6 Steps to Help You Be a Creative Mama This Summer

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Summer is rapidly playing out right before our eyes. Are you missing it?

Being a creative Mom is a hard act to balance. Add Summer break and a lack of routine and it is nearly impossible to keep track of your projects.

How do you guard your creative time? Here are a few ways that I make sure I have time to be a creative Mama over the Summer.

1. I am kind to myself

Summer throws us off. Sports reek havoc on our nights, sleepy-heads ruin our morning plans. Before I get frustrated I remember to give us some grace. Summer is made to be spent up. If we are burning the evening eating late night pizza after the game and watching an extra show or two on the weekend because we don’t have to be anywhere, we are spending our summer well. Remember to allow Summer to stand apart from the rest of the year if you can. Getting frustrated kills my creativity faster than anything. You are wise to spend time being creative when you can and embrace life with joy when it is full.

2. I am willing to throw out a perfectly good schedule

If it is not working, revamp it. There is no reason to keep a schedule that fits the school year in the Summer time. Acknowledge the difference and move forward. The sun is shining longer, sunrise is early, events run late into the evening hours. Allow yourself to flex. Changing back over an exhausting week in August, is still better than being miserable all Summer long.

3. Create creative times for everyone This Summer

You might not get studio time like you imagined it, but you just might get something you never imagined. Take time out to watch your kids be creative. Tell stories. Go out into the woods and wander. Deadlines are killing my joy just like any other Mother with a goal, but don’t let that be an excuse to kill wonder. My Summer motto is, “Say “yes” way more than you want to.” It has served me well, even if I ever learn to fully trust it. I just do it, because I am always glad I did.

4. Get up early

Yes, everyone’s hours are packed in the Summer, but if you are like me, you are older than you once were. We don’t stay up late like we used to. I have gotten smart and use my Circle By Disney to schedule the router to drop out at 2am in the Summer. I can go to bed knowing everyone has no good reason to be up much later than that. I can go to bed peaceful knowing my kids are safe and that the internet connection is secure and on a timer. When I go to bed early, I get up before the kids. I read, jog (when I am feeling rested) and write for a few hours before the house wakes up. I love waking up before the place erupts for the day and having my first cup of coffee in peace. With 10 kids it is the only time the house is quiet and my brain is all mine.

5. I offer a lot of unstructured play time

This used to be the standard of Summer when I was a kid. I know the world has changed but there are safe ways to encourage this. It starts very young. I did tons of hands on play when the kids were little. Cardboard was my medium of choice because we were young restaurateurs and it was in my price range. (Free) I can make anything out of cardboard. Because I am a genius? No, because my kids didn’t care how good it was. Oatmeal-can knight helmets is my specialty. We created everything we ever wanted, and now my kids do the same thing themselves.

I am not going to lie, it is a ton of work up front to build creative kids but after 5 years they start taking over the work load and now I just throw out boxes of cheap supplies and the older kids could entertain 20 little kids for hours.

6. I make time for me in the Summer

This is very hard for some women. I understand your struggle. I ignored my heart for many years thinking I was serving my family by sacrificing my desires for them. I was wrong. Taking care of my heart has made me a healthier woman.  I did not have to take away from my family to do it either.

I have great friends that respect my love for my husband and love my insanely huge family. Their love and fellowship feeds my soul. We meet weekly during the school year for a home Bible Study. I have writing, which is a passion of mine, that I have intentionally cut a space to make time for it. I have creative time with the kids. I love trying new crafts. I love being creative. I make time to learn something new almost every day. I listen to a podcast every time I drive a long distance in the car. I read about 80 books a year. I am intentional about feeding my heart.

What drives you? What is a thing you want to learn? Be intentional and get it on the calendar. Take a class, join a group, engage a friend to make it more fun but don’t let Summer get away from you.

I hope that you are nourishing the creative Mama inside of you. I would love to hear about your passion. What is it that you love to do? What is it that you used to love to do that you have forgotten about? Do you want to pick it up again? I would love to hear about it. Leave me a comment about your hearts desire. Share about how you have made time to do what you love. Your idea could help this Mama out.

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Don’t let Summer get away from you. Be a creative Mama.