Is ART a necessary component for a healthy society?

Just something to think about.

When you’re a freelancer making money is always on your mind so freelancers have a hard time saying “no” to jobs that come your way.  I’m guilty of this as well.  Now I know when the panic of bills and the void of having no job lined up starts to seep in, the urge to take everything that comes your way can make you feel like an addict jonesin’ for a hit.

Unfortunately, the habit of saying “yes” to every job that comes your way can…

• create burnout - this can derail your entire career if you’re not careful.
• lower the quality of your work – it’s easier to say “no” than to fix a damaged reputation.
• creates even more panic than not having the work in the first place – letting down a client, not hitting a deadline can create panic and depression which in turn lowers the quality of your work.
• creates unhealthy stress - as freelancers we have plenty of stress already, don’t add more.
• make you really hate being a freelance artist

One of the reasons many people become freelance is in order to free up time and to work on our own schedule.  If you take on too much you totally wipe out these benefits.  When you’re able to quiet the panic a little, you can really judge the work that is being offered to you.  This allows you to…

• do your best quality work for each and every client – this will create more work by word of mouth.
• pick and choose which clients you want to work for – it’s great to have a list of people you enjoy working for.  It makes the work much more pleasurable.
• generate an amazing amount of self confidence – by saying “no”, you’re telling the client that you are a discerning artist and that you’re in demand.
• schedule time for other things in your life – like family, friends, and fun, all of which are healthy stress relievers.

Saying “no” to work seems counterintuitive.  So look at it as selectively saying “yes”.  By not allowing yourself to be steamrolled by work you will be a happier and healthier freelancer.

Just spent the day in the company of several children’s book illustrators and was blown away by all the wonderful work.  There was a variety of styles and skill level but everyone walked away with some little tidbit that will hopefully inspire or help them along as they grow their career.  I know I did.  Thanks to ARTbeats and SCBWI, small groups of artists have these great conferences out there to attend, allowing them to keep in touch with what is going on with the industry these days.  It’s also a great place to meet other artists.

I feel that one of the most important things for an artist to do is to keep on learning.  It could be learning something directly related to your chosen art. I just finished learning a new graphics program. Or something from a completely new field of study, learning adds to your toolbox.  It also has a few other benefits as well…

• It gives you access to a new source of inspiration
• It may uncover a hidden talent
• It may uncover a new interest
• It give you a new point of view of the world around you
• It often creates new excitement, especially if you’ve hit a block in your art.
• Learning keeps your mind young.  

Go out and find something you’re interested in. Like being an artist, learning is a life long activity.

As artists it’s great to be able to make things out of thin air (or close to it) quickly.  But as I’m learning certain arts require patience.  That instant gratification thing just isn’t available. This isn’t specific to the arts either.  Whether you’re starting a new business, trying to lose weight, or learning a new skill, patience is the one of the most important tools to have.  So how do you keep from losing your mind as you work toward the end result?  

Focus on what your are working toward.

Pay attention to the task at hand.  The one step at a time method

Don’t multi-task.  You’ll get more frustrated and may forget some things that are needed for the end result to actually occur. Feel free to break up the work into small sessions though, this often works great.

Have faith.  Believe in what you’re doing. This is incredibly hard to do especially when you’ve been working on something for a long time, but each time you sit down to work remind yourself why you’re doing it and tell yourself it will get done.

Share the frustration, panic, desperation with friends.  It’s good to air things out, just don’t over do it at the expense of getting the work done.

Take a break.  If you’re like me, you think the more you work the more work will get done.  This isn’t always the case.  Sometimes stepping away helps refill your mental tank and allows you to work better when you get back to it.

And finally, be patient, good things take time and in the end you’ll actually appreciate it more for the time you spent.

One of the most important skills any artist has is focus.  But with life, family, the economy, jobs, focus can easily be split.  Even when you’ve set aside time to devote to your art it is imperative that you focus during that time, something  I often have a hard doing.  So here are a few things that help me focus better and therefore allow me to create more and create better.

• Turn off the TV.
• Lock yourself away from everyone.
• Put a Do Not Disturb sign on the door so the family knows not to come knocking.
• Set a timer.  This will keep you from constantly checking the time or worrying you’ll be late for whatever is next in your day.
• Have a drink or snacks ready at hand so you don’t have to keep getting up.
• Put the cell phone on vibrate then stick it under a pillow.  People will leave a message.  Better yet, let people know that you will be unavailable during your creative time.
• Have a plan.  The night before decide what you are going to do during this time, even if it’s to just play around.
• Make sure you have all the supplies you’ll need.
• Make sure you have any reference you will want to use.  Print it out or collect it and keep in a specific place in your work space. I like to keep files of images and a box with little things that spark my imagination.  I keep both in my studio and add to them constantly.  I also have files on my computer for the same purpose.
• This one is important…Give yourself permission to not worry about anything during the time you have set aside. Small worries are some of the most distracting things in the world, not to mention the larger ones which can fill your head leaving no room for your art.  

So live in the moment, focus, and enjoy the time you’ve set aside to create.