Sale on canvas prints! Use code ABCXYZ at checkout for a special discount!
Before I had a child, I took my free time for granted. Yes, I was busy, but I had the freedom to do what I wanted when I wanted; to divide my time freely. Now that I am a mother of a soon to be toddler, I am realizing how difficult it is to find time to paint, My free time to do whatever I want is nearly non existent. For a productive painting session, I need a minimal of 30 minutes....preferably longer. And, I can not create a painting while watching my child. It does not work for me. Luckily, as with anything, there are always ways to do what you want to do. I have achieved this by doing the following:
1. Join a painting club! I never knew how enjoyable and relaxing it would be to join a painting club. Every week, I can leave my child with my husband, escape for two hours and paint with other art loving folk. Most of them are almost double my age, but it does not matter, It is fun to see the creations of others and to all be creating a painting in the same room. It is amazing how much I have achieved in just two hours a week.
2. Don't be afraid to ask someone to watch your child for a short time while you create. This occurs on a weekly basis as I attend painting club. My husband usually takes my little guy, but I'm grateful that there are people who understand that mom needs a little time to herself and are happy to take my kid for an hour or two. As long as it is not for too long, most people are happy to help.
3. Realize that you can also occasionally have mom time during your child's nap time. Normally when my little one goes to sleep, I instantly go into autopilot and begin cleaning the house, doing laundry, and the countless other things I am unable to do while my kid is awake. By dropping all the tasks one day a week during nap time, I have learned that I can accomplish a lot during these mini 1 hour sessions.
These tips are what work best for me, but by being a bit creative you can still squeeze in the hobbies you enjoy while having children. And as they grow up, they may enjoy doing your hobby with you.
