THE JUGGLING ACT OF AN ARTIST

Welp, I am a little late. In my defense, February is a short month, so I will give myself some grace, and I hope you give yourself some well-deserved grace for wherever you may need it. We all need that. This brings me to the topic of the entry for February. (Yes, you will still hear from me for a March Article, too.)

THE JUGGLING ACT OF AN ARTIST

My passion for photography stems from a general arts passion with experience in Theatre, Graphic Design, Drawing, you name it. I love anything and everything with Art and Creativity. Pursuing the arts is an absolute juggling act. From survival jobs, personal life, perfecting your craft, to the almighty gig; how do you do it all?

Time management is for sure a big factor. Sadly, it is not a course offered in school or your local community center. It is a process you are expected to learn as you go because there is no exact science. Sure, what Bob tried can work for Susan, but would it work for you? It depends on your field of experience, your background, and your other commitments.

Here are some tricks I use to keep the ball rolling. These may work for you, or you may find them to be useless pieces of information that you have heard before. Feel free to share what works in the comments. It may help someone reading this.

1. SCHEDULE YOURSELF

This may sound obvious, but set a schedule. Give yourself calendar reminders, set timers, and plan your load. I’m not saying you have to schedule it down to the second, but plan a goal of how many hours you want to spend on various things throughout the day.

For some people this looks like jotting down generic reminders in a planner. Monday is download day, Tuesday is culling, Wednesday is edit, etc. For others this is a down to the minute plan of your week. If this is something you think would help, take a look at those college schedule maker websites. Those always made more sense to me than a spreadsheet because they would stretch each block to visually display the amount of time you had per “class”.

2. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE LULLS

There are times in our lives when we are just stuck waiting. Maybe you take public transit and are waiting for your transfer. Maybe you are between loads of laundry and need something to do while you wait for the wash to be done so you can put it in your dryer. Use your time creatively for your craft or in other ways.

• Do some editing! Manage basic edits on your phone or travel friendly device thanks to the power of the cloud. I once made a graphic of the Winter Garden Theatre while I waited for the matinee of Beetlejuice to open its doors. I tweeted it to the cast and talked to them about it at the stage door after the show!

• Strategize. Take out your planner or open Google Calendar and either edit or create the plan for the next week. Reflect on whether the plan works, edit what you need, and make the to-do list.

• Catch up with someone that brings you joy. Call that cousin you haven’t heard from in a while. Snapchat your best friend that lives far away. It’s amazing the reconnection that forms in a matter of minutes.

• Get Inspired! There are so many apps and websites dedicated to your craft. Get inspired by reading blogs, strolling Lemon8 or Pinterest. Look at new supplies for your craft or read about new strategies that can level up your learning.

• RELAX! Like I said before, giving yourself grace after a long day is completely valid. There are times we forget to give ourselves decompression time. The lulls of the hustle and bustle are perfect for that. Throw a load of laundry in, and then take a nap. Set an alarm for the length of the cycle, and then when you wake up, it will be time to swap it over to the dryer. Naps aren’t your style? Have a snack or refreshing drink. Scroll through TikTok or read a book for the cycle. I still recommend the alarm though so you don’t lose track of time.

• BODY DOUBLING

There is a concept I have read about and experienced called Body Doubling. It’s a frequent coping strategy for those with ADHD or other neurodivergencies that cause a struggle in completing work or a task. Someone is with you in the space while the task is being done. They can be talking you through the task, doing the task with you, or even just being a body in the space. It gives us someone to be held accountable to other than ourselves. I’ve done this with friends while we study for tests, with my boyfriend when I spent long nights lesson planning and grading as an educator. Having someone with you in the room also gives a sounding board to bounce ideas off of.

4. BRAIN DUMP 

You would be surprised how much you have in your brain that bogs down the creativity. Having a brain dump notebook or note in your notes app allows you to get the clutter out to help ideas flow better. I keep a notebook in my bag and a notebook designated for brain dumps in my Goodnotes app. Sometimes I doodle, other times I write down my thoughts. Sometimes as I just write what’s on my mind, I get an idea for a new photo adventure or project.

The power of the lulls: Waiting on a double-decker bus tour with a malfunctioning recording led to this amazing shot.