Time Management
Episode 61: Time to get organised!
Fitting in all the stuff you need to do as an artist is something you might not think about when you are starting out. Initially you just want to 'do art!' and who wouldn't. However being organised when the administration of your career as an artist begins to overwhelm your creativity may well maintain that all important studio time. Peter and Laura talk this week about how they manage their time
The Useful Stuff
1. Get used to observing how much time you spend on your art practice. Work out how your time is spent, how it divides between creativity and admin and the ‘hidden’ time spent on things like planning, travel and social media. Having an overview of your hours and how they divide up makes managing a diary and planning your time efficiently an easier task.
2. Try to focus on one thing at a time. Creatives are easily distracted, so try to divide your time into practical chunks for creativity/paperwork/preparation. Even a loose timetable will help to keep you on track and productive. Deadlines are helpful, create your own if necessary!
3. Have a road map. A basic idea of the work you need to make, your marketing plans and events throughout the year is essential for managing your time. There are no prizes for leaving everything until the last possible moment.
4. Understand your workflow; there may be times when you can use down time from one job to work on something else. Both Laura and Peter use their ‘drying time’ to fit in other projects. Dovetailing small projects, sketching, or reading and researching into any gaps is surprisingly productive.
5. Accept that things take time. From learning your craft to limbering up with sketches, you need to allow yourself enough time for a worthwhile outcome. Time warming up and practicing is time well spent and the more experienced you become, the easier it is to slide quickly into productive work.
6. Know yourself and play to your strengths: if you respond well to lists, make them; if a strict diary keeps you accountable, keep one; if you prefer a free flow from one job to another, embrace your flexibility. The important thing is to find your effective time management style and embrace it.
The Takeaway
Managing time is never easy for artists, you’ll need to devote skill and attention to the task. Learn some time management tricks, stick to using them and you’ll find things run much more smoothly
This Podcast is sponsored by Michael Harding Colours. For more information about Michael’s colour range or to find a retailer near you, please visit www.michaelharding.co.uk
