Find 20 Minutes for Art

When you’re feeling overwhelmed with commitments to people and causes and tasks that seem urgent, you long for a day to focus on your art. The weeks go by, filled up with such necessary things, and somehow that day never happens.

The solution? Find twenty minutes for your art. Even the busiest person on the planet can find such a small window. You decide when and where, but  honor that commitment. In this short time you might make a sketch, or play with clay, or sort your images. You just do it, almost without thinking.  

This technique is a way of overcoming your own resistance, and it works because three things happen simultaneously:

• New energy is released as you let go of the guilt of NOT working on your art
• You start to look forward to those twenty minutes, and the time begins to expand
• Your mind continues to explore ideas throughout the rest of the day 

At first you’ll probably spend your twenty minutes getting set up. Find your sketchbook and favorite charcoal pencils and put them in a quiet place. Decide which image files you want to organize on the computer. Order the frames or canvas or other materials you need. You get ready for the next time.

You’ll need to silence your inner critic. Ignore the negative voices in your head and let yourself open up. It’s a time for experimenting with ideas and materials and process, for enjoying yourself without judging your efforts.

You can use this technique to overcome resistance to any task you are avoiding, but it is especially effective in recovering your art practice. Build your capacity slowly, in small increments, and you’ll gradually find your way back to what you love.