Art and Creativity: Finding the TIME for Art During Difficult Times

Over the years, I have heard much "wisdom" about how to make the most of your creative endeavors.

If you're an artist, "paint something every day." If you're a writer "write something every day." These seem to be fairly common mantras across many aspects of the creative world.

No doubt, consistency can be a very important part of the creative process.

During challenging times — such as those much of the world is facing at the moment — one of the bottom line questions we may have to face has to do with time.

Can we really justify taking time every day to paint/write/create music if that time could be spent working at something — like a job — that will actually ensure that the electric or Internet bill gets paid so the service doesn't get shut off?

These days, the notion of "starving" artists seems to be more on the map than ever.

Personally, I have never liked starving. And I have generally not felt particularly "tragic and noble" when I was about to get evicted from where I was living for "non-payment" of something!

Looking back on my life, I have generally chosen having a roof over my head over creative endeavors. Maybe that is a form of "selling out," and I'll own that!

But even though I am often filled with the feeling that I "have to" create something, I have generally chosen NOT to, during those particularly difficult times.

Maybe some it that is merely a personal value set: I was never willing to "mooch" off others as a means to support my creativity. If it couldn't at least "stand alone," it got postponed. Not happily so, but it got postponed.

Does that mean I have no "passion" for creativity? Maybe it does. Then again, maybe it just means I have a rational/practical side to balance out that passion.

I just know that being homeless was not much fun, and I definitely did not feel creative while I was living on the street... and anything I did to express those though times (creatively) didn't happen until after I had a nice warm bed, once again!

To what lengths do YOU go for your art?

Thanks for stopping by!

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