The Problem with Time
Everyone has 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. An artist needs to dedicate part of that time to working on studio stuff. Every artist’s days and weeks look different based on one’s circumstances in life. You might have to work a full-time job, run a business, raise kids, take care of a family member and maybe all of that together at the same time.
Nevertheless, an artist needs to carve out some personal time during the day to work on one’s creative life just like you must eat and sleep. This might mean getting up early or stay up late or squeeze a little time here and there during the day. It should be a daily practice.
The Creative Life starts with the intention to do it, followed by the plan to do it, followed by the commitment to follow the plan and then through to the regular practice of putting the plan into action.
Establish a long-range intention of where you want to see yourself in terms of pursuing your creative work a year from now, in 5 years, in a decade. You are an artist, use your imagination. See yourself in your future studio, doing your future work. Then start shaping your environment and conditions little by little until you regularly find yourself working toward that imagined studio.
Every artist needs to build a fortress around their creative life. If you do not, life will crash in around you and pull you in this or that direction. All of the sudden you will look up and years have passed. If you are an artist, you don’t want that to happen. So, start now. Time is a sharp sword.
Pencil you as the artist into your schedule. Carve out as many appointments for your artist self as your life circumstances can handle. You will have to sacrifice other things. Everyone sacrifices one thing to do another thing. How many things do you do every day that you are not forced to do that could become creative time? Exchange those activities to more studio time.
Studio time does not have to be a form of work. It can be a form of play, something that refreshes and recharges you. This is the best way to think about it, a haven of private play and recreation. Some artists feel guilty about taking personal time for themselves. It feels like a luxury, and it is. There is nothing to feel guilty about. Every human deserves personal playtime, personal recreation, and has the need to recharge and reset. It makes you better at taking care of all your other obligations.
It is easy for people to become frantic if they have a busy life full of obligations and everyone has a busy life. It is a good idea to take the time to slow down, calm down, relax yourself and unwind a bit. Making art is therapeutic in that way. So, there is a great excuse for why you should be in the studio on a regular basis. It is good for you, and good for everyone around you.
My secret plan is to eventually make the posts in the Touchonian a book about the Creative Lifestyle for Artists. You, my favorite readers, are privy to the book in it’s formation. I would really appreciate your help by making comments, asking questions and suggesting topics I should explore and write about. It is hard for me to dream up what artists need and want to know to keep going and keep creating. I have fifty years of figuring out all of the details I needed to keep going and become self-sustaining as an artist and want to share enough insight to smooth the path for others facing this complicated, daunting task of being a self-sustaining artist. I know from experience it can feel overwhelming, unreachable and even depressing. So feel free to say or ask something! Thanks in advance.