Time Management for Artists | Alexandra Novik-Khamis

“There is never enough time!” “I worked all day and got nothing done!” “Why does my to-do list never get any smaller?” We’ve all said something similar in our work life and home life. But what separates those who can manage time and those who can’t is not some innate, superhuman ability (though it can feel that way). It’s just good time management.

Get to know your own timing.

Spend 1 week recording your time on every task you do, as close to minute by minute as you can.

At the end of the week, take a look at what you did and how long each type of task is taking you. This will help you get an idea of how you are spending your time, which tasks are producing productive results, and also which tasks are wasting your time. If nothing seems inefficient, start over. There’s always room for improvement.

With this new insight, you can start to better understand the difference between your “clock time” and your “real time.” Time on the clock and time in your day are two very different ideas. Most time management tools and techniques only organize “clock time,” ideal hours in a day.

``Time is the single most important resource that we have. 

Every single minute we lose is never coming back.´´

-Tarun Sharma

It’s so incredibly important to be smart about how we're using our time! Whether you're someone still working a "normal" full-time job and dreaming of becoming an artist, someone working part-time building up the platform (and courage) to finally take the leap, or even if you're already making a living from your art. It's essential for all of us to think about our specific goals, so that we can plan and put our strategies to use. 

Effective time-management is an invaluable skill that will allow us consistent progress and, today, I'll be sharing the philosophies and specific methods I live by to stay productive and moving the needle forward every-single-day. By applying these tips and techniques, you'll be able to go to sleep each night knowing that you've made progress towards becoming the person you want to be. 

10 Tips to Master the Art of Time Management

Define your personal, professional and interpersonal goals

“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” 

–Yogi Berra

I like to set general yearly goals that I then break up into monthly goals. I then use these monthly goals to plan out my objectives week by week. By having a weekly objective, it's easier to know what you should be working on any given day. 

Think of where you want to be twelve months from now in ALL key areas of life. It's helpful to think about what daily habits you have now that require changing, as well as what things you must prioritize from now on in order to make those goals happen. 

It's ESSENTIAL that you set goals for all of the following areas:

a) Personal level: 

What changes can you make to be healthier mentally and physically in a year from now?

b) Professional level: 

What skills do you feel you should improve to become more successful? Think of both cold AND soft skills.

c) Interpersonal level: 

Who are those people you value most in life and what actions do you have to take daily/weekly to ensure that those relationships are kept strong and healthy? And, on that note, what people are not adding anything positive to your life?

Though we are talking about being productive artistically, I ASSURE you, that all of these life aspects are equally important and bleed into each other. If you neglect your health and family, your work will undoubtably suffer as well.

It's important that the goals you set for yourself are measurable, attainable and realistic depending on your current life situation. 

Once you've decided where you want to be in a year, it's time to break up goals into smaller, sequential chunks! Think about what specific things have to happen month-to-month so that you can reach that end goal twelve months from now.

Schedule your weeks using time-blocking

“Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once,

whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.” 

–Napoleon Hill

Time-blocking is a scheduling method in which you break up your day into...well... blocks of time. Within each block, similar tasks are grouped together so that you can focus on that specific type of activity in that specific period of the day. For time-blocking to happen effectively, it's important to know yourself and what times throughout the day would work for YOU in order to best fulfill THAT particular kind of activity. 

As artists, it's important to experiment until we have a good idea of when we're most creatively productive throughout the day. Once we figure this out, we can plan the rest of our daily activities around these times. Leave the tasks you can do on autopilot (like clearing your inbox or organizing your studio) for moments of the day in which you find it difficult to focus or are generally mentally exhausted.

Though the time-blocking method DOES require you to spend time doing initial thinking/planning, once you have your schedule set, it's all a matter of sticking to it and being as consistent as possible. By investing some time in this initial planning phase, you'll end up wasting A LOT less time in the long run!

So, make it happen! Take the goals you have set for each month, think of what you have to achieve by the end of each week to reach those goals, and break your days up into specific tasks. 

Set your weekly schedule and do your very best to stick to it for, at least, a month. 

All this said, keep in mind that life is unpredictable. Though planning IS super important, things will pop up that you haven't accounted for and we constantly have to deal with situations that are simply beyond our control.

Stay calm! Just remain flexible, be kind to yourself, and keep moving forward. 

Here's an example of how my ideal weekly schedule looks like currently. 

Improve your time management strategies every now and then

“Practice without improvement is meaningless." 

-Chuck Knox

As working artists, we generally have to keep up with several different ways of making an income. As opposed to having only one "main" job, we have several smaller jobs that can fluctuate from month to month. It's impossible to know when a new event, commission or opportunity for collaboration will pop up, amongst many other items that may require more attention one month than the next. 

Nonetheless, it's important to assess our strategies every now and then in order to pinpoint any improvements we can make. I usually like doing this at the end of each month, especially now that my business is growing and more responsibilities/opportunities are popping up. It's imperative to create at least some level of routine to stay sane and healthy! We must avoid burnout at all costs.

I recommend doing a general weekly schedule assessment every month to two months, so you can create any changes and improve your productivity even more. Think about tasks that would perhaps work better in different time blocks, or maybe activities that need longer blocks than initially planned. I know I personally tend to underestimate the amount of time I need to complete certain tasks, especially when it comes to creating art and planning new projects!

Identify personal time-wasters and cut down on distractions

In this world of constant distraction, it's imperative to think about whether those activities that take up so much of our time are actually helping us move closer to our goals or not. Don't get me wrong, it's very important to have time for fun and relaxation, and I think these times should be scheduled in as well so that we MAKE SURE we're enjoying our lives to the max!

However, we should be honest with ourselves! If you find you're wasting hours on end stalking people on social media, constantly engaging in negative small-talk with others, or spending valuable time on activities that bring nothing positive to your life, cut them out! 

I'm personally completely unapologetic about cutting activities and even negative people out of my life at this point. I'd much rather be resting in order to be as productive as possible the following day, instead of staying up late and partying constantly. If you find this too hard, at least avoid doing these things at all costs during times that you should be productive. And also protect the time you should be resting because this will affect your productivity levels the following day!

Learn to say NO

Remember, time is a finite resource and every single minute that goes by is a minute you will not get back. Life is short and we have to make sure we're spending our valuable time doing activities that will get us closer to our goals and overall happiness. 

Set your non-negotiables from the start and account for that time EVERY day/week. For me, non-negotiables include time to work out, enjoy home cooked meals, and to get decent rest every-single-day. I also like having time to spend with my husband at the end of each work day. If an "urgent" project pops up from out of nowhere, it has to REALLY be something that will get me closer to my goals in order for me to take it. I rarely say yes to projects brought up by people that give me the impression of not respecting my time. I respect other peoples' time immensely, and expect them to do the same for me. 

Similarly, I avoid saying 'yes' to every single social gathering I'm invited to. Needs for social time vary from person to person, and as an introvert, I know that I have a limit. Though it's important to have social time, I also need to rest and take care of myself. Any true friend will understand and respect that. 

Make time for organization

“For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned." 

-Benjamin Franklin

A lot of time is wasted when we have to look for things. By keeping your work area, supplies and artwork organized you'll not only be able to find whatever you need faster, but you'll also avoid lost/damaged work, accidents and a lot of anxiety. At the end of each workday, I like to spend a few minutes organizing my studio/office so that the next morning I am inspired to start right away. 

As artists, our computers, phones and other devices collect a lot of reference image files, scanned artwork, etc. I recommend keeping these digital files organized and labelled appropriately. Create back-ups every now and then! 

Being organized is especially important because, being self-employed, you will have to stay on top of client projects, inventory, and accounting! Set systems in place for each of these that will allow you to waste less time doing admin work and more time actually creating.

Take A Rest

This may seem counter-intuitive, but taking a break will result in more efficient use of your time after the break. When we try to work hours on end without stopping, we have a diminishing effect over time. The result is, we become more tired and the work gets less good.

Stop and take periodic breaks. Meditate. Rest. Go for a walk. Get enough sleep. Not only will you be healthier and happier, you will also make the most of the time that you do spend working.

Remember…If You Can Take Time… Then You Can Make Time 

All it takes to get more time out of your day is a modest investment up front. This time can be used to plan, to develop better mindsets, or to rest.

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Here are some questions to reflect on:

• Do you feel like you have enough time for the creative work you want to do

• Do you feel frustrated that you don’t get more art done?

• Do you look back on the previous week and feel disappointed with your efforts?

• Do you beat yourself up when you don’t make a personal deadline, or leave work unfinished?

• Would you be willing to spend a little time planning or thinking about some better time habits?

• What would it feel like to have accomplished the goals you set for yourself?

• How can you go about managing your time to make those goals happen?

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Thanks for reading! Did you learn anything about yourself? Do you have more input on this topic of time? If so, please share your thoughts with others in the comments below.

Some information is taken from here