Life Happens

I have noticed a connection among some of the blogs I follow lately.  A number of people lament how little time they have spent creating because of ...(insert list of obligations/distractions here).  I feel exactly the same way.  This summer was supposed to be dedicated to studio time. I had a light teaching schedule and I planned to start a new series.  I felt I had all the time in the world.  I was going to have so much completed by the fall.  But...life happened to me, as well.  Don't get me wrong, I wasn't completely unproductive.  I was very productive on the administrative side of things (updated website, new computer, etc.) And I managed to complete a number of works that had been in progress for months. (Actually they were in the closet for months - the progress came in August.) So I now have a cohesive body of work for possible exhibition.

I wondered why this seems to be so common.  Why do we often let other priorities take over our studio time?  Sometimes there is no choice - family responsibilities take precedence. But in my case, much of it was personal choice (did I really have to redo my website this June - couldn't it wait until fall?) There were also emotional distractions that kept me away, rather than demands on my time.

So that leads to the question - how to prevent this from happening again?  Right now, I'm planning December as my next "studio month". Oh, I know all the time management techniques and the creativity unblocking techniques - I just have to use them.  And ultimately, that self-discipline is the hardest part.