When I had my first baby, 4 years ago, I thought I could continue my art career within 6 months. As a work-at-home mom I envisioned nap time to be predictable enough, and my stamina to be strong enough to stay up at night creating. When I had my second baby 2 years later I was a little wiser. I knew it would be slow going. And it was.

Survival mode with two toddlers lasted until the youngest was a year old. When he was 6 months old I was no longer losing my mind, but at one year things got much smoother. Slowly I began creating little drawings here and there. I found a kiln and some clay and began to sculpt. I worked during nap time, which could be an hour or two depending on the mood of babes. Sometimes, but rarely I could work at night. I was usually quite tired by then. So I would get about 5 or 6 hours of work done a week. At night I would build the website, make the logo, learn. Once a week we would drive to the kiln which took about 2 hours. So each week I spent maybe 10 hours at my craft. Not much.

But it adds up. Slowly I had a body of work and an identity. It was the slow path, but it was solid. In winter I plan on having another wave of my art come out, which I will actually publicize. That alone takes a few hours a week. For now, I am content to keep on my slow path without compromising kid time.

This story is not just for new parents trying to get something done. The other day I was talking to a 20-something woman who said she was going to be a writer, but ended up being a medical technician. I asked why not write alongside her job? She said she did not have enough time. I thought, “You have no idea how little time you have until you have children, get on it!”

So this is for anyone trying to do something big with little time. It adds up, and time goes by so fast. So get on it. A year from now you will be amazed at how much you’ve done.

Here’s what I did.