A space of one’s own…

Convenience is an important principle of building habits. If I set water out by the tea kettle the night before, I’m more likely to drink a glass of water before I have tea. The same with making a habit of our hobby. I’m lucky to have a She Shed, an art table, and a sketching bag. But even with less space, can you make a table yours? A corner? A place where you can leave your materials out to cut down on transactional time, where your project is waiting for you, where your materials are at the ready? 

And what would happen if you did?

In her book Better than Before, Gretchen Rubin discusses methods to create or change habits. The techniques I find helpful for creating an art habit are Convenience and Pairing. Having a space of our own for our art projects is a way to make it convenient for us to create. We don’t have to find our sketchbook, paints, brushes, each time we sit down. We know right where they are.

One of my first students used a tote to store her supplies. Everything she needed to create was contained in that tote. She did a little bit every day, sometimes just a few minutes. Before I knew it, she was drawing squirrels (!) and making art as gifts for her loved ones. Last I heard, she loved to draw animals on top of maps. How cool!

Steve built a She Shed for me. (He is a very handy guy!) My art took off after he created this space for my hobby.

Another technique is Pairing. We already have our morning tea or coffee. Why not add a three minute drawing to that time?

At first it may be challenging to start a new habit. Before long, it becomes second nature.

What has helped you create a new habit?