This is my second post in my series about how to manage the schedule of a creative business. If you missed my first post, read it!
There has been a lot of interest lately in the daily ritual of artists and writers. I think it is a bit of a mystery how creative types manage to discipline themselves enough day after day to actually get their work done, while also indulging their creative whims that help fuel the work they do. And making your way in the world as an artist, which means doing your own thing on your own terms, takes lots of discipline and self-control.
All of us want to be in the studio, but many of us have a hard time getting in there consistently and as I pointed out in my last post, consistency is key to running a successful creative business. So many things to do to prepare ourselves properly before we step into our creative space, so many cute cat pics to look at first. The way to address this problem is with a daily ritual that will help you transition into your studio smoothly and without fuss, day after day.
I developed my daily ritual by making a detailed list of everything my most ideal self would do every day to make a perfect morning. It's true that things don't always go as planned and there are interruptions that throw my day off. But for the most part, my daily rituals sees to all of my needs and protects me from the chaos of my own mind. I would love to hear from you about your daily ritual, or struggles you have while trying to establish one.
My next post in this series will cover more of the nitty-gritty on how I divide my time up between all my tasks, how I streamline things, and how I keep a lid on the chaos.
There has been a lot of interest lately in the daily ritual of artists and writers. I think it is a bit of a mystery how creative types manage to discipline themselves enough day after day to actually get their work done, while also indulging their creative whims that help fuel the work they do. And making your way in the world as an artist, which means doing your own thing on your own terms, takes lots of discipline and self-control.
All of us want to be in the studio, but many of us have a hard time getting in there consistently and as I pointed out in my last post, consistency is key to running a successful creative business. So many things to do to prepare ourselves properly before we step into our creative space, so many cute cat pics to look at first. The way to address this problem is with a daily ritual that will help you transition into your studio smoothly and without fuss, day after day.
The reason for the daily ritual is three fold:
The daily ritual is all about transition-- transition from the your regular life to your creative life in the studio. You start developing your daily ritual by looking at what time of day and from what place you transition to your studio. For me, I'm transitioning from my home in the morning to my studio to work all day. So my daily ritual encompasses an everyday morning routine-- personal hygiene, exercise, meditation, breakfast, computer time, etc. I include all of these things in my daily ritual because once I'm in my studio, I don't want to be distracted by anything such as needing to get exercise, racing thoughts, anxiety about responding to a customer, or feeling hungry. I've dealt with all of that stuff already and I don't have to think about it anymore.
If you are transitioning from a day job to your studio later in the day, you will have to take different factors into consideration. Or if you have a family to mange, even more components to evaluate. The only thing that matters is that you are taking a regular, repetitive action daily
that brings you comfort while addressing the things that may distract you once you are in the studio, so you can walk into the studio ready to focus. It must be something that you can look forward to so you don't mind doing it day after day. If your life is very chaotic with a lot of elements you can't always control, your daily ritual can be as simple as a cup of tea before doing your work. Or it can be very elaborate like mine, covering all of your basic needs.
- One, it sets a daily pattern that alerts your brain to the fact that we are going to do some familiar and routine things, and then we are going to the studio. You're brain doesn't have as much of a chance to dream up exciting capers and out-of-studio adventures because you've given it notice that we are not doing that today, we're going to the studio and focusing on work.
- Two, a daily routine eliminates the need to make decisions about petty things and uses that brain power for more important things. It may seem silly, but it's well documented that humans only have the capacity to make so many good decisions in a day, and you don't want to use them up on mundane things, like what to eat for breakfast.
- Three, the daily ritual is a weapon against procrastination. You're set with a routine that meets your needs, and over time it becomes a well-worn path that is easier and easier to follow. It's not difficult to dismiss the procrastinating actions that your brain tries to throw in your path because your ritual becomes more comfortable to execute than doing something else that you know is going to delay your entry into the studio.
The daily ritual is all about transition-- transition from the your regular life to your creative life in the studio. You start developing your daily ritual by looking at what time of day and from what place you transition to your studio. For me, I'm transitioning from my home in the morning to my studio to work all day. So my daily ritual encompasses an everyday morning routine-- personal hygiene, exercise, meditation, breakfast, computer time, etc. I include all of these things in my daily ritual because once I'm in my studio, I don't want to be distracted by anything such as needing to get exercise, racing thoughts, anxiety about responding to a customer, or feeling hungry. I've dealt with all of that stuff already and I don't have to think about it anymore.
If you are transitioning from a day job to your studio later in the day, you will have to take different factors into consideration. Or if you have a family to mange, even more components to evaluate. The only thing that matters is that you are taking a regular, repetitive action daily
that brings you comfort while addressing the things that may distract you once you are in the studio, so you can walk into the studio ready to focus. It must be something that you can look forward to so you don't mind doing it day after day. If your life is very chaotic with a lot of elements you can't always control, your daily ritual can be as simple as a cup of tea before doing your work. Or it can be very elaborate like mine, covering all of your basic needs.
My next post in this series will cover more of the nitty-gritty on how I divide my time up between all my tasks, how I streamline things, and how I keep a lid on the chaos.
Hi Whitney,
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and am always excited when a new post from you shows up in my blog reader.
I definitely have a daily (weekday) ritual and am rigid about keeping to it. Wake up with the sun or earlier, go for a four mile run, shower and dress, eat a small balanced breakfast while checking email/reading news sites online, then get into the studio by 9am at the latest. Then I work in my studio for 3 hours, and eat lunch at noon. (If I start early in the studio, I read something related to my art-making until noon.) I read blogs while I eat lunch (which is what I'm doing now), then get back to the studio by 12:30 or 1pm at the latest and work for three more hours. Some day I'd like to figure out how to sneak an extra hour or two of studio time in, but for the time being, this is what I can manage, self-discipline-wise, without exhausting myself on a forced march.
I am also very rigid about my weekday ritual.
DeleteYours is very similar to mine. I work in two sets of 3-4 hour chunks also. I think 3 hours is ideal, as long as I can work without interruption. I get a little spun out if I work for longer than 4 hours at a time. When I was first starting out, I'd go for as long and as hard as I could. Yes, I got a lot done but I was also often irritated and prone to a lot of anxiety. I think 6 hours in the studio every day is realistic and balanced. People who work 8 hour days are usually goofing off for at least 2 of those hours!
I used to set my time in the studio around when my favourite radio programs were on CBC because a radio was my only device in my studio. I would hurrry thru lunch to get back to the studio for 1 pm so I didn't miss anything. Then I discovered that wifi from my house would reach the studio and I started listening to podcasts on my phone....not sure if that is helping my productivity or not....
ReplyDeletePodcasts are definitely catnip for the studio potter, and can be really distracting. If I'm doing some mindless work that requires podcasts in my ears, I use an app to download a bunch and then put them on a playlist so I don't have to fiddle with my device, which will inevitably lead to checking my email or instagram, posting something, blah blah blah...
DeleteI have a routine more or less. Well, I feel like it's sort of off the rails right now. I'd like to get back to some normalcy. It's so easy for me to do it on paper, write down the times I'll do this or that. But then I sleep later or have to go to the grocery store b/c we don't have X for dinner. Etc. And it doesn't help that I beat myself up about it when I get off track. Grrrr. I always do end up getting my studio work done. The parts that suffer are my other life, play, relaxation, exercise.
ReplyDeleteIf beating yourself up worked, I would run this planet. I think a routine also has to bend for those times when things are "off track", like sleeping late, etc. There are days when I have my "skeleton routine"-- I pick out the most important parts and ditch the rest. It gives me a sense of place in my day while also recognizing the reality that I have other things to do that day. I also have larger routines for the rest of my life that cover grocery shopping, house cleaning, etc, so maybe think about those things that interrupt your flow during your work week and try to think of ways to address them systematically. I know that not everyone loves to have systems for everything, but if you are not getting enough downtime for yourself, then your work is suffering whether you recognize it or not.
DeleteI have been doing ceramics while working a day job, which definitely makes for a cramped routine! I usually get home by 6:30, change out of my corporate clothes, have dinner, and I'm in the studio no later than 7:30. I can only manage 3-4 hours, but it's focused time because I spend a bit of my day making to-do lists on post-it notes that covers what I need to do for the next three days. Weekends are more unstructured because I feel like I have loads of time and I end up not managing it well. However! I am quitting my corporate day job and going to do ceramics full time, and part of that decision was acknowledging that I am forming bad work habits. I want to make work for a good long time yet, and I know that I need more time to take care of my health and for downtime to make it happen. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and routines; I'm looking forward to making a better one for myself!
ReplyDeleteYes, you have a pattern going I am all to familiar with, the workaholic! If you are having a hard time managing weekends I think it may be because your body is tired and you need a break. I would suggest taking the weekends off, or at least only working for part of one day and taking a day off during the week. One thing you don't want to do to yourself is get so dependent on the studio that doing anything else, like just hanging out, is uncomfortable. Good luck!
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