I don’t know about you, but making art is fun, distracting, and can be completely consuming.

How does this affect my family?

In the beginning, it was not a blessing for my family for me to be working on my art business. I was distracted even working through times when I should have been engaged with them.

Even now, after years of working from home, I still have to set boundaries so I don’t work past certain times or on certain days. It can be a struggle when I have so many things I want to do and create.

Today, I want to help you figure out what boundaries you need to set to keep yourself from overworking and missing out on important times with your family. This can be just your spouse if you don’t have kids.

Boundaries!

Who loves that word…I do. I didn’t always, and when we hear boundaries, we often think of all the things that will be limited if we put boundaries in place.

Similar to routines and habits, boundaries free us to do better, be better, and serve others more.

Boundary #1: What time will you not work past?

We all have the same amount of time during the day, but how we spend our time will vary greatly. For this reason, I feel it is best to start with the times you will not work.

For example, I will not work when my husband is home in the evening, and the kids are still up. I want to be a hundred percent engaged or available to talk to my husband, and I want our kids to see us interact and know that he is a priority to me. I want to know how his day went, and I want him to know how crazy my day was.

I also want my kids to know that in the evenings, we will eat dinner together and spend time together as a family before they go to bed. If I’m working, I am teaching my kids that it is okay to prioritize my work over my family. THIS IS NOT OKAY! At least in my book, it is not okay.

However, after the kids have gone to bed and my husband is working on his college classes, I will do any work that might be left over from the day, like this blog post.

Boundary #2: Are there certain days you will not work?

Review your week. Are there any days that you need to take off? For me, this is Sunday. In the Bible, God tells us He rested after creating the whole world and tells His children to do the same thing. I rest on Sunday.

This took me a long time to embrace. My example growing up was you worked from sun up to sun down seven days a week. With my Grandparents owning a working ranch, there was always something to do. My mom gets her work ethic honestly, and she works seven days a week, even now that she is retired. My dad is right there with my mom working as well.

This was my example my whole life, from my Grandparents to my parents. They worked all the time, so I always felt that I had to work some every day.

The more I grow in my relationship with the Lord, the more I know I need at least one day of rest. I take Sunday to rest. My family and I go to church in the morning and spend the day fellowshipping with believers and each other.

Boundary #3: What activities will you not miss?

This life is short, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow. You will never say how you wished you had worked more when you are old. You will say I wish I’d gone to more of my kid’s events, taken my spouse to dinner more, or taken that vacation.

Decide now what activities in your life you are going to be present for from now on. Determine it, and don’t fudge that decision one ounce.

Boundary #4: Who are you going to let into your inner circle?

We need people. As human beings, we need people. As creatives, we need people. As parents, wives, and husbands, we need other people.

The Bible talks about how iron sharpens iron. The people we let into our lives will either lift or bring us down.

There are people in your life you can’t avoid, like the aunt who pinched your cheeks when you were a kid. However, there are others you can limit how much they are involved in your life.

You have a goal to become a creative entrepreneur; otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. Some of the people in your life are not going to understand this dream or support your ambition, which will be hard to handle.

I want you to remember that this is your life. You are responsible to God first and foremost, then your spouse if you are married, and your kids if you are blessed to have them. Respect and love your parents and family.

You are not responsible, nor do you have to change your friends’ minds if they don’t understand why you are doing this. Give them grace when they don’t support you, and most importantly, FORGIVE them. Forgiveness is not for the other person; it is for you.

With all that said, you might have to select who you tell about your goals and dreams. The desire is to be uplifted and encouraged by those who you tell.

Boundary #5: Determine your shiny objects and how you will avoid them.

I used to have what might be referred to as shiny object syndrome, which is a way of saying that when I see a new class that might help me reach my goals faster, I’m all over it.  

Downfall is I’m not always done with the last thing I bought before buying a new class. In the last few years, I have gotten a lot better about this problem of mine.

Now, I have set boundaries to prevent me from buying every class or course I know will help me.

One way to prevent this is so childish but effective. Give your husband your credit card and remove all your saved card numbers from apps and services. This is extreme, but buying things that distract you from moving closer to your art goals means you must do it.

To avoid buying more classes, finish the ones you already have. Take out a year calendar and map out every class or course you have, giving it a deadline.

If it isn’t courses, let’s say it is art supplies. Set up goals or projects you have to complete before you can go buy more art supplies.

What if it is a new tech toy? You can earn money to buy it through art projects or sales.

How about social media, TV, or your phone? Are they your distraction points?

In 2009, my husband and I decided to cancel our cable. At the time, this was an extremely difficult decision. We spent most nights watching TV, and we weren’t sure how it was going to go. It was one of the best things we ever did for our family. Maybe you just need to put a lock on your TV between certain hours of the day so you can’t turn it on.

Social Media can be limited by setting up time limits on your phones and unsaving the passwords to access the accounts, so you have to type in the passwords manually.

If your phone is the problem, then remove it from the space you are working in, and don’t go get it.

The boundaries you pick are there to help you stay focused, continue making forward progress, and accomplish your goal of becoming an art professional. Embrace them.

Look at your priorities and how boundaries can help you keep them.

Until next week, Happy Creating.

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