Finding Time for Creativity as a Busy Mom

When you think about being creative, what does that mean to you?

When I think about being creative, it is the most Godlike thing that we can do in our human form.

I know that sounds very stark right off the bat, but truly, creativity is one of the most incredible, beautiful things that we can do because we’re taking this idea from our own minds and turning it into something physical.

Whether it’s writing, crocheting, or putting something into the garden, any of that can be something creative.

This is something my husband and I have talked about a lot because we both love being creative people, and we love making things from scratch and starting new.

Part of the creative process that I think some people can get stuck at is whether they are the thinker or the doer.

Between my husband and me, he is definitely the thinker, and I am the do-er.

He has all of the ideas for things, and he’ll map them out and make a game plan for how to get it all started and moving. But then he loses the momentum behind it.

I love to physically put things into action, but I’m not so great at planning out how to do it.

This is why he and I are a really good pair for one another. He’ll think of an idea and bring it to me, and then I can help him put it into action. I’ll actually do the physical part of getting it done.

I wonder how much of that is because of our biological instincts.

What gets in the way of being creative as a mom?

As a mom, there are always my own to-do lists, whether it’s cleaning around the house, doing the laundry, mopping the floors, or something that my kids want to do, like going to the Butterfly Museum, visiting friends or family, or seeing Papa at work.

There’s also just taking the time to spend time as a family and with one another. And that can take a lot of time.

There’s always going to be something that comes in the way.

So, I think it’s about setting your own creativity as a priority.

Maybe after dinner, set some time aside where everybody has their own creative time. Get out a coloring book and crayons for the kids, work on my own knitting projects, and let my husband code.

It’s important to set aside that time and make it part of your normal routine.

Though I also think that there is possibility for creativity in whatever tasks you do.

If I need to make dinner, that’s another area for me to be creative. I don’t need to follow a recipe exactly. I can use my own skill with cooking and my own creative thought process to make it something new and exciting instead of the same food that we have over and over again.

I think it’s important to find creativity in the little things and not let your mind be so boxed into rigid ideas.

What does finding time for creativity actually look like in your day right now?

Realistically, I’ll just give you an outline of what my days look like right now with a teething baby and a toddler who’s anxious to continue learning.

When I get up in the mornings, I get the girls ready first thing. Then we take time to have breakfast, make a pot of coffee, and read some books. This just kind of opens up our day for creativity, but also calmness and gentleness.

In between all of these things throughout the day, keep in mind that I’m breastfeeding about every one to three hours to keep my teething baby at bay.

After breakfast, that’s when we’ll start our chores, and I’ll get ready for the day.

Then it’s not really until both of the girls go down for their nap after lunchtime that I really start my creative process.

I’ve done all of the checkbox items for my day. We’ve done our chores. We’ve picked up the dog poop in the yard. We’ve fed and fueled our bodies with breakfast and lunch.

When the girls go down, this is my time to either do the big-ticket items on my to-do list or do something hands-on.

But in being a stay-at-home mom, a lot of what I do is creating tasks for myself above and beyond just keeping the house clean regularly.

It’s realizing the little things around the house that need to be done to make it feel like a home.

If my sunflowers in the yard are unkempt, I need to add that to my to-do list.

Or if I find a rip in my sheets, how am I going to fix that? Do I take the easy way and just put an iron-on patch over it? Do I replace the sheets entirely? Or should I take the time to hand-embroider a little flower on it to keep it together, add a little touch of my own creative magic to it, and make it last even longer?

After the girls’ naps, we really do a lot of child-led play until dinnertime, whether it’s reading books, doing puzzles, going on a walk, or going out somewhere.

Then when I start making dinner, I’ll definitely have my toddler help me so she can get her motor skills in—cutting things, measuring, and getting real-life skills to help her function as a human outside of being a baby.

After dinner, it’s just more family play until bedtime.

And after the girls go to bed, then it’s like free rein.

What can I do to be creative? What do I want to spend my time doing?

This is where I really have the most time because they go down a couple of hours before I do.

So it’s up to me how I want to spend that creative time.

What’s a small creative project you’ve done recently that made you happy?

For me, it always feels really nice to just complete the littlest tasks.

Recently, I made a cover for the steering wheel in our car because it’s black and gets too hot when it sits out in the sun.

I had some leftover fur yarn from another project, so I decided to use that yarn to make a cover for the steering wheel.

It’s just those little, tiny quality-of-life things that I like to upgrade a little bit by being a mom and adding my own creative touch to things.

There’s just something so magical about it.

It feels so fulfilling to make my life a little more enjoyable through these tiny moments.

For me, creativity doesn’t have to be some huge project. Sometimes it’s just making something with my hands and getting that little feeling of, I made this. If you’re looking for a place to start, I have several of my own crochet and knitting patterns available in the Market. They’re there for whenever you have one of those quiet pockets of time and feel like making something of your own.