Embracing Self-Care in 2026: How to Prioritize Creativity in Your Life
- Anna Jonsdottir
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Starting a new year often brings a fresh wave of motivation to improve our lives. Many resolutions focus on external goals like fitness or career growth, but what if this year I focused on myself? Prioritizing creativity and making time for creativity can be a powerful form of self-care. It nurtures the mind, reduces stress, and brings joy. This post explores how to find time to create, stick to a creative plan, and organize artistic pursuits so that my resolutions truly support my well-being.
CREATIVITY ISN'T ABOUT WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE THINKS;
ITS ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK.
Will Gompertz, Think like an Artist
Why Prioritize Creativity as Self-Care
Creativity is often seen as a luxury or a hobby, but it plays a vital role in mental health. Engaging in creative activities helps reduce anxiety and improves mood. It also encourages mindfulness by focusing attention on the present moment. When making art or craft or any form of creativity, you give yourself permission to slow down and express your inner thoughts and feelings.
Many people struggle to find time for creativity because daily responsibilities take priority. This can lead to frustration and a sense of losing touch with yourself. By intentionally carving out time for creative work, you reinforce that your needs matter. This is a form of self-care that benefits your emotional and psychological health.
Finding Time to Create
Finding time to create starts with understanding your current schedule and habits. Well, I think if I put down my phone, miraculously I have found the extra hours in the day needed to move forward to make space for creativity.
My first habit to track
Put down the phone!
Imagine if I turned off notifications, closed unrelated tabs, and let others know I need uninterrupted time. Not sure that is enough! I think realistically I need to consciously leave my phone in another room so I don't pick it up! Consciously not pick up the phone first thing I do in the morning! Consciously not scroll on my phone in bed!
My second habit to track
30 minutes sessions
Instead of aiming for hours of uninterrupted work, I want to do 30 minutes sessions as small, consistent sessions build momentum. If you want to do this with me, then write down how you spend your hours. Identify pockets of time that could be repurposed for creative work, such as early mornings, lunch breaks, or evenings. My favorite time is morning or late evening! If I am knitting it's in front of the TV or during travel. If I am doing art I need to be in my studio. If I am making a new kit I need my focus to stay on making and producing that kit and only that kit to reduce errors. If I am reading I need to sit!
Recently I found, taking a break every 30 minute builds up time awareness and muscle memory. I also do way more as I only have 30 minutes! I put the timer on and ready set GO! This also applies to my daily tasks of keeping the house in order or planning my next travel adventure. Splitting the hour into 30 minutes of fun creating/making time and 30 minutes of boring repeating activities like cleaning has helped me mentally stay on track.
My third habit to track
Set realistic SMART goals
I have so many goals, some of them are not realistic even thought they look to be SMART goals as it's so easy to underestimate time. Some goals require me to learn new skills, and that takes time. Having a specific area for my creativity, chair in front of the TV, the spare bedroom for my studio, the garage for wet techniques signals my brain that it’s time to focus when I enter or sit down. It also reduces setup time, making it easier to start. Pairing creative time with another habit, like listening to music or podcasts or watching Netflix helps me stay on task and not waste time or more importantly feel that I am using my time wisely doing something productive.
Sticking to a Creative Plan
A plan helps staying committed and tracking progress. A plan doesn't have to be set in stone. A plan doesn't have to be perfect. A plan can change, but it has to be written down.
What do I want to achieve in 2026?
10 knitted socks from the Westknits Year of Socks 2026 - using my 'sock' yarn stash
6 knitted mittens from the book Icelandic Mittens - using my yarn stash
Read 12 books on creativity and art
Monthly meal prep plan - to save time and money
Monthly financial organizing goals - get my life in order
2 x 30 day challenge - learn new techniques
3 Exhibitions, 1 new series
Charity work - sew period kits for Days for girls and crochet soap sacks for S.A.C.K.
Set up Artwork Archive for my art practice for visibility
Finishing the first part of the Technical Excellence Certification in counted thread
12 blogs on making, creating and living
How to I achieve this?
Divide my list into manageable tasks
Schedule sessions like appointments - non-negotiable
Record my work - with a journal or planner
Organize my creative space and materials
Celebrate small wins - reinforces positive habits.
THE ABILITY TO LOOK DEEPLY IS THE ROOT OF CREATIVITY.
TO SEE PAST THE ORDINARY AND MUNDANE AND GET TO WHAT MIGHT OTHERWISE BE INVISIBLE.
Rick Rubin, The Creative Act:A Way of Being.
Moving Forward with Creative Resolutions
Making time to create and sticking to a plan requires commitment, but I believe the rewards are worth it. By organizing my space, setting achievable goals, and embracing creativity as self-care, I build a habit that supports my well-being throughout the year.
Starting small, being patient, and remembering that creativity is a personal journey. My art, my creativity doesn’t have to be perfect or shared. It exists to nourish me.
Now its your turn. Make a list.
Let's remember 2026 as the year of Self-Care.
Happy Creating!