An Honest Post About Studio Time

A good 40-50% of your time as an artist or creative is spent NOT making your work.

It's spent organising, administrating, cleaning your workspace, prepping up, chatting with new clients, marketing and very-importantly, learning.

That's alot of time not making/painting/weaving/printmaking/cooking/writing.

This is business.  Try not to resent it. These are the activities that make our world go around, bring new eyes to our work, new conversations and connections.  

Here is what has worked for me - and what hasn't:

 ➡️ Time slicing.  I've never been any good at it.  I love the idea of plotting my week out of a Sunday evening, but when it comes to it, if I'm not in the mood to do what's written on my sheet, I'm not in the mood.  

 ➡️ Making an A, B or C list when my brain is full.  1 sheet of paper divided into three columns.  A:  Totally HAVE to do. B: Coming up to totally HAVE to do, but not actually today.  C: Nice to have done, but not as important as A or B.   I make these lists only when I have to - certainly not as often as I used to.    Bringing down unnecessary have-to-do's is time away from making my work.

 ➡️ Remembering 'The Busy-Fool' analogy and stopping myself when I have to.  This gets easier with age, I think.  Busy-fooling is about continuously 'being busy' without actually getting anywhere or furthering your true work.  Perhaps offering lifts to people that don't need them, or spending hours going through your follower lists (or those of others) on Instagram - this isn't going to further your work, it's busy-foolery and time away from what you love doing.  Be aware is all and the rest does itself.

  ➡️ Time out of workspace.  This is not about doing the washing up or other home obligations which we all have to do.  This is about collecting that thing you love from faraway - a day out of the studio is a day not working.  Be precious with your time; it's our most important commodity as makers.  On the other hand, perhaps you NEED to take some time away from your work?  In this case, great, you recognise it.  If you are going to see an exhibition, take a notebook or sketchbook with you.  That’s the studio coming with you right there to capture your thoughts and notes real time.  These are golden to work from down the line.  Oh, and about that lift you offered that someone doesn't really need - not easy to say I know, but be selfish.  Your work wants you to be selfish at times.  You will thank yourself for it down the line.

There is so much room in the world for your artwork.

Much love and more soon

Sam x