Time for Art     23 September, 2008, 03:21 pm On days that I plan to be in the art studio, I wake early, have coffee and oatmeal, put on my astral armor, and advance directly toward my drawing table. Sometimes I must battle distractions -- the stack of books on the floor that needs to be shelved, the garden that needs weeding, to say nothing of people and their needs. On days that I'm headed to the studio, I wield my astral sword and cut them down, every one of them, "not spared, not one." The key to my method is that I have planned to be in the studio on that day. In order to get to the studio I have to fulfill all of the many and varied tasks that most small business owners must perform. I am the bookkeeper and spend Tuesdays paying bills, payroll, and lots of taxes. I am on the road a third of the year, traveling to art festivals, usually setting up my exhibit on Thursdays, displaying and selling Friday through Sunday, taking it all down again on Sunday night, and driving home on Monday. Sometimes I stay over between shows. My husband, Ron, and I do much of our business planning while walking on our farm or driving to and from shows. And then there are the miscellaneous chores that can be significant time hogs, like running errands (always multi-purpose), booking hotel reservations, corresponding, and writing blogs. In the early days, Ron and I kept time sheets, so that we could learn how we were actually spending our time. With this information we could then plan how we might best use our time, including how much time I would have in the studio each year. My large pieces take months to complete, up to 500 hours, the medium ones about 300 hours. I also spend hundreds of hours each year reading and researching the literature that I use in my work. I have averaged six original watercolors per year for the past twenty-five years. It's essential to stay focused on the goal to be in the studio. When I am away from the studio and missing it, I have faith in the plan that will get me back to it. More importantly, I've learned that a little pent up desire to be in the studio serves me well. It makes me appreciate studio time all the more and to make the most of it. Early in my career, I would set aside large blocks of studio time, but as my business evolved into a year round enterprise, the blocks of time became shorter and more frequent. On occasion, I take my studio on the road with me, which also requires advance planning. The transitions from one activity to another are the hardest part. This requires some self discipline, to stick to the plan and move on to the required task. Sometimes it requires eliminating the task entirely, if it's not essential. Although I enjoy writing blogs, sometimes they must defer to the studio. When I was younger I was frustrated by the slow pace of my work, but then I realized that the history of art is filled with stories of artists that were frustrated with the pace of their art or with their subject matter, which was often dictated by the royal courts. Michelangelo had to answer to the Pope. I'm free to choose my subject matter and to set my own schedule. Balancing studio time with business and family activities is a challenge, but I enjoy the challenge, and the hard work and long hours. In fact, I'm grateful for the opportunity to support myself as an artist. ( Back | Comments )