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It is hard to move forward when you feel like you don’t actually know all the things you are trying to accomplish. Putting everything on a list can add clarity and direction. Here is my current list of things I’m working on in no particular order. 

I have a Sketchbook I need to fill by August 5th that will be included in the Brooklin Museum sketchbook show/tour. 

Write my bio and add it to my website.

Write my artist statement and add it to my website.

Write my CV and add it to my artist statement.

Create and send my first newsletter.

I am contacting at least 10 galleries in the next 10 weeks for various opportunities. 

I have 2 paintings to complete that I have been fighting with. I’m happy to say that it looks like the paintings will win this fight and I will again be reminded that I don’t get to always have control over where a painting goes.here are the two paintings in progress. (Blog image test)

With the list written down its so much easier to prioritize and plan when everything will be done and if some things can be taken off the list to be completed later. I realized that both, my artist CV and my artist statement can wait until the other tasks are complete. I reluctantly realize that I can also wait to complete my two paintings because I already have enough paintings that are complete. 

So here is my prioritized list

Sketchbook

Newsletter

BIO

CV

Contacting galleries

Complete 2 paintings

Artist statement

Lucky for me I only have 2 types of tasks, art creation and what I call office work. On a perfect day, I spend 75% of my time on art tasks and the other 25% doing office work. All this information helps me understand that finishing my sketchbook and creating my first newsletter is where all of my focus should be. 

This process gets me from, a vague idea that I have more work to do than I think I can handle, to 2 specific items that I can complete.

For the past two weeks, my mind and body both told me I needed a break but I did not listen at first and my reward was 10 days of underwhelming performance. I think it is a common belief that if we are not working we are not making progress. We forget that rest and recovery is an important part of progress in all endeavors. It is easy to understand how this is true with exercise and other physical activities but I find it counter-intuitive when it comes to other activities like creating artwork. Now I have to figure out how to transition back from my 5 day vacation I just took. I’m sure it will be easier next time when its a planned vacation versus a mental shutdown

Moving forward I am now scheduling vacation days as if I worked in corporate America and plan to take a 1-week vacation every quarter. 4 weeks of vacation and holidays! I think my job has a great benefits package. 

Cheers