Chapter 7 – Making Time – Part 1

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58

Exercise 1: Time Bandits

When you try to visualize yourself taking time to practice your art, what other activities and responsibilities take precedence over your artistic endeavors? List the top three “time bandits” in your life right now.

1.      Mess that must be cleaned up first.

2.     Too many interruptions. Time is chopped up into many increments.

3.     Too many other things that must be done first.

I cannot get to my piano. It is in a toy room. This is the room that I wish to turn into MY room. Just looking into that room sets me on edge. If I want to work with scissors and paper and yardsticks, the best bet is the dining table and it is always covered with paperwork. Or food. Don’t want to get my stuff dirty. Even at work, there is simply no available flat surface to work upon. So much stuff has to be moved and put aside and gotten out before I can even start. It’s easier to NOT start until it is absolutely necessary.

The interruptions are when I’m writing or practicing piano. What part of, “I’m busy,” don’t they get? I cannot write at home. It’s actually a different story when I am painting. I get lonely. I can multitask – carry on a conversation at the same time. Not that I don’t stop and give my full attention to the visitor when it is needed, but six hours of uninterrupted painting drives me wild. I need a break with people.

I guess I am the type of person who likes to start a job and finish it. I don’t like to have to quit when I am in the middle of something. If I get to a good stopping place and can tell that I don’t have enough time to complete the next segment. I don’t start it. Rarely, I get to a point where I just have to be done. And I stop. So I don’t like to work for 2 hours here and an hour there. I don’t relish 4 hours of work when I have a big project to complete. Especially when there will be work-related interruptions. 8 hours seems like an amount of time that can be put to good use without the stress of a deadline looming before me.

I cannot possibly imagine putting aside an entire day, or even 4 hours to write. Certainly not at home where there is laundry and dishes and flowers and messy rooms. But for some reason, I can pack up and work elsewhere non-stop where there are no distractions. And of course with a “client” that needs something tangible by a certain date. I must have a “job” and not a hobby. I don’t feel guilty going to church and painting all day. By the time I finish typing this, I will feel like I’ve spent enough time on “me time” and really must get to “work”.

Not that I will get anything done. I’m just not interested at all in domestic house work. I’m sorry. Unless I can just throw everything away and start over.

But now I have this lovely portable laptop. I am going to have to start porting! Try it and see if it is doable…

And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:5

There is no Habakkuk 4:13