The Awkward Business of Juggling Creative Priorities

Even creative pursuits take their toll if you aren’t careful.

Illustration Courtesy of Мария Гисина on Adobe Stock

Even creative pursuits take their toll if you aren’t careful. As a creative, it’s common to feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks and ideas that are vying for your attention. There’s that amazing project on your to-do list that you’re excited about. Then there are all the “more important” things, like taxes, feeding yourself, and all those other life essentials. Between deadlines, personal projects, and everyday responsibilities, it can be challenging to know which direction to take.

I have recently been splitting my time between the following things:

• My full-time job
• Working on my MFA in Creative Writing
• Working on my other novels
• Social media marketing

Before grad school, writing on Medium was a bigger priority for me, but then a fleeting monetization opportunity presented itself on Instagram, so I started dumping hours per week into making reels. It was profitable for a while, but then ended, and that left me thinking; am I putting too much time into social media marketing?

This is where taking a step back and reevaluating your priorities can help you to refocus your energy and create more meaningful work.

Reevaluate what you’re pouring your time into.

“You don’t get time.

You create time.” ― Sanhita Baruah

The first step to prioritizing your creative endeavors is to take a critical look at what you’re currently investing your time into. Creative pursuits are always worth your time, but there’s still a prioritization that needs to take place. Time, sadly, isn’t infinite. Plus, there are a lot of commitments we bite off, creative or otherwise, that often end up taking more time than we expect them to. That’s where the need for a periodic reevaluation comes in.

Make a list of all the projects, ideas, and responsibilities that you’re currently juggling. Then, consider whether each item is essential, or whether it can be cut back or eliminated altogether. For the sake of not making this overwhelming…