Finding time to do art

Here I am a new blogger, trying to find my niche in the blogging world!

As a writer and a painter, I find it really hard to balance my time between the two.  Since my first novel has just come out, I have decided to put painting mostly on hold for awhile.  Yet, it bothers me to think of those brushes gathering dust!

I need to promote, write some more, format those...the list goes on and on.  I realized today that, even though different things may be pulling me than what pulls at other women, we really all suffer from the same things:

Too much to do in too little of a time period, and guilt that we are doing the wrong thing-no matter which thing we are doing.  Why do we do that to themselves?  Is this something mostly female, or do men feel guilt like this?

If I am writing, my brain gets after me that I should be marketing or painting.  If I am painting, my brain screams at me that I will never get the 2nd novel done unless I put down that brush!

I am willing to bet that women (men too?) all over the world hear that same voice.  It does not matter if you are a mother, lawyer, doctor, writer, clerical worker.  Why do we allow ourselves to feel guilty and ineffective no matter which of our many "hats" we wear or how well they fit?

I would love to hear from others that have this same issue.  I would love even more to hear from others that have quieted that voice!  Oh.  I need to go now.  I hear paintbrushes and novels calling, along with my husband, a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and 2 parrots that would love some socializing.