Women who write face a unique kind of challenge.  It’s already hard to be a woman. We are simply stretched too thin. Women are supreme multitaskers. We are efficient time managers. We are effective compartmentalizers of time. We know how to steal little moments and still be fully present to all the demands that are placed upon us—even those that are self-imposed. We are the date-keepers, chauffeurs, planners, and executers. We have jobs, tend to our social networks, spend time with our kids. Oh yeah, and we deal with guilt when we can’t do it all.

For writers, guilt creeps in when we think we should be doing something else with our time other than writing. That something else is spending time with our partners or kids; taking care of household tasks like laundry, dishes, or dinner; doing work that is actually bringing in money. Please, contribute to this list in the comments section so we can see a full list of to-do’s that assert themselves as more important than writing.

I talk to my clients all the time about the importance of “enrolling” their families and friends—which means getting them to support and value your writing as much as you do. Being a writer means valuing yourself as a writer. It means telling your friends and loved ones that you will be taking time to write. It doesn’t have to be every day, but it does have to be deliberate.

All this week I’ve written about the power of voicing what you’re going to do. Take Kamy as an example—and her awesome public declaration that she is taking a sabbatical. She made her intention known. She brought people on board to blog while she creates space for her own writing. She made a choice that her writing comes first—and I know it couldn’t have been easy.

Sometimes we take ourselves all the way to the breaking point before we realize there is no other option but to carve out time for ourselves. Sometimes we stay in that crisis space for year. I have clients who’ve been talking about making a change every week for way too long. They want to do it, but they’re not willing to put themselves first. It goes against their very nature to tell other people (family, boss, friends) that they’re taking time to do what they need to do. Taking time to write.

The cool thing about NaNoWriMo and SheWriMo is that there’s an external reminder (all month!) that your writing matters. Challenge yourself to show yourself that it matters, though. It’s awesome that Kamy and She Writes care that you write, but you have to care that you write. And once you enter into a head space where there are no compromises, caring becomes more like a need, and that need ultimately becomes like the air you breathe—you can’t go without it.

You work hard. You control your schedule. You deserve time that’s just about you and your words. If you’re time-challenged, consider what you’re allowing and the ways you might be denying yourself what you want. As the title of this post suggests, it’s an art to make time for yourself and to do it consciously. And just like art, it’s beautiful and important, and it requires tending to.

Brooke Warner is the Executive Editor at Seal Press and coaches writers to publication through her business, Warner Coaching. Sign up for her newsletter and get monthly inspiration and tips about writing, shopping, and publishing.