I recently checked out Art at the Speed of Life by Pam Carriker from my local library. The projects focus on creating mixed media art, but the inspirational stories and tips by contributing artists apply to other fields. Here are the 3 tips from the book that made the biggest impression on me:
- Focus on the methods and media you really love and resist the temptation to try every new thing that comes out.
I am so bad at this. I read about enameling and I want to try it. I see a beautiful project with soldering and I want to try it. I find an ad for an art workshop teaching lampworking and wonder if I should sign up. I want to do everything. At some point, I think Pam's right. I'll be able to get more accomplished if I am more selective about learning new things and take time to go deeper with the techniques I already know and love. - Some of the best inspiration comes from traveling and seeing new things.
I know this is true, but sometimes it's hard to do. I think if I only have an hour or two I should go sit at my beading table even though I feel like I don't have any new ideas. That might work sometimes, but other times it's probably healthier for me to get out and do something complete different to get recharged. - Work on several pieces at once.
I do this—sort of. I work on project until I get stuck or finish. In the book, Pam talks about doing some assembly-line things such as painting all your backgrounds at once. I can see that it might be helpful to do all my stamped components at once, rather than one at a time as each project arises. This is something I'm going to try.
What are your tips for creating more time for art or writing?