need of caffeine with lots of needs to tend to!  Waking up earlier just doesn't fit my schedule right now because I'm almost always still getting up in the night at least a couple of times with a baby.  In short, mama needs her sleep!

SO, I do find time to create other parts of the day.  Creating with the girls is a given and often sparks ideas for my own independent art time.  I upload photos and blog during nap time, which is getting shorter by the day.  I don't worry about scheduling blog posts a certain amount of times a week, but I always have tons of photos and little snippets of life I want to share so it works out that I post about 5 or 6 days a week.  I've also been reading the e-course about making your creative business happen a bit each day during nap also.  

Once the girls go down to sleep at night I like to continue my creative/art time.  Sometimes I'll go into the craft room for an hour or so while Brett does farm work.  Other times he'll watch t.v. and I'll bring my art supplies into the room with him.  On the weekends I especially like to paint in the evenings and set up camp in the craft room.  I always have tons of ideas for painting canvases and keep them in a sketch book.  Again, more ideas than time.  I think that's a great "problem" to have.

And that's how, baby step after baby step, I'm evolving as an artist.  I'm choosing not to get overwhelmed by all that I "can't do" right now because I'm the luckiest gal in the world to get to stay home with my babies.  Instead, I'm focusing on painting and creating and improving in tiny little doses, taking one step at a time.    Once I have a better grasp on pursuing a creative business and a LOT more canvases painted, I'll be opening shop.  (insert butterflies in stomach here)