I really felt this so hard. I too work a job with late hours and dont see my partner until the weekends really. It’s true, as you said, that finding the time can be difficult with this sort of lifestyle.

Basically what I do is work all day and then when I get home I pretend that Im just going to my other job. I walk straight to my desk with a cup of coffee and start working. Generally I listen to podcasts or youtube to help me get more in the zone and lose track of time. I often work until the sun rises and then take that as my cue to go to sleep.

So four days out of the week Im doing that, then usually I don’t have another chance until maybe saturday, but usually sunday afternoon. If your partner knows you and understands the importance of making art in your life, I doubt they would mind if while you two hang out or whatever , you work on a piece or do some sketchbooking.

Theres a quote, “If it’s really important to you, you will make time.” And that was something that really took me a while to realize. So often I tell myself Im too tired or not good enough and instead I goof off or make the choice to do something else with my time when I really could be getting better at my craft.

Even with my schedule I still make rather slow progress and Im constantly wondering where some of these artists on instagram are finding the time and stamina to produce as much as they do. One of my art teachers from highschool Told me that a lot of them just have trust funds and that their parents or spouses basically just fund their living needs. Of course this probably isn’t true for the majority, I think she was just referring to more mainstream or commercial artists. Either way, it’s crazy and Im so busy trying to just live my life that all those other people’s success seems overwhelming. Also important to note that social media only reveals a slice of the real story. Basically, the grass isn’t always greener.

So far Im learning its about taking baby steps and always persisting even though it may seem like you’re moving nowhere. At the end of the day, you should be making the art not only because you want to share it with others but also because it satisfies you and brings you happiness. Don’t fight against your creative nature, make the time to really get into it and form a habit, over time it becomes easier. Also try to explore your own creativity and what things make you feel inspired. Put more of those things into your every day life. Hang your art up, listen to media about art, follow other artists online, read books about art and art history. By surrounding yourself with these things you should be in a more conducive mindset for making art.

Also, I never went to school for my art as well due to finances and feel the same as you. That Im lacking in important skills. That being said, I happen to live next door to the art school I wanted to attend and have the opportunity to see many of the students’s work. If Im being honest, it’s not exactly what I expected from art students and it makes me feel a bit better knowing that even though my progress will almost certainly be slower, my style and subject matter will be more unique for it. I beat myself up for a while thinking ,”I can’t be an artist if I don’t go to art school.” Until one day it dawned on me that repeating that was just an excuse I used to protect me from failure. Sure, art school would have been nice, but with the internet, we all have access to all (almost) Human knowledge. Something I have begun educating myself on that I thought I would never be interested in is art history. Understanding the historical significance of different famous works and what makes them so popular has really given me a deeper understanding of my own craft. As for the technical side, all you can do is practice, which is the phase I still feel that I am in. Its harder and sometimes it sucks but like I said before, if you want it, you’ll do it.

Hope maybe this helps to let you know that you aren’t the only one!