Work day
I tend to avoid a routine, mostly because it kills my desire to do a thing when it’s at the same Bat Time on the same Bat Channel, day after day. In fact, that’s one of the things I love about working for myself: I can work on whatever I want whenever it feels right. It keeps me fresh and always excited about whatever it is that I’m doing.
That said, I do have a secret routine that acts as a regular rut-breaker and to-do-list-taker. Once a week or so, I have what I call a “work day.” On that day, I force myself to stay away from my paints and focus on the chores of being a freelancer, things like:
- keeping up with accounting
- working on applications for opportunities
- writing or making videos for my blog
- responding to emails or comments
- sorting process images of my work
- housekeeping of the business variety and of the other kind too
The work day earned its title because I don’t always enjoy these tasks. They can feel like work, unlike painting which usually feels like play. But when I save the chores up until there’s a whole pile to take care of at one time, it helps me to see them as mini-vacation for my hands, my eyes, and sometimes even my brain. It actually makes me enjoy even the tasks that aren’t much fun by making me feel productive, responsible, and together!
While I tend to drag my feet about taking work days, I’m always glad I did it as soon as it’s over. I return to my studio with a renewed appreciation for painting and a little bit of distance from my compositions—just enough to have a better sense of what’s really going on in my work.
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CATÉGORIES: - Business of art -
