One of the biggest challenges facing creative stay-at-home-moms is trying to make good use of your “free time”. My hilarious friend Jenny just wrote a couple of articles about this time crunch relating to productivity and housework, and it’s got me thinking about the topic a lot. Just how *do* I find the time to get everything done?

Making efficient use of my “other” time tops the list – attacking chores with a sense of purpose, grocery shopping at break-neck speeds, running a bunch of errands within the same trip, that sort of thing. And while I’m doing these things, I am now thinking about future projects or mulling over ideas rather than zoning out to the “Imagination Movers” theme song for the umpteenth time. I no longer flip on the TV while I fold laundry, nor do I go and check Facebook as a reward for unloading the dishwasher. Unless I’ve gotten something creative done for the day, that is.

Asking for help is a biggie too (my husband’s cousin comes over weekly to help out with the kids so I can have a bigger block of “me time”). As is cultivating independence in my children (both the one- and the six-year-old can play quietly by themselves for short periods of time, and have been doing so since they’ve been able to sit up alone). Making lists, letting go of my “expectations of perfection” (regarding cleanliness and weeds), and general multitasking round things out. And so, when nap time finally rolls around, I can send the eldest off to play and head into the garden to do this sort of thing…

Irises in the garden.

Daisy in the birdbath.

Peony petals on the gravel path.

Giving myself permission to play is also huge. And I don’t mean “play with the kids”, I mean play creatively. For ME. Allowing myself to be selfish and take the time “away” from my responsibilities – even if only for a few minutes here and there – is one of the hardest things for me to do. But I’m getting over that.

Of course, one of the limitations that comes with being a creative mommy is that I no longer have the luxury of playing or exploring “when my muse calls”. If I happen upon some perfect lighting or stumble upon a crafty “ah-ha” moment, for example, I have to bank them for future use – when the baby is sleeping or otherwise cared for. Creativity itself is becoming more of an act of delayed gratification – an exercise in working diligently when I have the chance to, and hoping that the inspiration comes during that time. Kind of like hitting the genius snooze button, as the case may be.

Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. I was playing with the flowers in the garden yesterday, trying to create pictures that told a story rather than just showed off the beauty of the flowers, and in the brief moments before the rain began to fall, this is what happened.

A gift.

Love soup.

I’m not completely thrilled with them, but there’s only so much you can do with limited time and resources. Not to mention Calgary’s temperamental weather. Maybe, if I get some more time to play today, I can try to improve on them. Oh, look. It’s raining again. Huh. Well, maybe I’ll just have to let them go for now and move on to something else. I mean, what else is a girl to do?

P.S. For those of you keeping track, the “Z’Other” gallery page has also been constructed and posted for your viewing pleasure.