Time Management: How do you do it?

[Lani Powell]

Without question, the decay in my time management skills since I've been home full time has been the biggest threat to my wobbly career. It is so reassuring to hear that it is a challenge for everyone. Apparently, time is like closet space and money: the more you have the more you need.

I have not yet implemented this, but I'm thinking of starting a system whereby I keep a time sheet for each project. That way, I can see on paper how much time I'm actually spending on a project as opposed to how many weeks ago I should have had it done. Might prove to be good discipline. Anyone else ever try something like that?

[Anthony Emmolo]

This might sound weird. It's hard to know, but here goes. (The last sentence will make sense of it, if the rest doesn't. Maybe writing it is therapuetic for me?) The last two years have been hell on my career. The troubles started with a divorce, and a move to Taipei (I've spent most of my adult life in Asia) and then Naples looking for inspiration. My colors became darker, and with that sales dramatically dipped. (Although portraiture is my first love, most of my income comes from still-life sales.) I moved back to California to try to restart my career and had a bit of success with sales, but all in all I was in a $25,000+ credit card debt. I was either forced into bankrupcy or working a "job" full time and losing my career. So, I moved again. This time to Shanghai so that I could teach English part-time and gradually come out of debt. It is working, and all of last year was spent painting about three hours a day. Reading, teaching and recovering.

The thought that I have in writing this, is that the question of time management may be answered with a stretch of the imagination. We can try to go beyond what we consider our lifestyle, and thus put ourselves in a position to be able to paint more. (That was the part that was supposed to make sense of this thread. I hope it did, or maybe I have to digest it more.)

Good luck to all as it at times feels as if all of the powers of nature are trying to pull us out of our studios.

[Debra Norton]

As a student I paint from 9:00am to 4:30pm or so, with an hour lunch break. I'm almost finished with my second of four years of school, and plan to stick to a similar schedule when I'm done, but I'll probably start earlier in the day since my studio will be in my home. I've wondered if I have the self discipline to do that, and have worked over the summer to keep myself used to the schedule, although I'm more flexible then. I've tried to make the habit of doing the "extra" chores, like stretching canvas, transferring, supply shopping, etc outside of school time so that I can make the best use of my time here.

I also keep track of all my projects in a notebook, with a running total of time on each one. I keep track of the stages of a project (drawings, muscle overlays, lay in, etc.) I also keep track of models in that book, noting the hours they work, what and when they're paid.

My husband helps me stretch canvases and does the framing for me. When I finish school and we go back home to Washington things will change some, but I hope to be so used to the schedule by then that it will naturally continue. I foresee only one problem, we have to take the time to build a house (with my studio in it) before I can go to work full time.

[Kimberly Dow]

Ok - this quote is from Chris under a different thread.

Kim,

I am interested that you have multiple projects going on simultaneously! If I tried that, you would only be able to visit me at the institution every other Sunday betyween 2:00 and 2:15. AM.

You might share your processes in the Creativity - Time management thread ,as I think many members would be interested.
__________________
www.ChrisSaper.com


I've answered above, but I have heard so many comments about how fast I am that I'll share my usual schedule. I dont even think I'm that fast - I always feel like I need to paint more. Anyway - on a good day it would be like this -

Up at 6 am - get kids ready and to school - back by 8am
Dishes and other house chores until about 9:30
Nap until about 11:30 (if I've been up late the night before)
Shower, lunch and sometimes exercise until 12:30
In the studio by 12:30 - paint until 3 pm (with internet breaks)
Pick up kids, help with homework, dinner, bed times, etc until 8pm
Sit with husband and watch tv or visit until he goes to bed, maybe 9:30
10pm - paint until my eyes give out...usually between 2-3am

Now - that's an 8-hour painting day, but in truth it's usually a lot more. I skip exercise a lot and can sometimes skip some house stuff and the nap... Realistically that is the schedule above when I am behaving myself. When I am not and really inspired the house gets messy, the kids eat more cereal than usual and the husband comes and sits by me in the studio. If there isnt much homework I can also paint from 4-6pm.

Now - on Jean's advice I am trying to be more healthy. I haven't skipped my exercise now in 3 weeks which is causing me to sleep better - plus I'm doing a bit of packing for our move in a month. (Congratulate us on our new home we bought! Big place with a huge pool!)

The thing about having all these paintings going at once - that's fairly new, but it isn't too bad. One thing that is working well is that I'll have my palette mixed for skin colors to work on one. When I've done all I can and need to let it dry I'll take the palette of paint as its still wet and move onto the next painting with it. Same with a palette for fabrics or backgrounds. This started with getting frustrated with paint drying too fast and trying not to waste it. I actually think it is helping me a bit to be more consistant in my 'style'. I often would paint paintings differently - but as I am working on more at once they seem to be more tied in and look like my work...I think.

Chris - I dont know if this is much help to anyone since I dont think most people could sleep the broken up way I do. Jimmie can though - I know that!

Only one other note I'd make. Im totally serious above where I said 'dont get hair cuts, etc..' I have that curly hair and no one can tell I chop the bangs myself occasionally. I dont get my nails done anymore. I internet shop as much as possible instead of wasting time. I leave home as little as possible. I dont volunteer like I used to at the kids' schools. I combine chores when I have to go shopping or pick up the kids. etc. I also spend my weekends painting...sometimes as many as 40 hours from Friday early to Sunday night (when the husband takes the kids/cooking duties) These aren't sacrifices - it's what I love to do. The only time I can seriously get dragged away from the studio for days is when the family insists on going camping or a family thing.

[Kimberly Dow]

I promise I'm not trying to hijack the thread....it does tie in.
This is one evening - maybe from 8pm - 2am with plenty of breaks looking up at the TV. I was set up in the livingroom that night to watch some program while I painted....
I dont think it was that much accomplished for the hours...
The first one I dont have a 'before' shot - but the background was in. I just did the first lay-in of skin color and hair.
The second one I have posted the before and then just worked on her face and hair that night. Neither are nearly done. These are the two I worked on that night.

Is this fast?

[Jimmie Arroyo]

My turn, my turn.

Wake up about 7am to get my daughter ready for school. At 8:30, I check my mesages and other online stuff. Then either squeeze a few minutes of painting time, cleaning, or take a half hour nap. Shower at 11am, get to work by 12noon.

Stab and make people bleed until 9 or 10pm. Most of the day, wish I was home painting.

Get back home around 9-11pm, eat, read my daughter a story (she stays up until I get home), make my wife watch cartoons. About 12am, I'm ready to paint. Paint til at least 2am if I'm really tired, 4am if I'm not tired or on Fridays and Saturdays.

Sundays are family days, I paint at 12am to 3am. When I'm done painting or drawing, I have a glass of milk.

[Kimberly Dow]

Jimmie - I can't help but wonder if you and I have matching bags under our eyes?

[Julie Deane]

Here's what I have been doing this school year - getting too little sleep, leaving the dishes for the morning because I am too busy with projects at night, not putting away the clean clothes so that they are on every open space in my room while the dirties go to the floor, never getting around to washing the car, paying a neighborhood child to walk the dog these last ultra-busy weeks of school, buying fresh foods meaning to cook them but not getting around to it so throwing them out, eating too much fast food, getting charges once on a credit card because I lost track of the bill in my mess and paid it late.

Here's what I plan to do - work only 4 days a week next year, with an agreed cap on how many kids I see per week (I'm a speech-language pathologist in a public school system). Before this I had to take however many were thrown at me, and it was always horrendous numbers. It means a 20% pay cut at the same time that certain bills, like insurance, are going up, so I am dealing with fear, but feel it is necessary for sanity. Plan to supplement income if possible by renting out a master bedroom that I am transforming into an efficiency apartment. Maybe do some supplementary contract speech therapy if things get too rough financially. Watch my expenditures more carefully. Certainly hope to sell more portraits, and hope that the gallery owner who took me on this year can sell some commissions like she did for other portrait artists in the past.

I need some balance in my life, including taking the time to exercise and eat right. Adding art to an already stressful life messed me up physically to some degree, too. So - enough already - I am wanting to paint, but not to the degree that I kill myself. With another day free, I hope to use that time wisely, which will include painting/drawing time.