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I got the first work in my life. I go to work for month and a half. And i don’t take time to make music. Just wanted to share. I got some hours at the morning tho
Also work is in another town and i got diffuculties with that too. Because i replaced my city.
I remember that being a struggle when I first started working too. What I do is keep to-do lists inside my project. FL Studio has the fruity notebook vst, but there are other free VSTs that do this if you don’t have FL. When I get to the end of my available time to make music, I make a quick list of the next 3-5 things I want to do with the project and write them down. Then when I launch the project next time, I have that list ready to go so I can start right where I left off.
I also found that 20-30 minutes in the morning before going to work was all the time I had, but doing little tricks like that and getting the most I could out of that time was enough to still get songs done.
Totally get this. Work, 2 kids, 2 older parents who need help with their business, an ADHD Peripausal wife, since last year a house refurb with 3 months left to go.
During lockdown i got into a routine which i still do as fortunate to still WFH.
Wake 7 log on, work till 2.
30 min nap.
Get food ready for kids.
School run.
Honework.
Entertain kids get ready for bed till wife gets back from work and gym circa 8.
Wash kids put to bed sleep myself for an hour.
Wake up 10.30 11 ish daw loadedad ready to go.
Back to sleep around 1am ish.
Last year studio has been in storage so simply working on existing tracks focusing on mixing, arrangement and editing.
Weekends same day time occupied with family, clothes washing and prepping for the week ahead.
When renovations done I will finally have the garden office aka Man cave with studio setup, decks, records and sundries… Cant wait worked hard for it. This last years been physically, mentally and emotionally challenging being pulled in all directions.
Hence not overly active here my sole forum outlet for music making.
You will work it out eventually mate.
For me that 2 hours making music us my tine for me. Im nothing special mysically, i get that and probably don’t meet the genre, generation or stereotype of most people here. But ive learnt a lot since stumbling here since 2017 old boards to now. Sone great talent and insights to music and techniques ive nit encountered.
Sorry ofload post.
@Stealth you triggered me mate.
@White_Noise hope you’re well and still findung time on the Slate beta boards 
ahhhh the struggle. yes. we all know it.
balance is difficult. I have straight up stopped making music for years at points because the chase for money and the hustle took priority. the chase also led to other distractions and decisions that would drift me further away.
eventually (and i still fail occasionally) I learned to create systems. commit to a certain amount of time, at a certain time, to be musical. this doesn’t mean micro-edit a loop. this means sit and play chords. don’t worry about the record button yet. even if you’re just plunking keys at a piano, or modulating a synth patch. this is literally what i’m doing right now as I write this.
also manage your expectations. evaluate your motivations and what it is you want, musically. if you are stacking up projects and expecting yourself to finish things by this time, evaluate if this is realistic. when you are impacted with things that take you from music, take the little time you have to keep the FUN part of creating art alive within you, and that really just takes committing to a small amount of time, whether it’s 20 minutes 2 days out of the week or 10 minutes in the morning when you start your day. just show up to your instrument, whatever it is, and stop thinking about the things you need to do, and just play.
when you start being consistent in these systems, believe me, eventually you’ll get ideas, and you’ll figure out how to make more time.
chin up friend, don’t be discouraged. you are not alone in this at all, believe me.
Making art is being willing to sacrifice one thing for another. For me usually, it’s sleep. But I am trying to be better about that, especially now that I work starting at 6am, monday-friday. So now I gotta find something else to sacrifice… I don’t have kids yet but I am incredibly impressed by those of you that are able to do it. Because I would probably just end up sacrificing my children. dudes in the bible did it so i’ll still get admitted get into Godland if i do that right?
Thanks everyone for replies.
Nice. thanks.