Creating in the Margins: Finding Time for Art with a Full-Time Job
Let’s face it—balancing a full-time job and a creative practice can feel like trying to juggle fire while walking a tightrope. The energy it takes in your daily grind of a full time job doesn’t leave much fuel for art, writing, or creative play.
But here’s the truth: you can make space for creativity, even with a packed schedule. It might not look like long, uninterrupted studio days—but it can still be deeply fulfilling and meaningful. It took me some time, but I found a way, with my schedule to make the time everyday…even if it’s for 5 minutes, to be creative.
Whether you're a painter, a writer, a collage artist, or someone rediscovering their creative voice, this post is for you. I have some suggestions for how to carve out time, protect your creative energy, and stay inspired—even after a long day at work.
Quality over Quantity - At some point, I accepted the fact that there’s only so much time in a day (they still haven’t figured out a machine that will create a longer day!), and that I still have to work to pay the bills. This acceptance helped me realize that it’s not how much I create, it’s what I create, AND the feeling it gives me when I create…which leads me to…
Start the Day doing something creative - I start my day, everyday, with doing something creative, whether it’s making marks in my art journal, watching an art tutorial, or participating in my artist communities. Even if it is for 5 minutes….This is a GREAT way to start the day, and never fails to put me in a mindset of a creative happiness.
Schedule small blocks of time at anytime during the day - even in 10 or 30 minutes, you can still be productive, and it feels good to create.
Carry a sketchbook, notes app, or voice recorder for on-the-go ideas. I sketch during meetings, or on a long train ride!
Create rituals - Like sketching on your lunch hour three times a week, or journaling every morning, or write in your journal that you keep next to your bed before you put your feet on the floor!
Set limits - With yourself and others! When you are creating, turn your phone on silent, or put it in another room. Close the door for 10 minutes a day (at home or at work) with clear instructions that you cannot be disturbed!
Finding time to create while working a full-time job isn’t easy—but it’s absolutely possible. Creativity doesn’t require hours of uninterrupted solitude or a perfect setup. Sometimes, it’s ten stolen minutes on a lunch break, a quick sketch before bed, or a few lines scribbled into a notebook on the train.
What matters most is showing up for yourself in whatever way you can. Protect your creative time, even if it’s small. Give yourself permission to make imperfect things. And remember: your art doesn’t have to be big or “productive” to be meaningful.
Your creativity deserves space, and you deserve the joy that comes from expressing it.
So ask yourself—what’s one small step you can take this week to make time for your art?