Making Time for Art
By Linda Harvey; Head of Textiles, Archbishop Holgate’s School, York. Associate Member Textiles Skills Centre
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As a classroom teacher for nearly 30 years and Head of Textiles for over two decades, I know how demanding teaching can be. We are always considering lesson plans, marking and student needs, even after the school day has finished. Due to our busy lives, we don’t make space to nurture our own creativity and instead put others first: it becomes easy to place our own creative passions on the back burner.
This was certainly true for me, especially when my children were young. But when they grew older and became more independent, I realised that this was my opportunity to change that. I knew I wouldn’t suddenly have hours of free time, so instead I dedicated five minutes a day to creating something for myself. This was a small commitment that felt achievable, and ended up making a huge difference in my relationship with my art.
In 2021, I discovered the 100 Day Project, a global project where people would do something creative every day for 100 days and share their process and progress on Instagram. It felt perfect for me: low pressure, very flexible, and anyone could join in and feel a part of this community of artists. Since then, I have taken part every year. It has given me an outlet to experiment with new ideas and grow my skills and interests.
My most ambitious project was in 2024 with ‘Inspired by You: 100 Days of Textile Art'. I wanted a project that celebrated creativity and community, so I invited members of the public to submit photographs of what inspires them. Every day, I selected one image and translated it into a miniature textile artwork. Creating a community around my artwork has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and to embody that in my textile art has been a wonderful celebration of creativity and togetherness. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and enabled me to connect with others.
I also found that this practice has positively impacted my teaching. By making artwork daily, I find myself continuously learning, developing new techniques, and finding innovative ways to interpret textures and forms, and I’ve noticed that I’ve been bringing that energy back into the classroom. Also, encouraging experimentation with my own art has meant my students have benefited from the new ideas and skills I have learnt along this process.
Carving out even a few minutes each day for myself has improved both my teaching and my well-being. In making time for my art, I’ve made time for me, and in doing so, become a better teacher, artist, and person.
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