Best Practices On Labor Day 2023
Not going to lie, I have spent too much time preparing this blog post and the title (I still don’t like it), and the idea. Well, preparing the content wasn’t really something I planned as much as one might expect. I mean, I often grab my laptop, find a seat outside, and just start typing and hopefully something of value falls out of head. Today though, I wanted to write a little about it being Labor Day, but I also wanted to write something you’d find valuable.
At first, the idea was to write about the history of Labor Day, why we celebrate it, etc etc etc. But, my idea was quickly crushed when I asked the question I always ask myself before writing something for the blog; “is this useful to artists?”. And quite frankly, I didn’t think a history lesson about how labor unions worked to define a work day as 8 hours was something any of you cared about. After all, most creative people I know work on holidays and weekends. You also laugh at the 8 hour day knowing that one studio session might last well over 10 hours before you realize you didn’t eat yet.
Now, I’m not going to debate the importance of having rules between employers and employees. I think the idea of an 8-hour-workday, a 40-hour-week, etc makes sense. Honestly though, I’d rather 32 hours a week be full time rather than 40 but that’s just me. But, for most of us artists, we are the employer and the employee and that’s how the rest of this post is going to go.
If you feel overworked, and you are not taking breaks, this blog post is for you. Allow yourself to enjoy your own Labor Day. It doesn’t have to be the first Monday of September - but you deserve to take a break from your work. I have a few tips I want to share and I’ll follow up with a few thoughts on creating a standard of ‘Best Practices’ for your studio.
Here are three tips to help artists maintain a healthy studio practice - Being mindful of over-working and knowing that even you deserve to have boundaries when it comes to work hours:
Establish a Consistent Schedule:
Create a structured daily or weekly schedule for your studio work. Consistency can help you avoid the temptation to overwork or procrastinate. I would avoid working more than 8 hours if possible, give yourself a standard and stick to it.
Set specific start and end times for your studio sessions, just like you would for a regular job. This will help you maintain work-life boundaries.
2. Prioritize Yourself:
Recognize the importance of taking care of yourself in your creative process. Make time for activities that rejuvenate your mind and body, such as exercise, meditation, or spending time in nature. Not going to sugar coat this, I fail at this terribly. When you are out of shape, It is hard to stand at an easel all day, pack art in and out of gallery, and stay focused.
Take regular breaks during your studio sessions. Short breaks can help you refresh your mind and prevent burnout. Use techniques like the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break) to structure your studio time.
Or, you may want to consider 90-minute blocks of time in your studio as “work Blocks”. These are blocks of time you want to concentrate on one task. Add a 15 minute break between 90-minute blocks and your day will be easily scheduled. (This is what I do)
3. Avoid Perfectionism and Set Realistic Goals:
Understand that perfectionism can lead to overworking and burnout. Instead of aiming for perfection, focus on progress and learning from your mistakes.
Break down your artistic projects into smaller, manageable goals. This makes your work more achievable and less overwhelming. Celebrate your accomplishments along the way to stay motivated.
Remember that maintaining a healthy balance between your creative pursuits and your health and well-being is crucial for long-term artistic success. Finding what works best for you may require some experimentation, but prioritizing your physical and mental health is always a wise choice.
But what about Best Practices?
If you create a folder in your online files, notes, or however you save information (I like Tiago Forte’s - Second Brain strategy), make it, “Best Practices”. In the folder of notes/documents, have rules for your schedule. Create methods for working smarter rather than harder.
As an example, I decided to write all of my blog posts in Apple Pages. This way, I can save “notes to self”, or any important information, within the document that pertains to the topic I am writing about. I put the Apple Pages document into a folder within my iCloud service so that I can write bits of the post from any of my Apple devices.
Once the post is completed, I can then copy and paste the finished format into the web app I am using for the blog. This also allows me to keep a good file saved incase anything should happen to the website I share the blog posts on.
Consider these areas when you are creating ‘Best Practices’ for yourself and your art business:
Documenting Your Art - I cannot stress this enough, keep a record of your art and don’t consider any artwork complete until proper documentation is done. Size, medium, title, a photo, and availability are essential but you might include sales and display history as well.
Studio Time - How do you work, when do you work, etc. Just set your standard for how you want to make your studio time efficient.
Product & Pricing - Know your pricing and know your product. Where do get supplies? How much does it cost to make the art? You get the idea, have a standard set for this and you’ll never have trouble setting a price.
There is so much I could do to add to this already long blog post. The main point I hope to share is this:
Know your business, setup best practices and standards for how you make art and operate as an artist as if you are a business. Then, by thinking about your business, know that you are the employer and the employee - set standards and have best practices in place to avoid burn out and provide yourself with a working environment that is profitable, efficient, and fun to create. Take a break once in a while!
Enjoy the rest of Labor Day, don’t work too hard!
