You Can't Make Time... Also I've Started Painting Minis

One of my biggest pet peeves is the phrase “making time.” People say this constantly, particularly in a work context. “I need you to make time for _______.”

As a maker, I’m acutely aware that time is the one thing you absolutely cannot make. We’re all given a finite amount of time in our lives. Other than trying to live a healthy lifestyle, there’s not a lot we can do to control how much time we do or don’t have.

When you “make time” for one thing, what you’re really doing is taking it away from something else. So the question you need to ask yourself is what you’re choosing to neglect for what you’re prioritizing.

• Your family?
• Sleep?
• Your physical and mental health?
• Your TV schedule?
• Your doomscrolling time?

Whether or not it’s “worth it” is up to your values. Just know that you’re always giving up “something.” Economists call this an “opportunity cost.” What did you give up so you could be doing the thing you’re doing?

I turned 40 last year. I guess entering middle age has got me thinking a lot about how I want to spend the rest of my life.

Recently I started painting minis in addition to my 10,000 other hobbies. You would think adding another hobby to the list would be a mistake, but I’ve found it to be a fun way to make my “down time” more productive. The process of painting is very zen. I can leave the TV on in the background and just disconnect for a while.

I have a long way to go, but here’s a few I’ve painted recently that I was pretty happy with.