We artists are very passionate individuals. Most of us spend
hours, if not all our free time in our creative bubble, and we love it. It
takes a great deal of discipline and work to make it as an artist, especially
if you have other passions or another occupation.
I must say I sometimes overindulge the energy I have because
I want to paint. Exhausted because I painted every night, I end up sleeping all
week-end when that’s really the time I should be painting. Two full days are
often more productive than a set of short creative sessions.
When I’m exhausted, especially mentally, I can’t paint, as
many of you, I’m sure. My personal
challenge is to accept my human status and listen to my body. When he says sleep,
I should go. When he says stop and
relax, I should go. I need to accept I
sometimes can’t paint. This had me
thinking about what would be the best painting schedule for me. How could I
paint a reasonable amount of time per week, at least enough to call it a second
career, having a full time job and a life?
To me, Saturday is sacred Nothing-to-do Day. I sleep in, I
do my laundry, go out with friends: I live my life. I love to bike ride, so if the sun is out, so
are my wheels! Saturday is my day. No work, just play. When I was in
highschool, I had to take a class about time management. It was the most boring
thing ever. The only thing I remember from that class is you need to keep one
day off in your schedule whatever you do. I wasn’t sure what the reason was at
the time. Now I know it’s the only way to keep
your sanity. Besides, working 5 days a week and then going to your
studio 2 days is a 7 day work week. Even
if art is fun, it is work. I found myself to be much more productive if I
painted only on Sunday; relaxed and refreshed, I can paint for hours. I
ususally produce more work than if I had went to the studio the day before as
well. Saturday is the last day of the
week. Waste it.
I’ve tried many other tricks: getting up super early, going
to bed later, going to the studio straight after work, going back home for
supper after work and then going to the studio, not painting all week but painting
all weekend... It is a hassle. Yet, the best schedule is the one my body
dictates: if I feel the energy, I go to the studio. Period. I’ve also noticed
getting myself physically at the studio is often the hardest part. Just like
creating a picture: the hardest part is to start. As for getting up earlier, it is a battle; my
biological clock wakes my mind at a certain time, wether I am physically awake
or not. To feel good, I need at least 6 or 7 hours of sleep. And still, not painting all week is just too
hard!
I read somewhere that if you are an artist, you should go to
the studio everyday, even if it means you’ll just sit around for 20 minutes.
This works to an extent. That’s how you get yourself physically to work; going
to the studio, and then telling yourself: ‘ Hey, I’m here, so why not do this
little thing.’. That usually gets me going for hours.
It all comes down to knowing yourself and your body. The
more you do, the better your art schedule will be. However, you need to be
disciplined enough to stick to it. I’ve had those hassles, but it’s worth
finding the one method that works for you, and finding your creative ritual (
which I will discuss in another post).
Got to let go of my computer. I’m leaving for the studio.
