This is a little challenging for some, especially if it means waking up earlier. It doesn't have to be a permanent, lifestyle change -- just try it out for a week or so and see how differently you feel throughout the day when you BEGIN with your art FIRST, because, by the end of the day, you may have very little brainpower and energy left for your personal art.
See how differently you feel when you BEGIN with your art FIRST!
This might mean waking up a little earlier (preferably before anyone is awake), or staying up a little later at night, preferably when there's no one to distract you. Let your family/roommates know that you need one hour to focus on your work, without interruption. Set the mood, try anything that feels good and sends a signal to your brain that this is YOUR time and promotes emotional well-being!
Create a little ritual for yourself:
❖ Start with 10-minutes a day, then work your way up to 1-hour
❖ Leave your phone on silent in another room
❖ Set the mood: Play music, light a candle, make some tea/coffee, etc…
❖ Start by tidying up your workspace and preparing supplies
❖ Sit down at your desk/notebook/computer
❖ Set your intention, write out your focus and the first task
❖ Set a timer the moment you sit down to work
❖ Keep that butt in the chair until the timer rings!
Feeling Resistance?
If it feels stressful to stay seated when the ideas aren't flowing, sit with your emotions and journal about what is coming up for you. Documenting this resistance is very enlightening and can give you the starting place to identify unmet support needs.
Flexible and Easy to Recover Routines
Remember, what works for one person might not work for another. Building a new habit requires consistency, but rigid routines can be tough to stick to in the long run, especially for neurodivergents. PDA (pathological demand avoidance), ADHD rebellion, or just unexpected life circumstances can disrupt our routines and throw us off track. To bounce back quickly, it's crucial to shift our mindset towards flexible routines and let go of any shame associated with disruptions. This way, we can recover our structure faster and adapt to life's twists and turns.
Here's the thing about daily practice, it's tough as hell to get started and
may honestly take several weeks to settle into your new routine. As a freelance artist, it can be easy to keep prioritizing the demands of external commitments over your own development. By making this shift, you are telling your body/mind that YOU are the most important thing in your day.
Gook luck, you got this!
--Rachel