Over the past few weeks it may feel like the world has been turned on its head. Exhibitions and Art Fairs are cancelled leaving many Artists unable to make an income and wondering what to do with their time. The first thing that I find helpful is to make a plan.
Studies show that the very essence of putting pen to paper vastly reduces anxiety. Therefore, I recommend that you take a seat, grab a hot drink, and write a list of everything you feel that you need to do to create your art and for your Art Business. Once you have done this you need to put this into a daily task list.
In making your daily task list make sure you bear in mind everything else that you need to do outside of your Art Business. So, if you have children and they are homeschooling, make sure that you set aside some time to spend with them, organise their day and deal with any questions they may have. Exercise is important too, so add this to your list, as is having fun (so don’t forget this!). Set aside time for chores that need doing.
Next, schedule this into your daily routine. Map out your day either online or paper. Divide your day into 30 minutes slots putting your tasks into those slots. Make sure you include time for breaks and lunch. If you are trying to juggle getting work done and kids, it might be worth creating 30-minute work slots for concentrated work time. Set your kids to work/play (by you, age dependant). Ask that they do not ask questions during this time (I know, sometimes easier said than done!). Time yourself, and once you have completed the 30 minutes, help the kids with whatever they need. You can then move onto less concentrated work, such as answering emails.
Above all,have 3 tasks that you must complete each day. These are tasks that go towards completing a project, so for example, a project might be to de-clutter the cloak Cupboard. Task one may be pulling out anything that is no longer used and should be thrown away or taken to the charity shop. Task two may be to pull out anything that needs washing; task three might be to tidy the space. The same can be done for work projects.
Finally, although the onset of COVID-19 maybe a time when direct selling through Exhibitions and Galleries is out of the question for a short period at least; now is the opportunity to produce your art without distractions and work on the business side of things. Schedule tasks such as improving your social media. This might include posting every day, working on new images, branding for your website, and most importantly selling Online! With all of us being housebound for the time being; opportunities have never been more abundant online.
Why not give the following articles a read …
https://visual-artists.org/resources/covid-19-report/
https://visual-artists.org/resources/how-to-organise-your-studio-space/
https://visual-artists.org/resources/five-apps-every-creative-should-be-using-right-now/
https://visual-artists.org/resources/weekly-marketing-tasks-the-power-of-momentum/
https://visual-artists.org/resources/how-to-create-a-strategy-on-a-page-6-simple-steps/
https://visual-artists.org/resources/selling-your-artwork-on-etsy/
https://visual-artists.org/resources/how-to-create-your-fan-base-on-social-media-8-simple-steps/