Why can you not make time to be creative?

When you wake up, you might check your social media and emails which have piled up during the night with lots of notifications along with the heavy pressure to start the day of get to work or /and get the kids to school!

Once at work, the list of things that need your attention can feel endless.

There never really feels like a good time to be creative.

You need to solve a problem that popped up yesterday, your boss needs help with something urgent and if I don’t get the work done today you know it will all be there tomorrow with addition to even more stuff.

Your relationships need attention too.

An old friend is in town and wants to plan dinner, your family keeps texting, you need to get the kids collected from afterschool etc. etc.

Sounds like you?

When it comes down to it, the reality is there... there will always be something to get in the way of creativity.

It should come as no real surprise that creative thinking is often seen as secondary because it’s similar to play, experimentation, and change. Who has time for play and experimentation when there’s real work sitting in front of them?

And why try changing anything, if things are going reasonably well enough?

This is one myth around creative thinking we must break:

"if you don’t make time for creativity, it won’t happen."

Like myself, people who regularly practice creativity do

so intentionally.

They make creativity part of their life, their routine, they find excuses to experiment & play, and they schedule time for creative self-fulfillment.

If there’s no time for creativity, it’s because you haven’t made time for it. No excuse.

If you want to make more time for creativity, I recommend trying a few things:

1. Make creativity an intentional act first thing in the morning.

Wake up 30 minutes to an hour earlier than usual.

Set aside that time for writing in a journal, meditation, a mindful walk outside with nature, anything that encourages creative thinking.

By starting with this, first thing in the day, you limit the potential for distractions.

Starting your day with a creative activity also helps set your mentality for the rest of the day.

2. Embed creativity into anything you can get away with.

If you’re having trouble finding the time to be creative, try incorporating a little creativity into everything you’re already doing.

How could you make your work a bit different? Could you take a different route to wherever you needed to go? Could you do something new and creative with your children, just to see what happens?

3. Schedule time for yourself.

If you usually find it difficult to find time for creativity, set aside a small amount of time throughout the day, dedicated to yourself being creative.

You can use this time to challenge yourself, to produce creative work,

or simply to just allow yourself space to think deeply on your ideas and thoughts.

If you want more advice on how to be creative, consider these tips at

How to Be Creative When You're Not Naturally Creative

Written by Brittany Gellerman @brittgell.