I want to talk a little bit about possibly the best artistic advice I have ever gotten. Adam Savage, in a YouTube video posted by Tested.com*, talked about balancing work, his family, and his projects. The solution for finding more time for projects, it turned out, was more about frequency than duration. He advocates spending an hour a day in your studio/workspace, even if all you are doing is eating lunch and existing in the same space as your work.
Obviously, committing an hour a day would be difficult for many people. The house needs to be cleaned; you brought work home with you; you can't leave the kids alone. But what about a commitment to spending ten minutes a day in the area you have cordoned off for making whatever it is you make? I believe it really is frequency that matters.
I like this approach for several reasons. Instead of committing to finishing projects or spending lots of time in your studio, you commit to thinking about your art, looking at it, and giving yourself the opportunity to do some work if you feel up to it. Giving yourself permission to be in your space without forcing yourself to produce removes the guilt artists feel that they should always be making more.
In this way, you can structure your creative time like a workout regimen. Ten minutes a day comes easy, so you gradually up the time, until you are exceeding Adam Savage's hour goal.
Space is as important as time. Experts say bedrooms should be devoid of things that rob our sleep, like televisions and computers. Your workspace should be a dedicated space, ideally with walls between it and dirty dishes, laundry, and other major distractions of adult life. There is a time to be responsible; take ten minutes to be creative.
If I told myself I should just organize my art room and get it over with, I would never do it. Cleaning for cleaning's sake as never come easy to me. But organization to solve problems, like "I can't find my sewing kit," seems to just happen naturally as I use a space.
Spending time in my downstairs room/art studio has allowed me to organize it for better productivity. As a result, I have created twice as much in the past few weeks as I have in the previous six months. And I feel good about continuing to use the space, because there is no pressure to create. I go there to be. I create because the tools are at hand, the space is inviting, and because I am, to some extent, an artist.
Now if only I could find a method that increased my writing output…
*I'd link to the video, but I'd never be able to find the right one. Check out Tested on Youtube and you'll see what I mean.
Obviously, committing an hour a day would be difficult for many people. The house needs to be cleaned; you brought work home with you; you can't leave the kids alone. But what about a commitment to spending ten minutes a day in the area you have cordoned off for making whatever it is you make? I believe it really is frequency that matters.
I like this approach for several reasons. Instead of committing to finishing projects or spending lots of time in your studio, you commit to thinking about your art, looking at it, and giving yourself the opportunity to do some work if you feel up to it. Giving yourself permission to be in your space without forcing yourself to produce removes the guilt artists feel that they should always be making more.
In this way, you can structure your creative time like a workout regimen. Ten minutes a day comes easy, so you gradually up the time, until you are exceeding Adam Savage's hour goal.
Space is as important as time. Experts say bedrooms should be devoid of things that rob our sleep, like televisions and computers. Your workspace should be a dedicated space, ideally with walls between it and dirty dishes, laundry, and other major distractions of adult life. There is a time to be responsible; take ten minutes to be creative.
If I told myself I should just organize my art room and get it over with, I would never do it. Cleaning for cleaning's sake as never come easy to me. But organization to solve problems, like "I can't find my sewing kit," seems to just happen naturally as I use a space.
Spending time in my downstairs room/art studio has allowed me to organize it for better productivity. As a result, I have created twice as much in the past few weeks as I have in the previous six months. And I feel good about continuing to use the space, because there is no pressure to create. I go there to be. I create because the tools are at hand, the space is inviting, and because I am, to some extent, an artist.
Now if only I could find a method that increased my writing output…
*I'd link to the video, but I'd never be able to find the right one. Check out Tested on Youtube and you'll see what I mean.
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