Has motherhood put a damper on your creativity?

Do you ever feel like you don’t have any time to spend on your hobbies and creative pursuits? Has motherhood put a damper on your creativity? If you want to get back creativity, this is for you!

Before having children I had all sorts of hobbies. Oh yes… I was one busy woman. I read books, exercised, redid furniture I found at garage sales, and all kinds of other stuff.

I had the time.

I had the energy.

I had the motivation.

And it felt good!

Then I had a baby. And then I had 3 more. In 3 years. And somewhere along the way, my capacity for creativity died. The desire to be creative and the satisfaction I got from it did not go away, but that former “go get ’em” drive faded more and more with each passing month. I began to feel like all I had time to do was meet everyone’s daily needs and then read a book or watch TV to escape the stress.

Here is how I’ve attempted to remain creative when I really don’t have the time or capacity.

1. Quick and satisfying projects

I sewed a slipcover one time for a horribly ugly couch I bought at good will. I bought the couch because I wanted to sew the slipcover. Shortly after I began to sew that dadgum slipcover I wanted to go quietly into the night and end it all. It took an hour or two each evening for a month. Probably longer because I’d walk past it every day and give it the evil eye but not really sew that much. What’s my point? I did NOTHING else creative the entire time I was trying to do the slipcover because it was an all-consuming project. I should have just bought a nicer couch.

By doing projects that are quick and easy (like this) you are actually able to finish what you start. Busy and trying seasons of life probably aren’t the time to take on an elaborate hobby, but you can always find 15 or 30 minutes. Even if it involves construction paper, which leads me to…

2. Get the kids involved

Sometimes I honestly feel creatively satisfied doing craft time and our Fruit of the Spirit curriculum with the kids. While they are practicing using the scissors or coloring, I will often sit and mindlessly paint, draw, or color shapes. I’m not calling myself Mrs. Henri Matisse over here, but I’ll say it feels good.

Quick sewing projects painting, redoing furniture, and other crafts are usually fun and interesting to children so there’s no need to wait until they’re in bed to get started. In fact, waiting until they’re in bed will likely mean you don’t get around to it!

3. One thing at a time

Just because you used to do many creative pursuits pre-motherhood doesn’t mean you have to attempt them all now. There are seasons and years when you’ll do more than others and that’s okay. That’s life! If you only have limited bandwidth or budget then pick one hobby or creative pursuit at a time. Whether you join an art class or have a craft night at your home, sticking to one thing at a time might help you release some of your creativity without becoming overloaded.

If you need to get our creative juices flowing then NOW IS THE TIME! There’s a massively huge and awesome DIY bundle sale going on. Just click below to see over 75 ebooks and ecourses available to you for only $34.95!