With a preschooler, a full-time job, a husband, a dog and a
gaggle of chickens, there's always something for me to do at my house. And
sometimes, sadly, the beading is the LAST thing to get done at the end of the
day. But beading is important to me. I'd say it's probably just as important as
cooking or cleaning or spending time with my family because beading is my
creative escape, and it relaxes me at the end of a long day.
After reading this blog post by Quilting Daily's Pokey Bolton about a mother of five (yes, that's
right-FIVE kids!) who realized how important it was to make time to make art
every day, I realized that I am also happier when I can find the time to do a
little bit of beading every day. Beading has been such a huge part of my life
for so long that I find myself getting grumpy and irritable when I go for days
without picking up a needle and beads.
Even if you don't have hours to sit down and bead (most
days, I'm lucky to squeeze in twenty minutes!), there are things you can do to
make the most of your beading time:
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| Break your beading projects down into manageable steps to get the most out of your beading time. |
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1.
Break
up big projects into manageable steps. Don't feel like you have to complete an
entire project in a single weekend. You have a life, right? So break your
projects down into smaller steps. Set realistic goals for yourself. If you want
to make an entire string of beaded beads, don't convince yourself that you have
to do it all in one day. Let yourself enjoy the actual practice of beading
instead of worrying so much about finishing the whole project.
2. Set
your alarm clock a half hour early. This one is easier said than done for some
of us. I am not-and never will be-a morning person. But some days I can get
myself out of bed before the alarm goes off and sit quietly at my worktable or
on my back porch with my tray of beads and enjoy the silence and stillness of
the house while I bead. And if I only get fifteen minutes of peace and quiet
and beads? I enjoy it. (See Number One, above!)
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Another time-saving tip: don't let your beading table look like this! Put things back as soon as you are done with them so that you know where you can find them quickly when you need them later. |
3.
Stay
organized. Again, easier said than done for some of us, but it makes total
sense. I find that I waste more time looking for beads and findings and tools
that I need when I don't take the time to put things away where they belong
when I'm finished with them! Of course, sometimes being messy and cluttered is
part of my creative process. But if that applies to you, too, make sure that
you take a few minutes every week or so to clean up and put away your beads and
beading tools. It will save you a lot of time in the long run that you can then
spend beading!
4. Bead
with a buddy. This is one that I like to do, especially because most of my
beading friends don't live nearby. I schedule a time with a friend (or two or
three) when we can all get together and spend an afternoon or an evening with
each other and our beads. You make appointments to get your hair cut, your
nails done, your tires rotated, and your oil changed. Make an appointment to do
some beading, too! (And don't write it in pencil, write it in INK!)
5. Be
creative with your time. Are you sitting in your car for twenty minutes waiting
for your kids to get out of school? Bring your beads. Have a long commute to
work on the train every morning? Bring your beads. Plopping down in front of
the television after dinner? Get out your beads! You'd be surprised how much
time you can find in your day to squeeze in a little beading!
Do you have a time management secret for finding time to
bead? Share it with us here on the blog! Or better yet, head on over to the Beading Daily Forums and let's talk about it!
Bead Happy,
Jennifer