Balancing Art Studio Time with Life or a ‘Real Job’
Category : Arts
As a fellow artist, I personally know it can be a challenge finding the right balance between your studio time and other aspects of life. Whether you have a full-time job, a busy social life, or simply need time for yourself, it can be difficult to make room for your artistic pursuits, or simply to get pieces finished. I know this from personal experience as I’ve two other businesses, besides of that of my art business – and yes, I do have a life. 😊 In this blog, I’m going to share some tips and strategies to help you effectively balance your studio time with the rest of your life.
Sometimes art can just be ‘for the fun of it’. Enjoyable, no pressures or deadlines and purely about living in the moment and delighting in the experience.
Often those who are artists are quite happy with their own company and that’s perfectly fine. We have our art, our own company and our creations … but sometimes we need more. However, for some, we can feel a little lonely or isolated and there are definitely benefits to hanging out with other artists.
As I sold another piece of art this week, I was reminded of the extra things that we should be doing when we are selling a piece of art or a painting. Thought I’d share my list with you.
In writing, we call it ‘writer’s block’ and the same thing can happen for an artist. You’re just not feeling inspired to work or create. Sometimes it’s a lack of ‘what next’ once you finish a project. There are many ways to get inspiration.
In anything where there is creativity involved, we can sometimes feel stressed or forced to ‘produce’. This can be painting, writing, even producing results at work where there is a creative aspect to your job, such as in advertising or marketing. I may not have all the answers, but I’ve got a few ideas for you which I have personally found very effective and have worked well for me in a few areas.
In these troubling times, we are all experiencing some degree of stress (and we want to relieve stress). I know some business owners (accountants) who are super flat out and stressed from overwork. Others have little work OR little income and are feeling that stress.
Many artists, particularly members of the Redlands Creative Alliance Inc (RCAI) group, participate in a number of exhibits and shows each year. An annual and major event upcoming is at the Redlands Performing Arts Centre (RPAC). This exhibit always has a large number of artistic exhibitors, a grand opening evening and all art pieces are available to purchase. There will be both 2D and 3D artworks on show.
As we lead up to Christmas with a few weeks to go, the big question (well, there are a few) is “What do I get so-and-so for Christmas?” It’s always a hard one to find gifts for people, so thought I’d put my thinking cap on for you. Yes, you can go with the usual gift card or voucher, but that’s quite impersonal, you may as well pop some money in an envelope.