How I Maintain A Creative Career While Working Full Time

Going to school and working full time can be a daunting task, but it is possible to do both.

I know this because I’ve been doing it for years now, and have found several ways to make the experience easier and more pleasant.

Here are some of my tips for staying sane while balancing work with school!

How to Start Your Creative Career | Ingrid Nilsen – YouTube

Takeaways
1. Time management is key to balancing a creative career and full-time job.
2. Embrace a flexible approach to your creative pursuits to fit them into your schedule.
3. Utilize your downtime wisely to work on creative projects.
4. Set achievable goals and milestones for your creative endeavors.
5. Seek support from like-minded individuals or creative communities.
6. Don’t be afraid to explore new opportunities and take calculated risks in your creative career.
7. Prioritize self-care to maintain productivity and creativity.
8. Stay adaptable and open to adjusting your strategies as needed.
9. Learn from setbacks and use them as opportunities for growth.
10. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small, to stay motivated in your creative journey.

Table of Contents

Figure Out How Much Time You Currently Have For Your Creative Work

We all have the same amount of time in a day, but we don’t all get to use it the same way. It’s important to figure out what you want to do with your time before you can figure out how much time you actually have for it.

You might want to spend a few days tracking what you do with your days so that when it comes time to set goals and plans for yourself, these will be based on reality rather than wishful thinking.

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Be Prepared To Work On Your Art At The Weirdest Times

You may find yourself with a burst of creativity in the middle of the night, or perhaps you’ll need to schedule time for it during your lunch break or during your commute.

If you’re lucky enough to be able to take off weekends, use them! If not, find a creative way to carve out time for yourself on those days.

Even if that means working at 2 AM when everyone else is asleep or spending an hour doing something else before work so that you can write while commuting in silence.

Avoid Procrastination By Getting Started Right Away

Start small. No matter what you’re working on, start by tackling the smallest piece of it. Even if it’s only a few minutes or an hour.

Don’t worry about how long it will take to complete the project; just focus on that one task at hand, and let yourself feel good about having completed something. I find this helpful in keeping me motivated and feeling productive throughout my day.

Start with the hardest part first. I’m not saying do all your math problems before you even learn how to add numbers together (though I did do this once…), but rather:

When faced with multiple tasks or projects that are all due at different times, pick out which is going to be most difficult for you and get started on it now!

This way there’s no pressure later when time is running short and things are getting stressful.

You’ll already have completed one important task early enough in advance that even if things go wrong later (and they probably will), at least part of your goal has been met!

Start with what excites you most right now: If there’s something specific coming up soon that interests or inspires you more than anything else right now.

Then start working on that next instead of waiting until everything else feels as exciting as well

Find What Works Best For You, And Stick With It

Finding a routine that works for you is different for everyone. I’ve tried several things, but the one that worked best was getting up early in the morning and working before going to work.

This allowed me to get my creative juices flowing and also get some writing done before I had to focus on other responsibilities later in the day.

Another option is to start your creative work after work when you have more free time, or perhaps even on weekends if you only have one job or do freelance work outside of your full-time job.

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The Easiest And Most Easily Accessible Is A Regular Notebook

The easiest and most easily accessible is a regular notebook. I love the simplicity of this, as it’s easy to carry around with you and use for anything from writing down ideas for work to making lists or taking notes at meetings.

The very act of writing things down helps you recall them in your brain, which can be useful when trying to remember something from earlier that day or week.

You can also use separate notebooks for different projects, allowing you to see all the things that you need to be done at once without having too many distractions at once (unless they are all connected).

Your notebook must fit well into your lifestyle if it takes up too much space, then it won’t fit into whatever bag/purse/backpack situation you have going on at any given time.

It also shouldn’t require any real effort to add new pages: if every time I want more space in my notebook makes me feel like I’m wasting paper and ink with no return on investment.

Then what’s the point? Lastly: finding one where storing everything away neatly is easy enough without losing any vital information about what went into the pages before them!

Don’t Go Out And Buy A Fancy Planner, Just Use What You Already Have Available To You

I’m not going to tell you that the secret to being a productive artist is buying a fancy planner, and I’m not going to recommend that you go out and buy one.

You already have all of the tools available for free in your office drawer, kitchen junk drawer, or coffee table bookcase.

So use what you already have! If you want to keep track of appointments and deadlines but don’t want a new planner (or even don’t need one), just use any notebook or loose-leaf paper lying around.

If your calendar isn’t enough for all your projects, set up folders on your computer with dates for each project so they’re easy to access.

You might also find helpful apps like Evernote or OneNote helpful if these options appeal more than notebooks and calendars do;

They vary widely depending on how much time and knowledge they require from users but either way they should help keep everything organized without spending any extra money!

If none of those suggestions sound appealing then try using email as an appointment calendar instead.

Just add “Meeting” as a label when scheduling meetings with other people then create rules based on specific keywords (like “Meetings”).

So that emails go directly into the appropriate folder without being deleted by accident later down the road once more important things come up again during business hours.”

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Use A Simple Note-Taking App On Your Phone Or Tablet

The perfect note-taking app is a lot like the perfect pair of jeans: it’s not too expensive, it’s comfortable and flexible, and you can wear it everywhere.

For me, that means something that works well on my phone or tablet. I use Google Keep because it syncs between both devices seamlessly and also allows me to share notes with others easily (like my boss!)

It takes up very little space on your device you can even pin important items to your home screen for easy access but updates are done automatically so no one will see them unless they’re invited into your circle of trust!

As with any project-management tool, there’s always room for improvement.

For example, I don’t like how there isn’t an option for multiple collaborators; everyone has their account where everything is filed away under different folders.

And if someone deletes an item without sharing its link somewhere else first then we’ve lost forever whatever information was contained within (this happened once when someone accidentally deleted some important client info).

Despite these minor flaws though I still highly recommend using this program because it’s easy enough that not just anyone could use it but also provides plenty of toolsets should one need more advanced features down the line such as voice recording or graphics embedding options etcetera…

If You Do Have A Little Time To Spare, Make Sure That You’re Using It Wisely, And Don’t Waste It Goofing Off Watching Tv When You Could Be Finishing Off Those Watercolors!

I’ve seen a lot of people say that they don’t have any time for creativity. That’s true, but it shouldn’t stop you from doing what you love.

If you do have a little time to spare, make sure that you’re using it wisely, and don’t waste it goofing off watching TV when you could be finishing off those watercolors!

You can easily find ways to work on your creative side while maintaining your full-time job.

Whether it’s reading the news while having lunch at work or listening to podcasts on the way home, there are lots of opportunities for inspiration if you look hard enough.

Don’t Waste Hours Of Your Life Staring At Your Social Media Feeds As I Do!

I know how easy it is to get sucked into the social media vortex: one minute you’re scrolling through Instagram and the next, you’ve wasted two hours of your life. Don’t let this happen!

Instead of wasting hours of your life watching TV or wasting time on the internet, utilize that time by making art!

I’ll be honest with you I don’t have much free time these days because I’m working full time as a designer and teacher.

However, when I do have some downtime (which is rare).

I try to put extra effort into creating things for myself or my clients so that when something comes up like an upcoming project deadline, all I have to do is pull out the work from my portfolio folder instead of starting from scratch again.

Nowadays it’s easy enough to find inspiration anywhere online when it comes down to being creative.

If all else fails and there just aren’t enough hours in the day anymore then simply try something different such as drawing instead which can provide just as much if not more enjoyable than any other activity out there!

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Try To Cut Yourself Off From The Internet Entirely If Possible During These Periods Of Self-Imposed Isolation

I’m a big believer in the creative process the idea that one can only make art when they are inspired.

That inspires me! But it’s also important to realize that inspiration and motivation often come from outside sources, like our friends or social media.

So I try to cut myself off from the internet entirely if possible during these periods of self-imposed isolation.

When you’re working on an article or a book or an essay or a painting, my advice is this: don’t let yourself get distracted by anything other than your work at hand.

Don’t let yourself get tempted by YouTube videos of puppies eating ice cream cones. Don’t let yourself get drawn into discussions about election results with your friends on Facebook (your friends will understand).

Set a timer for how long you will stay offline, and stick to it as best you can!

Set Aside Separate Days Or Times In The Day Exclusively For Studying Or Working On Your Art So That It Doesn’t Creep Into Every Facet Of Your Life All The Time!

It can be hard to find time to study when you have a full-time job and social media is constantly begging for attention.

I recommend setting aside at least one day a week where you focus solely on studying, either by yourself with no distractions or with peers who are also trying to learn more about their craft.

If you’re unsure where to start, check out classes at local colleges, meetups hosted through Meetup.com (searching “art” or “creative”), and online communities like ArtStation (a community of artists).

Then see if there are any local artists whose work inspires you to reach out via email or social media!

Learn How To Create Free Time For Yourself Through Time Management And Goal Setting

As a creative, you are always looking for ways to keep your brain engaged and inspired. You may find that you have a lot of free time during the day, but it’s difficult to make use of it because there is so much else that needs to get done.

That’s why goal setting and scheduling can help get your creative projects done regularly.

First off, create a list of all the things you want to do during the week or month this could be anything from making more art pieces to going out with friends more often (or less depending on how much time you have).

Then prioritize this list by listing out what is most important at first (if deadlines are coming up), then secondarily important things like exercising regularly or organizing finances/business paperwork, etc.

Make sure these items stay at the top of your priority list no matter how busy things get! If an emergency comes up where one thing has higher priority than another, adjust accordingly so nothing falls through the cracks!

It might also help if someone else helps keep track of some sections on their own (like keeping track of errands) so they don’t feel overwhelmed too often either…

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Conclusion

At the end of the day, there is no “right” way to do this. Whatever works for you is what’s going to make it work. And if it doesn’t work, that’s fine!

You can always try something else, or just keep doing things as they are. What matters most is that you have a plan and set goals for yourself so that when challenges come up (and they will).

You know exactly what you need to do to overcome them without getting too stressed out over them.

FAQs

How can I manage a full-time job while pursuing my creative passion?

Balancing a full-time job with creative endeavors requires effective time management, setting priorities, and maintaining a consistent schedule.

Is it possible to build a successful creative career while working full-time?

Yes, many artists and creatives have successfully developed their careers while maintaining stable full-time employment.

What are some practical tips for staying motivated in creative projects after a long day at work?

Engaging in activities that energize you, setting realistic goals, and finding inspiration from various sources can help you stay motivated.

How do I avoid burnout when juggling a job and creative projects?

Taking regular breaks, practicing self-care, and avoiding overcommitment are essential in preventing burnout.

Can I turn my creative side hustle into a full-time career eventually?

With dedication, perseverance, and a solid business plan, it is possible to transition a side hustle into a full-fledged creative career.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.