How do you get into the "spring" of things?

And other seasonal puns

Is it spring where you are? Good.

Here, not so much. I woke up to the radio announcing snow for tomorrow. Ugh. Spring is slow in coming to Newfoundland. But we hold out hope. I’m drawing tulips. And squirrels.

I have now been freelancing full-time for just over a month. While I’m loving the new gig, it is a struggle is trying to find a routine that works.

For a couple weeks I ended up working evenings as if I were still at my day job. Old habits die hard.

I am, if nothing, a creature of habit.

As I write this, I'm realizing that perhaps my biggest challenge is the concept of "being productive." I feel pressured to check off a bunch of boxes at the end of each day, just as I did throughout my career. That was my value. If I fall behind on ticking the boxes, I become overwhelmed and end up cleaning the house or scrolling too much on social media.

I know that creative work doesn’t necessarily follow a specific timeline. Even writing content for social media takes time.

One goal I have with this freelance experiment is to develop my style and perhaps move in a new direction. This means taking the time to play and explore. It’s not a concept I’m used to, and it’s not a box you can tick off.

For so long, I've had to balance work, side hustles, housework, cats, friends, exercise, etc. It's been forever since I just drew for myself. At the moment, I’m not sure what I want to draw or what direction I want to go in. But the time put into getting there counts this time around, even if it means some items don’t get crossed off my list until tomorrow or next week.

What a pleasure I had this weekend to sit at my drawing desk and just drawing for fun. I looked forward to getting back to the studio the next day. I hope I can continue this trend, even if it is like an uncomfortable new jacket I’m trying to wear.

To help me get into the routine of drawing, I’m using an egg timer. I set 15 minutes to draw each day no matter what. So far, so good, and sometimes I even sit there for longer.

It seems to be eggs-actly what I need.

If you have a trick to keep you in the groove of your passion, let me know what it is.

Have a great week!

Caroline