How do I find time to Craft and Blog besides my full time work?

Hey guys!!
Stepping aside from my usual crafty tutorial posts, today I thought why not have a small talk with you 🙂 I have been crafting regularly sort of regularly for like 3 years now, ever since I started this blog. Or rather I should say that my blog & readers have kept me motivated to keep crafting ever since I started off! I often get asked by my friends on how I find time to do all these things after office and home. And this post is just an answer to that. ( please ignore the bad quality photos, they were not supposed to see daylight :P)

 

Before you read this, I think you should read this – I finally got around updating the “about me” page here and I am sure you would love to know more about me 😉

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The NEED :

Firstly I need to craft because I need a life which I love. I feel that creative works keeps my worries away and I relax much better (okay watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S too!). I don’t know if you guys know me as an engineer 😛 ( yeah I work in POWERGRID) but yeah I have company accommodation in a remote village in Karnataka and we are a very small group employees working within the same campus.  So basically my life is a vicious circle between office and home most of the time and I needed a hobby to keep my sanity intact so like that was my NEED. Now after I started the blog, keeping the blog alive was another need but I love love totally love this need 😉

The TIME :

Many of the people who ask me about time are, I am sure spending a lot of socially productive time with family/friends over the weekend or are wasting time in to-fro travel between office and home. I on the other had, live in this secluded island of mine where there is hardly any social interaction (yes that is why I am so active on social medias :P) and I have absolutely no wastage of time to reach from office to home! Also I have a maid at home who cooks, cleans etc apart from taking care of grace when we are at office so I have all the time for myself but then again I craft after everyone has slept. I put grace to sleep and I craft and blog over till midnight. Or sometimes even get her to pose for my craft works or let her craft too 😀

And oh then there is my exercise routine ( okay not regular but come on I do exercise!) so basically I don’t get time everyday, but atleast 3 days a week or so. There are times when I am fed up of crafting or times when office takes up too much time & energy but thats okay. As long as you enjoy what you are doing you will get back to it sooner or later 🙂

The SUPPORT :

Jose is such a great supporter for my blog and craft. Not that he keeps appreciating my works and keep checking my blog but he doesn’t say anything 😛  He doesn’t mind that the dining table is always a mess with my craft stuff, he doesn’t complain when I keep hoarding craft supplies, he doesn’t mind when I ask him to take care of grace when I have to finish a sponsored post deadline. Maybe its that he gets to have the TV remote to himself when I am crafting 😛 But either ways, if not for his passive support, I wouldn’t have been doing what I am doing!

Then there is there is this huge crafting and craft blogging community on facebook and instagram who have never ceased to be encouraging and supportive.

The FUN

Different people take enjoyment in doing different things. Personally I have changed a lot after working in a secluded office like this, interacting with fewer people. Had I been at some other office, I would’ve obviously continued being the happy-go-lucky party animal and never ever have wanted to turn to creativity for a break. But now that I am where I am, I have evolved to have fun and enjoy doing crafty stuffs. Or should I say this is my way of having fun?! (sounds too aunty like ha?!)

How do I manage crafting with my little one? Well my little one loves crafting just like me so I guess thats a plus point 😛 I started my blog and crafting journey during my maternity break (of 6 months when I was so jobless!) so basically my baby and blog have been growing together. My crafting and blogging life has always had my daughter and I kind of do not if I would’ve been more creative or productive had I started this before my daughter was born. But either ways, I don’t feel any less creative or productive with her, in fact, I love doing stuff with her.

Whenever I craft, I do make sure that I share my work with my daughter instead of shooing her off or scaring her if she takes my supplies 😛 She does create a mess but a happy daughter while crafting than a whining one right? Grace loves paints and thankfully the only stuff she wants while shopping is new paints or sketchpens 🙂

We get coloring books every now and then and she loves sitting with me while I practice my calligraphy ( oh I havent done much posts on calligraphy right ? but please do follow me on instagram for my calligraphy updates – I promise I am totally alive there!).

Last but not the least I never push myself to publish posts to keep the readers engaged. I start projects either because I want it done for myself, or because I love the idea ( obviously from pinterest) but never because oh I havent posted in a months so I should make some stuff. I hardly follow trend, I hardly make crafts with latest “the” supplies in the market. I never push myself because someone else is doing this or that. Same with time schedules. I have not been blogging for like 2 months now (when was my last post?!) but thats okay because I was still enjoying my time 🙂

So whats your idea of having fun? And for all my crafter and blogger friends, what keeps you going?  Would love to hear your stories too 🙂
xoxo Angela