Time to Create

If making time to do what you love is so rewarding, why is it so hard to do?

By: Srihita Raju

Every October, artists from around the world come together to participate in InkTober—a 31-day challenge to create an ink drawing based on prompts. The beauty of having an event like this is that it encourages people to take the opportunity to challenge themselves while also getting to spend time doing something they enjoy.

But why does it take a challenge to get people to do something they enjoy? 

I was taught to view creative hobbies as things that would keep me occupied when I was a kid, not passions I would hold onto into adulthood. Or I feel guilty if I use my time to outline a chapter I want to write instead of searching the internet for more internships to apply to, even if I have already looked twice in the past week. Even when I manage my time, I feel guilty if I use it for non-school things. And feeling guilty makes me procrastinate or just flat out give up and decide to do something else.

Writing is a skill I want to keep working on for the rest of my life, even if it doesn’t lead to getting published or if no one else ever reads what I write. Most importantly, it is something I care about that brings me so much joy and fulfillment. And I shouldn’t feel guilty for making time for that. Having passions and hobbies outside of your daily school and work obligations can be so powerful, because it is something that is just for your own happiness and fulfillment. And if you’re having trouble making the time, participating in an event like InkTober (or creating a challenge for yourself) could help give you that extra push. Moments like that can be hard to find when you’re trying to balance school, work, and your social life, so when you can find the time, don’t hesitate to make it count.