Well, I was only able to accomplish 15 artworks for Nanodrawmo. Not even half of the goal of 50. But this challenge has rekindled me to make something everyday. Surely I may not be able to sketch everyday (or often) but I press on to create something…anything (!) with my hands. That could mean writing letters, making paper brooch, painting, crafting… So many ways to be productive.

Because when you don’t attempt to create one thing often, the following might happen to you: (1) Your thoughts can become a breeding ground for negativity such as I have don’t have enough time, I can’t do this, my work is not nice, etc. (2) The lack of training and practice result to no new discoveries and learnings. (3) The uneasy feeling of not being able to express yourself creatively.

The remedy? 15 to 30 minutes (or even an hour) of uninterrupted time of creating.

I have the tendency to overwork an idea, an artwork or a lesson plan. Without time restriction, I might be slowly crawling on one idea while neglecting the many other tasks that need attention. Time constraint creates a sense of urgency and it motivates me to start and produce something rather than sitting down and wondering while time ticks tocks. When the timer rings (kitchen or mobile timer, activity timer), it’s time to flee (for a while) whatever I am doing. I can take a walk, rest, do chores, water the plants, etc. I said flee because if I don’t then something dangerous might happen: because I exhaust myself beyond the allotted time and limited energy that I have, I am bound to waste time and do something unproductive (social media..ugh). When I am well rested, I can come back and continue or pull out the next task.

I felt like I have treated time as a luxury when it’s not. Time is a gift from God. No one owns time except Him. We don’t have the guarantee of tomorrow but only today. By the grace of God I pray that we will be able to make the best use of the time now for His glory and purpose.