A reader left a comment yesterday on my LESSONS FROM HOSPICE Part Deux essay. Only sixteen hours of the last year could be devoted to art due to family circumstances.
Now if sixteen hours is all you got, that’s a lot.
Here’s another thing to consider….
Months ago, I read an essay (and I apologize from the bottom of my heart that I cannot remember where I read it) on writing.
The author was working on a book project. At first, they tried to write whenever they had a good chunk of time. Over the course of a year, that came to a handful of days and half-days, and something like 10,000 words. Sounds impressive.
The next six months, they resolved to write for twenty minutes a day, no matter what.
In three months, they wrote 50,000 words.
That stopped me in my tracks.
Yes, some projects take a depth of concentration, a certain amount of time.
But others don’t.
So two possibilities are open to you:
Work in smaller time chunks.
Or….
Work on projects that don’t demand that total immersion. This is the time to work on sketches, samples, smaller works or simpler pieces.
I thought I didn’t have enough time to write and post this today. And for sure I don’t have time to do a deep editing.
But I started anyway, and this is how far I got in ten minutes.
How did I do? 🙂
You did great. My response only took 15 seconds…pretty good time management skills!
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awesome… and an awesome reminder, ok 17 seconds, and I’m out
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Folks, you can take your time posting comments, okay?
UNLESS you’re using all that extra time to make some stuff. 😀
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This is where I often come for inspiration and sound advice. It doesn’t mean I have to take the advice, but it is information that has been tested by someone who walks in an artist shoes. I thank you for that Luann. You’re just fabulous!
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you did fabulously! 🙂 all or nothing mentality=no art
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You did GOOD! Isn’t it amazing how much a person can accomplish in a short amount of time? Sometimes, I think it’s an excuse (for me) to not get to work because I only have 30 minutes or 1 hour before I have somewhere to go / something scheduled but even a few minutes of constructive time is invaluable!
Great post for a time short artist!! Tam
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Another trick is to schedule blocks of time rather than tasks. This is sometimes called “time boxing” – and it’s a great way to defeat procrastination.
You don’t assign yourself A TASK.
You block out a box of time in which you will work at the task. No pressure to complete it.
Usually you get drawn in and can get over the procrastination.
On the other end of the project, a time box limits perfectionist tweaking.
Google “time blocks” or “time boxes”
Here’s the article that got me started:
http://litemind.com/time-boxing/
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Great point! (The excuse generator is absolutely limitless.)
Thanks.
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Really hit it home for me – since I work in an office all day, it’s often tough to get motivated to do things when I get home.
I, too, am a huge procrastinator, always have been.
I’ve been looking for ways to get myself to be creative even if only for 15 minutes each day. Will try to do 15 minutes/day. Thanks.
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