Where to Find Time for Creative Work? (a young mother’s experience)

The baby has arrived and… the world almost turned upside down! Sometimes you don’t have time for brushing your teeth and eating. Do-it-yourself things – what are you talking about!

Strange it may seem but after the birth of our daughter my desire for creative work even doubled!

Someone may say that if the baby is calm then why not make art and create things? I would not say that our daughter was very calm. During the first six months of her life, Sonya slept 4-5 times a day for only 30 minutes and she asked for milk every 1,5 hour during the night. What I really can say is that she has always been a cheerful child! And cheerfulness comes to the baby when his mother is cheerful and in harmony with herself and the world around. Moreover, not having his own life experience, each baby is developing through imitating and the first person he imitates is his mum.

So, where a mum can find time?

Set the Rythm

When I was a teenager, my parents, in addition to the secondary school, signed me up for music school, art school and a swimming pool – quite a rich variety of activities which was widened by mountain skiing at weekends. I remember quite clearly that between the last lesson at school and the solfeggio at the music school I had only half an hour. And it was enough for me to drop in at home (not by car but on foot!) to have dinner and change my books and run into the music class on time (sometimes I even managed to eat an ice-cream on the way to the music school). In a word, I had time for everything. And when I had graduated from the music school and stopped visiting the swimming pool and the art school, I felt I had less time “for myself”. The secret is obvious: the rhythm had gone and I allowed myself to “concentrate” for a longer time before to actually start doing things. To add to this, I just did not have any plan what to do and when to do it.

When, in May 2008, Sonya arrived in our family, my life changed greatly – one more item, a very dear one, was included into the agenda for the day – care for the baby. So, the more things to do one has, the more things he manages to do.

Adjust to the Circumstances

Of course, I had to adjust. The baby is sleeping in the pram outdoors and you are sitting nearby on a folding chair and knitting from time to time rocking the pram for the baby not to wake up because of the colic. And by the second month of her life, our daughter had already got warm woolen socks and by the fifth – a big knitted panda (though she will be able to play with it only after turning one).

Reconsider the List of Things to Do

I also had to reconsider the list of usual things and to refuse from some of them. The nappies went to the washing machine one after another (as I was often “ventilating” the baby’s skin after diapers putting her in the cot on the nappies) but I made the decision not to iron them. My personal blog in the Internet (which was 2 years old by that time) – had to be slowed down. My husband and I also decided to postpone “chic” dinners consisting of three-four courses for a couple of years.

Organize the Working Space

The household appliances bought in advance: washing and dishwashing machines, a coffee-maker (where I was making tea) and… a shower cabin right in the room really helped to save time.

Keep the Regime

But all these is just nothing as the regime set in time (during the first months of the baby’s life) played the main role in saving time. We started to bathe the baby at the same time every day. Actually, that was all the regime from our side but almost at the same period of time Sonya’s organism began to ask for food every 2,5 hours. I adjusted her sleep to the time of feeding. And all the rest daily activities were almost the same from day to day: washing the floor, reading English books to the baby after the first sleep, cooking dinner and reading Russian fairy-tales – after the second, some spare time for me and meditation – after the third and so on. The baby needs outward order to understand the “chaos” of the world. The inner order of a child is being formed on the basis of the order he sees and feels around.

As for me, I knew when I would have a “free” minute to do “my own” things. Everything I needed “to make art” (either wool and knitting needles, or cloth and scissors, or my laptop, or whatever) was at my fingertips prepared in the evening for the following day. While we were walking hours on end (4-7 hours overall during the day), I either was thinking over creative ideas (there was always a notebook and a pen lying in the pocket of the pram) or put those ideas to life (with the needles, on the laptop or with my camera). I also had an hour of my “personal” time 3 times a week when my mum came to walk wither her granddaughter in the evening. When Sonya fell asleep for the night, there was no chance for me to do anything with my hands as it was too dark in the room. So, all my attention was directed to the computer screen.

Where to Take Energy?

But what can one do with the tiredness which is being accumulated from month to month because of the sleepless nights and care for the baby? From creative work itself you are deriving strength as there appears a great sense of content when beauty is being born. Fresh air (when you are walking with the baby) indemnifies for the lack of sleep. And meditation, or thoughtless awareness, sets you in balance and peace with yourself. During such minutes you stop the stream of thoughts, enjoy each moment and see yourself and the world around from aside.

In a word, if you have a desire to make things with your own hands, a day regime and an efficient plan for the day, you will always find time. The only condition – no dawdling, just “take it and do” but without any fuss, in harmony and balance.

Anastasia

PS This post was written on an October day (on a laptop outside!) while our daughter being 5 months old was sleeping in her pram.

Pic. by Vadim Lazarkevich to “Hlopotlivaya Metsana” by Leda Mileva, 1964

The next time You will learn some ideas on how to organize a holiday for the husband/wife. February 14, St. Valentine’s Day, is just the right time to talk about it!