Well, that's it...They are officially here - the holidays.

As we move into the heart of the holiday season, I'm starting to feel the familiar tension between my need for quiet creative time and the increased social demands of this time of year. After Thanksgiving gatherings yesterday, you might already be feeling the need to recharge – and that’s completely normal! I'm right there with you. I will feel on edge until January 2, 2025!

I want to share some strategies to help us maintain our creative practice and energy during this busy season:

PROTECT PEAK CREATIVE HOURS

• If you’re most creative in the early morning, wake up 30 minutes earlier to work before holiday activities begin
• Block out specific time slots in your calendar for creative work - treat them as important as any holiday commitment

SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES

• Communicate your needs to family and friends ahead of time
• Be specific about when you’ll be available and when you need quiet time
• Consider having a simple signal (like wearing headphones) that indicates when you’re in creative mode

CREATE STRATEGIC BUFFER ZONES

• Build in some recovery time (or a lot of it) after major gatherings
• Plan quiet mornings after evening events

This is so important. Just today I saw in a Facebook group that a creative building her Etsy store suffered the loss of three people and three pets, just in the past 24 months. I can only imaging how exhausted she is. But she kept on pushing and pushing - without a buffer zone. And now finally, she realizes she has to take a break when she's fallen into burnout.

ADAPT YOUR CREATIVE PRACTICE

• Break large projects into smaller, manageable chunks
• Keep a portable creative kit for unexpected downtimes
• Give yourself permission to lower your expectations during really busy weeks – maintaining any creative practice is a win

MANAGE YOUR ENERGY, TOO

Don't just focus on time management.

• Pay attention to your introvert energy levels
• Leave gatherings early if needed – it’s better than complete exhaustion
• Take short breaks during busy days to reset

Remember: You don’t have to do everything. Saying no to some holiday activities means saying yes to your creative wellbeing. Your creative practice doesn’t need to pause for the holidays – it just needs to adapt.

This Week’s Focus: Choose one non-negotiable creative session each day, even if it’s just 15 minutes. Honor it as your time to recharge and create.

What's your best strategy for maintaining creative time during the holidays? Be sure to subscribe to the No More Lists newsletter for introvert-friendly, right-brain productivity and project management tips.