How artists can manage time effectively with this actionable strategy (v2)
Use this calendar framework and take control of your art production
How many times have you said I would love to make a painting about (A) if I could ever get enough time to do it, or I would love to paint (B), but I don’t have the materials or the space? I can’t even finish (C) because I’m so busy with my kids and work obligations.
At this rate, you probably never will, and it isn’t because you don’t have the time. It’s because you don’t know how to manage your time effectively.
“Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing, and that includes not managing your time effectively.”
What’s the risk of not managing your time effectively as an artist? At worst, you end up with creative block, trivial artwork, a disjointed series, and no effective path to sell or show your art.
At best, you make it into the studio every day, and you accomplish great artwork, but you still feel like things are falling through the cracks. You waste time making lists and trying to maintain focus, trying to rediscover inspiration that’s already expired. We all know that inspiration is fleeting, and artists need to strike while the iron is hot. How do we maintain our vision in a world that pulls us in so many directions?
I’m here to tell you exactly how, and the solution is not only simple but profound. In one quarter (3 months), you can deepen your art production more than ever before. It happened for me, and it can happen for you. Long story short, you make a plan once every three months and follow that plan using a free tool that you likely use already.
I’ve been a painter for 20 years, and I’m writing to you, dear reader, from a painter’s perspective, though this Framework will work for any artist.
Up until a year ago, my most cohesive bodies of work came before I had kids when I could lock myself in my studio for weeks at a time and paint. I was immersed in art, so I never questioned my habits around art production.
Enter life, a marriage, two babies, and a desire to see the world.
At this point, my art production goal was just to carve out some chunks of studio time, and when I got to the studio, I would paint.
It sounds simple enough, but I noticed my completed paintings were disjointed. They did not add up to a series with any significance, and I started to see how my materials became the determining factor in my art production. Paint was leading me; I was not leading paint, and the work suffered for it.
Over time, I completely lost sight of my purpose in painting. I felt compelled to use the materials, but I became complacent about not going deep into my ideas, and my art became generic, at least in my eyes.
It wasn’t until I worked with a coach who made it clear I not only needed to decide to have regularly occurring studio time, I needed to decide what to do during that studio time in advance. I needed to create a plan and stick to it.
She taught me to structure my time in a way that forever changed my art.
After all, we have the same 24 hours as everyone else, the same as Yayoi Kusama, Ana Valdez, Hebru Brantley, and every other great artist of all time. If I’m not producing meaningful work, I’m not using my time effectively.
When I began using the Calendar Framework I’m about to share, I took control of my studio time and created art that was fun to make and meaningful to me and my community at large. I was able to go deeper than ever before.
Now, not only am I making work that’s meaningful, but I’m experimenting with techniques I’ve always wanted to try; my resource images are organized, my studio is clean, I feel relaxed, and I have a work-life balance. The reason is that I planned it out that way, and you can too.
In the Calendar Framework, progress happens in 2-week sprints. In this article, I will teach you how to carve out these sprints and take your art production to the next level.
Sprinting Toward Progress
Calendaring your art production is a driving force in accomplishing your goals. It will make your creative work more efficient because you can batch your tasks.
Also, your studio time will be protected time. As you build out your calendar, you will experience the relaxation of knowing that art time is accounted for, as well as the tasks within it.
The best part is that you will achieve goals much larger than before as long as you stick to the plan. Consistency compounds the interest of your time, amplifying the outcomes.
The Calendar Framework
Each section has the potential to go even deeper, but this will get you started.
First, begin thinking about time in quarters, not seasons. This keeps time from seeming so abstract. Your time exists in a number of days, unlike basing time on whether it's snowing versus sunny out. It's not very romantic, but hear me out. Thinking of time in quarters will transform your art production.
1st Quarter: January, February, March
2nd Quarter: April, May, June
3rd Quarter: July, August, September
4th Quarter: October, November, December
Set a Clear Goal
The first step is to figure out what you want to accomplish with your art production by the end of a quarter. Write it out as if it’s already happened.
Example: “I completed a six painting series about [________],” “I built a portfolio website with my art and started a newsletter.”
Stating your goal this way convinces your mind that it's a definite reality.
Work Backward to Determine Tasks
Figure out all the things you need to do to reach your quarter goal. Potential tasks include:
Learn to _____.
Define a series
gesso/hardware
Dye canvas
Photograph artwork
Varnish
Contact local publications
Find an event space (to show)
Underpainting
Build frames
Source materials
Do not include tasks you always do anyway. If you sketch every day, there’s no need to clutter your calendar with that information.
Chart Your Course
Draw a chart with six sections, with three on top and three on bottom. Label the top row with the three months of the quarter. Each column symbolizes the first and second half of the month, your sprint for that month. Block out any sprints where you won’t work on your artwork and write your tasks into the rest of the chart. You can include any number of tasks per sprint.
Digitize Your Plan
Open Google Calendar and enter the tasks from your chart into your calendar. Make each task an All Day task for the entire half-month. (If you’re savvy, create a new calendar with its own color for your sprint goals so they stand out.)
Also, if you want to track your quarterly output, Let’s say you want nine total paintings by the end of the quarter, 3 per month; write it as “0/3 paintings completed during [insert month]” and adjust the number as you complete paintings in your calendar.
We are not scheduling our days or over-committing ourselves. The sprints are meant to lead us toward our goals, not give us more busy work.
Commit
Commit to your plan. Commit to showing up. If you have a sprint goal on your Google Calendar, do it no matter what. Every day, with a sprint goal displayed across the top of your schedule, either work on it or block out a specific chunk of time within the sprint to get it done. If you finish a sprint, delete it. These sprints build. Commit to the sprints and commit to yourself.
Rinse. Repeat.
Add a calendar date or 2-week sprint to “Calendar Next Quarter” at the end of the quarter.
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
Why Use this Calendar Framework?
You’ve Got a Plan!
Ultimately, what you end up with is a comprehensive day-to-day calendar that tells you exactly what you need to work on to achieve your goals. It isn’t rigid; it’s directive, and because you log your sprints as all-day events, they will prominently appear at the top of your daily schedule, letting you know what needs to happen. Follow the calendar and follow your dreams.
Protected Time Inside the Studio
Yes, protect your studio time, but also protect your time once you’re in the studio. Don’t just pick up a brush. Look at your calendar and discover the next step on your path to your best artwork. Scroll ahead in your calendar and find reassurance in the steps for your art production laid out in front of you.
“Complexity is the enemy of execution ”
Efficiency
It is faster to batch your tasks- your tools are out, your brain is primed. If you know you want to make eight paintings by the end of the quarter, build them all at once, gesso all at once, and install hardware all at once. If you intend to purchase prefab canvases, purchase all at once, and you will likely get a discount.
Efficiency also adds variety to your days. You take on big projects of gessoing. You take on big projects of installing hardware. You do not feel like you’re tinkering - You’re making moves, and this builds confidence.
Reach Your Goals, Deepen Your Practice
Ultimately, our goal isn't mere productivity or increased output; it's about channeling productivity in a way that goes deeper into our art. As we dig into our goals, we can truly see what’s possible in our art. This Calendar Framework will prevent your materials from stealing the show. Anyone can walk into a studio and paint. Only you can paint your vision.
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”
Right now, set aside some time to figure out what you want your art production to look like. Where do you want to be three months from now? Write it down and then follow this framework. In the words of the sundial, “Use the hour; it will not come again.”
Leave a comment if the Calendar Framework works for you. I’d love to hear your feedback. My hope is that you go deeper into your art production than ever before with this powerful planning tool.
