Procrastination and Productivity aren’t really the best of buddies are they?

In times past I had this feeling that to be an artist meant to drift along, just waiting for inspiration to turn up and when it did you could begin creating as and when the desire was there.  The best work would appear when you were ‘in the zone’ and ‘feeling in the mood’.  Oh dear! I have learned that if you wait for that to happen, then not a lot of work occurs at all.

The truth, (in my experience – and only learned the hard way) is that art takes hours of hard work and commitment. It isn’t an airy fairy experience or a romantic idea of creating something wonderful out of nothing (well it certainly isn’t for me anyway).  There was a time – and if I am completely honest, still the occasional day – when I start to go up to my studio and all of a sudden other things seemed so much more pressing such as doing the dishes, or another hour on Facebook or pinterest. Thankfully for the most part those occasions now are very rare.

So what changed? Many things really but I shall list a few of them here..

1. I realised the gaps between productive days were far too wide and the longer the gaps were, the more difficult it was to get back into it again.

2. Such a cliché I know but life is short and when it comes down to it am I going to be glad I did the dishes or would I rather be proud of that painting I created?

3. Realising that having a routine is key – the more habitual my studio time is, the easier it is to stop wasting time and get down to work.

4. Discovering that the more hours I put in, the better I get. Since I have had a structured studio time I have learned so much and my work has improved drastically.

5. I still have many goals and dreams for my life and it has to be said that most of them revolve around my artwork (actually there is no distinction there, my work is my life – there is no 9 till 5, it is just what I do) and if I want to achieve even a fraction of that, then I better get a move on! (see point 2)

So much more to write on this so part 2 (my routine and hints and tips for getting to the easel) coming tomorrow!

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

x x x