Making Time to Write and/or Draw

I have recently been blessed enough to be able to work 40 hours a week at a GREAT successful mom and pop place in Portland. I'm on a break from school until mid-January, so I'm using the time to get acclimated. I'm usually better at being productive on a schedule, but after work, I am so beat that I just fall on the couch and lounge until bed. But slowly I've been getting much better at getting things done, especially within this tight schedule and prepping myself for school. This is my first official full-time job, so I haven't gotten to discover the little secret that I have until now.

 (Photo courtesy of http://blog.mitchcommgroup.com/anna-keagy/eight-tips-for-landing-your-first-full-time-job/)

I and many other people I know have little time for themselves due to school, work, kids, etc. But I've found out a great secret. LUNCH BREAKS. Lunch breaks are magical, especially if you have an hour or so off. It's great because you're still in a productive work environment and not off of the adrenaline of it enough to realize you're tired, so you can get a lot of work done in a short amount of time (although I'm not promising it will be pretty, but it's worth it).

(Photo courtesy of http://www.visualphotos.com/image/2x2716737/anxious_woman_eating_while_working_on_her_computer)

 Here's what you do...

1. Bring your lunch so you don't waste any time (or money, which is a plus). 
2. Hole yourself up in a corner in the lunch room or an appropriate quiet eating area.
3. Bring your computer, notebook, sketchbook, etc. with whatever supplies you may need (no matter how crazy you look, but the less prep time needed for it, the better).
4. Set your alarm (in case you get pulled into whatever you are doing and forget about when you need to get back to work).
5. Then eat your lunch and work on that time crunch (the short time allotted actually pumps more work out of you than unlimited amounts of time with no deadline but your procrastinating self).
6. If you eat slower while you work, then save the rest of your lunch for a snack when you're hungry later.

Because of this, I've been getting quite a bit of writing done in the last few weeks (I need my Cintiq to do any art, and I don't want to bring something that expensive/clunky/sucks up all of my time to set up, so I write and sometimes sketch in my sketchbook). If you work full time, you should try this too and see how it goes. I love it so I highly recommend it. Also, when you get home, you can guiltlessly veg (unless you're in school too and not on break, which in that case, good luck).

(Photo courtesy of http://addelburgh.tumblr.com/image/42489446925)

Happy Holidays!

-S