Time Management for Artists

When we think about the differences between junior, mid-level and senior artists, artistic skills come in the first place, but time management is also part of them. Indeed, we need to know well our skill set and understand well a given task to estimate the time needed to complete it. Making efforts to better manage your workday is also a way to become more efficient and productive even when you have a creative job. Here some tips that can help you working not harder, but smarter!

Let’s start with general suggestions which are useful not only to artists. You can put your phone away and turn off notifications from social media if you notice they are a distraction for you. Taking breaks also allows your brain and eyes to relax, and it helps you being more efficient when you get back to your desk. You can use the Pomodoro technique which consists in selecting a task for the next 25 minutes, setting the timer, and working until the timer rings. After that, you take a five-minute break, and start again. It is a good method for people with difficulties to focus, or for achieving many short tasks without getting lost.

As an artist, you know well all the steps between the first brushstroke and the last one. Throughout your career, you will be able to tell the steps where you need more time and those where you little time. Knowing your strengths and weak points, you are then able to prioritize your work, which is another good way to save time during your day. Sometimes the timeline a client gives you is tight, so you can’t afford to spend too much energy on small details. Your objective is to find the balance between speed and effectiveness. Here’s a technique which can help you stick to your daily objectives. When you start working, take a step back at what you accomplished the day before, define the elements you want to work on, and the time estimated for each, classify them and take care of them one after the other during the day. Doing this help some artists being more focused, and it is also a great tool to improve your artistic skills.

Also, train yourself to catch the moments of the day when you are in “creative mode,” and organize your time around them. If it is easier for you to work in the morning, see if you can start earlier. It is also important to set an environment in which you can concentrate. For example, create a special playlist you listen on a loop or close your door to show to those around you that you are busy… It is by observing yourself every day that you will know when and in which conditions you work best.

Artists can search for a lot of documentation or references before starting a piece, and this step can take a while! It is easy to get lost in the numerous windows open on your computer… To save some time later, you can download all the images that catch your attention in a folder or in a mood board. Even if you don’t use the reference straight away, save it and rename it. Knowing exactly how to find it, you won’t waste time by searching again. The hardest part is to start drawing, so if you manage well your research for references, you can start painting more quickly.

All those tips won’t necessarily work for everybody, but they are worth trying if you search for ways to optimize your working day as an artist :)