How to fill spare time with art
We often complain about lack of time and hectic daily routines that don’t allow for any creative activities and art. Fitting sketching or painting in our day can sometimes be tricky, I cannot deny that. However, sometimes small breaks for a quick doodle instead of long art sessions, can be the solution. I personally use part of my lunch break every day to draw a portrait.
My daily routine
I work a normal full time office job; making art is not included in my daily tasks. It can get quite stressful at times, but we are lucky enough to have an hour-long lunch break every day. I doubt that anyone uses the whole hour for eating; people use most of the time either sorting out commitments in the city centre, staring at their phone or talking to their partners. I sketch.
I quickly finish my lunch, go for a very short walk around Bath, usually ending up somewhere where there is plenty of people, and then sit down and draw. The sketches do not need to be very detailed or proportionally perfect. Just feel the satisfaction of using your pens and pencils for a little bit every day.
I have put together some ideas on how to make time for sketching daily. Get inspired by reading my recent article.
Why do I do this?
I don’t sell the drawings, and I am not planning to put up an exhibition with them. So why do I bother drawing portraits of strangers? The answer is simple: because I love drawing. I just feel that sketching a little bit every day keeps me connected to my passion, gradually helps me develop my drawing skills and offers some valuable relaxing time during busy days.
You can actually find out a bit more about the reasons why I sketch during lunch, how I do it and what people think of my work on the go on an upcoming interview I gave to BBC Radio Bristol. This will be released very soon; I can add you to the mailing list so you are one of the first to watch it.
Fine art and design 