Modern-day life tends to be dominated by work, bills and any time left in between. I am not going to wax lyrical about the nature of capitalism demanding productivity or the costs of living. We all know these things exist, and they are a burden. However, wrapped up in that is our want to be creative, artistic, to be whimsical, when we must work long hours and come home exhausted. Some time on the couch watching procedural cop shows or scrolling on our phones, something hopefully nutritious for dinner, and then we’re in bed before ten o’clock because we’re exhausted. How can you write and be artistic and creative when you’re working full-time?
Surprise, it can be done. It takes commitment and patience, but you can achieve it. Let’s look at some of the issues surrounding writing with a full-time job.
Being mentally switched on all day is tiring. Working a physical job, 8 hours a day, is draining. Talking to people all day can really make you low on spoons . The only real way to overcome exhaustion is to rest, but doing so means you’re not writing, yeah?
Firstly, for some people, writing is relaxing and can help them both feel at rest and gain spoons. Perhaps you’re writing an exciting fight scene and get into it, or maybe you’re getting your daily thoughts down on paper, which releases tension and stress and relaxes you. So, the very act of writing could be regenerative for you.
For now, though, we’ll assume this isn’t you. How can you get into a writing headspace when you’re knackered? I am a professional writer. For a living I write blogs and articles for various clients, so I am using the writing muscle all day, I am in front of a computer all day, I am talking to people in the studio, or clients on the phone, in meetings, and I come home and slump on the couch. Yet, I manage to write four nights a week. What? Not seven nights a week? No, I know my limits, but this is what works for me.
I have a two-hour break when I get home. I’d arrive at around 6 pm every night. Until 8 pm, I don’t look at a computer, and I try not to look at my phone. The TV is okay, but lately, with only bad news and game shows, more often than not, the radio is playing, and the vibe of the moment is R&B Fridays. I have often literally fallen asleep on the couch, and that is okay.
During this two hours, we eat a meal, catch up on the day, and even read. Reading has been good as I struggle to find the time or motivation to read. Then, at 8 o’clock I go and write. Much like those 15 minute power naps we’re told to have on long drives, this two hour break between writing times is very good for me, and I can get into writing for myself at night.
A two-hour rest break before writing helps.
Finding Time. This is probably one of the biggest issues, almost as big as being exhausted. The funny thing about time is that we have a lot of it, but we often don’t use it particularly well. I place no judgement on people who procrastinate or do other things with their time, but be aware of how you use your time. If you want to write, you will need to find the time to do it.
As I said above, at 8 pm on a Monday to Thursday, I am at my computer writing my personal stuff, be it novels, drabbles or involvement with my writing group. I have found that by Thursday night, I am quite wiped, and the quality isn’t as good, so I am generally drabbling or researching stuff. I don’t write on Friday nights, as it is the weekend and I am with friends. Saturday, I try and stay away from the computer, and Sunday, generally the afternoons are one big creative block, so I might be reading, making Lego, or doing website stuff. But not specifically writing.
There, I have found my time, and I have found it with the caveat that I have a two-hour break beforehand. I am fortunate here in that I don’t have children, and I do understand having children will give you less time to play with. But you can still find the time.
Establish when you’re going to write. It doesn’t have to be 7 days a week or 4 days, like me. If you can make a deal to put aside 2 evenings a week to write, that is fantastic. Block it out in your diary, and tell your kids , your partner, or your pet what you’re doing, although my cat doesn’t care if I am writing, he will still come and poke his nose in.
Perhaps the best time for you to write is on your lunch break at work. You’d be surprised how productive this can be for you, having that ticking clock in the back of your mind. Deadlines and timers can often make us work harder.
Find the time, make it a regular thing every week, to build the habit and be consistent. That ‘c’ word, consistent, is important, and you will hear me use the word a lot.
Make Good Use of Your Time.
The great thing about a plan is you can make the roughest of plans in a notepad while watching TV. A few words – I’m going to write on Chapter 3. Boom! You know what you’re going to do when you get to your writing time, and you won’t procrastinate figuring out what to do. (Editor’s note- we accept that you probably will want to procrastinate anyway. )
I have found that the more that I went to write and didn’t, the more frustrated I became and the less I wanted to sit down and write. I was telling myself that I just waste time when I write, so why bother? Nip this in the bud, and have an idea of what you’re going to write, so you make good use of the time that you put aside. Value that time.
Other Commitments. We all have “other commitments” such as kid’s sports and after school activities, shopping, perhaps you’re studying. These are all valid activities for you to be doing, but you’re making time for these activities, just like you could be making time for writing and being creative.
Treat your creative time just the same as your commitment to your other activities. Why should you value your writing or drawing time any less than the weekly grocery shop? Commit to writing and cancel Tuesday night netball training!
Questions to Ask Yourself. If you’re struggling to find time or be motivated to create awesome things, there are some questions you can ask yourself. Try and dig down to find the causes of your angst and suffering. Okay, suffering may be a little too strong, but you know what I mean.
Why Do You Want to Write When You Have a Fulltime Job? Working a full-time job, even if you’re hybrid office and home, is a lot. It takes brainpower and physical effort, and you are justifiably tired when you come home. So why do you want to write, after all that? What is driving you?
I’m not going to answer that question for you, as it is personal and there are many different answers. Find your WHY, and you’ll discover it can be a powerful motivator.
Why Aren’t You Putting The Time in? A quick follow on from the above, but if you’re determined to write and be creative, and you’re struggling, why aren’t you putting the time in?
Is it because you’re just too tired? Are you simply stressed because of work? Are you not inspired to write or create anything? If you want to write, create, even holding down a job, then you have to put the time in. Find out what is stopping you, and find a way around it. It is only you who can do this.
Is Your Creative Project Too Big? Some people want to write a novel. When they start, they discover that it takes a long time and can be very intimidating to do. If the potential scale of the project scares you, there are a few things you can do.
Ask yourself: how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. You can realise that writing a novel will take a long time, so do it slowly. Write a chapter a month if you can, and don’t worry if it takes a year or more to write. Many people take a long time to write a good book Do you want to write something that big? If you have ideas, can you write short stories instead? 2-3000 words, or 10 000 words? Is that an easier target to aim for? Do you just want to write your thoughts? Get into journaling, and fill up notebooks with your thoughts, ideas and feelings. When Is the Best Time For You to Write? Much like making good use of your time, knowing when you can be at your writing best is helpful.
Can you get up an hour early to write? Or are you too focused on the day that is to come that you can’t get into the groove?How about lunchbreak? Can you dive into your work in the middle of the day to break up the workday?Burning the midnight candle. It is said that 3 am is the time for writers and poets. Can you work into the wee hours? Or do you need sleep?Writing to and from work? If you take public transport, is that a good time to get into writing? It could be a nice way to ignore the people around you.Find when you’re most apt to write, and block out that time, make it regular, and commit to that time to write.
What Can You do to Write More if You Work Fulltime? Now we get to the crunchy bit, the advice. What advice do I have for you full-time workers out there trying to write or be creative? Before I dive into that, I’d like to establish that in this house, both of us are full-time workers.
I’m a writer by trade and want to write novels and drabbles and other creative things. My wife is a full-time office manager of some repute, and she is also an established artist in her own right, with exhibitions and awards. I say this because we both struggle with being creative after hours. Often, we have slouched on the couch and doom-scrolled.
Let’s get into it then.
Establish What it is You Want to Achieve. You’ve established your WHY; now you need a what. Do you want to write a book? Learn to do pottery or sew some new pants for the summer? Do you want to learn to draw or paint or get back into the creativity after years of office work?
If you can establish what it is you want to do, it can help you understand the time commitment both to doing it and learning it to a satisfactory level. What do I mean by that?
There is a phenomenon when you’re being creative. You look to others in that field for inspiration and try to be like them. After a while, you discover you’re not as good, and you give up. This is where I am with my miniature painting at the moment. You have to understand that all those inspiring pieces of work were completed by people who have practiced and tried for much longer than you to be as good as that.
Knowing roughly how much time it may take to complete something can help you budget your time. And yes, you do need to COMPLETE something. You get a lot of happy chemicals in your brain when you finish a task and can proudly show it off to people.
Make a Schedule. I know it can seem counter-intuitive to schedule creativity, but it works. If
Regularly scheduling writing will turn it into a habit. If you’re lucky, in time, you may have withdrawal symptoms from not keeping up with the habit, and you will HAVE to write, or draw, or else you feel uncomfortable! Maybe not that dramatic.
Consistency is King. Doing a lot one day and nothing the next isn’t productive. It is sporadic. But if you manage to do a little every day, or every second day, then you will achieve more. Consistency also helps with time management and habit forming.
Remove Distractions. This is an easy one. If you can, turn the Wi-Fi off on your computer when you’re writing. Put your phone somewhere you can’t see it. Tell people not to talk to you while you’re being creative.
Distractions take you out of the creative headspace. I know that the first 5 minutes of writing is the hardest for me, but when I’m over that hurdle, I am in the zone. Each check of social media resets that, and I have to start again.
Find Your Space. Where can you best be creative? In your bedroom? How about the library or a local café? Could you build a cushion fort and nestle in to get some words down? Find the place where you can be comfortable and creative. Own that space.
Mark your territory if you want, with art, or a little totem or something. You can’t decorate public space, but you could bring a little figure with you that means you’re writing.
I have a writing hat, my purple and orange jester’s hat. When I am writing and wearing that hat, people know not to disturb me. It is a writing totem for me. It marks my writing space wherever I am.
Find Your Tribe. The romantic notion that writing is a solitary pursuit is silly. There are thousands of other writers out there, and you should connect with them. They can support you, help you, read for you and give you writing tips you’d never thought of before.
It’s the same with other creative pursuits. Drawing together, book clubs, you name it. You can find people with similar artistic passions as you. Plus, the cool thing about finding other people is that you start to have some subliminal accountability. You tell someone you want to write Tuesday night, hey, they might want to write with you. Now you must turn up, or you let someone else down.
My writing group is my tribe. I don’t know who the original saying is credited to, but I read somewhere that if you can’t FIND a tribe, then make your own. I made a writing group in 2020 during lockdown. It is still going strong now. It is my tribe.
Show up. You want to do something awesome, despite massive obstacles and hurdles. The least you can do is turn up, else you’re only breaking your own heart.
When you’ve scheduled in creative time, show up with a cup of coffee or tea, and a strong idea of what you’re going to work on, what you’re going to create.
There are far more creative people in this world than we know. Many people don’t create because of work/life balance, being tired, having other commitments, and other people pulling them this way and that. But I have found that being creative, even if it is for an hour and I only write 500 words, is well worth the effort of turning up. I feel good that I created something for ME, and not for someone else, a client or my workplace.
So, carve out some time in your life when you find yourself to be most creative and productive, lock it in your diary and show up every week at the same time. Don’t stress about word count or the amount of work you do; just be happy that you’re making forward movements. Turn your phone off, let people know you’re unavailable, and get writing, drawing, writing a song, or whatever floats your creative boat.
Create something awesome!
