Finding time to create as a new mom

Today our oldest two kids are in school, and our youngest is in daycare. The house is quiet (though still a bit of a mess from Easter weekend) and I have the choice to go to a separate room and work on something creative to rejouvenate my soul. I have a few hours to prioritize what I want to, and listen to my own music or podcasts. It wasn't always like this. 

I remember sitting on the couch while our oldest was a baby, I'd finally feel like he was settled enough to pull out all my embroidery or knitting, and I'd feel so frantic about it, not knowing how long it would last before he would need me. It wasn't very relaxing because you could never know if it was 5 minutes of quiet, or a luxurious hour. And then sometimes I would feel guilt for thinking about crafting at all with dishes in the sink, or should I be showering or throwing on some kind of workout video.  It was hard. 

But I also knew that it was so important. To my soul. To have something to look forward to each day, something that made me feel like myself, and something that showed progress when in motherhood, let's face it, sometimes feels like a cycle of just poopy diapers, spit up, and feeding.  Eventually Dan and I worked out a bit of a schedule, for me to be able to have a solid chunk of time each week to go do whatever I wanted by myself outside the house, and many times for me, it was bringing my craft to a coffee shop.  

I have always said, that creativity is not just the practice of me making something, it is the journey of what it creates within me. The act of making, pushes me through something, it helps me quiet the world around, and to just focus on something else for the joy of it. No deadlines, no demands, just making for the sake of making. And the more I am able to prioritize these pockets of time, the more I feel myself coming back to myself. 

Big pockets of time and little pockets of time. Making the time. Leaving the dishes. Leaving the laundry. Of course not always, but sometimes, to keep your soul a flutter, it’s ok to let the dishes wait. At least that’s what I tell myself.