Q: Hey karly,
Wanted 2 start off and say that the way you live n rock is an inspo to me (from ur website to ur art to ur knack for decor) makes me want to lifemaxx. That being said, i do a lot of different stuff like you (guitar, sewing, reading/writing and drawing mainly) but it's really hard to find the time to do all of that especially now that I work full time :( When i play guitar i think about my sewing projects, when i draw i think about the book im reading, la di da the list goes on. I find it hard to stay present in my hobbies and a lot of stuff remains unfinished. How do u go about splitting up your time and interests and staying present in one interest long enough to make something that you're proud of or feel like its accurately expressing yourself? Thanx :) <3
A: Okay, well to be honest Iโve never had a commitment like full time job other than school. When I did work outside of music I only worked part-time in retail or food service. So itโs a little hard for me to relate to ur specific experience!! But Iโll try my best to answer your question regardless.
With writing I used to structure that time very regimentedโฆ. no matter what, at some point in the day I sit and dedicate how ever long to writing 20 lines of potential lyrics. Sometimes it doesnโt create anything good enough to use in the song but what matters is you worked that muscle for the day.
The rest of my shit i just do when I feel the call. I sew when I wanna zone out and listen to music or watch TV while I do it. Itโs my โmultitaskingโ thing that helps me feel like Iโm still being productive even when I wanna veg out. Itโs nice to have at least one hobby that you can do to get in a flow state without having to think about it. Knitting or sewing accomplishes this real easy. Drawing or something might work for you too. Coding or adding to my website has accomplished this as well for me recently!
But yeah, basically since I have free time any time iโm not on tour now I wake up and if I feel like writing, I write, if I feel like sewing I sew etc. I can tell pretty immediately what I wanna do based on the weather. Extreme cold, hot or rainy Iโm more inclined to stay inside and work on visual art or mess around on guitar. I like to write outside on nice days, or go out to write. And if youโre in the mood for none of those things, itโs good to be around friends or go on a walk or read. As little time as I can spend vegging out without any sort of supplementary thing I usually avoid. Itโs gotten 17 bajillion times easier since getting off socials. But I know not everyone can really do that.
Now how to do this with a full time jobโฆ? No idea sry. I wish I had better advice for that.
As far as your problem with being unable to devote your attention to one thing at a time, I think thats not always a bad thing. Transitioning between one thing and another when you feel like it is something youโre allowed to do! It always helps to not be so hard on yourself, or not going in already comparing your work to other peoples work. Maybe pick one thing rn to really dedicate yourself to a little bit everyday, the thing you most want finished pieces for, and try to do that everyday. Then do the others when you try to work on that thing but needed a break.
Hope this is helpful!