Why time management & scheduling is important for success in the art world:

There’s so much to do and so little time. So, we need to allocate the time and bite off only what’s realistically possible to chew.

When I started selling my art in 2019-2020, it was the confirmation that I needed to start my artistic life. I knew that if I could sell 2 paintings each month, then it was possible to sell 20 or 200. Most of us begin with art as a hobby or passion that’s usually difficult to make time for at first. We juggle a job or two and may be finding it difficult to seek the energy or inspiration to create after a long day’s work. Been there, done that (and maybe you have too).

I was working nights at a fulfillment center a few years ago and if you’re familiar with the supply and demand of these giants, then you might understand that it’s a physically taxing job. I developed plantar fasciitis from standing on my feet so many hours at a time. I hated it and never got accustomed to it even 6 months in. This made it especially difficult to paint during my days off since they consisted of staying off my feet and resting. I knew that if I wanted to build momentum with my art, a little mind-over-matter application was what I needed. From there, I started devising schedules with detailed plans.

Filled with excitement, I ordered a planner online. It was nostalgic in that I remembered the times I’d see my mother and grandmother open up their little books of appointments, phone numbers, and recipes. I bought new, colorful pens, stickers, and post-its to begin penciling ideas and collections (you know you’re a millennial when colorful stationary elevates you). Since this was my pre-website era, my goal at the time was to further develop my style and painting techniques (that’s a prompt for another day). I had to ask myself these questions: Ok, what’s practical right now? How much can I accomplish while still giving myself time to rest? How am I going to “show up” on my work days?

Reflecting back, it was the beginning of EVERYTHING. I was now holding myself accountable with checklists and started planning my schedules by the week. Eventually, I made the switch to do it all on my computer and would note tasks on a calendar which sometimes included moving them according to where they fit. Setting up a doable schedule is the easy part. Sticking to it and holding ourselves to be productive is the actual work. It’s essential to consider a work-life balance, get enough sleep, and eat healthy food to aid with recovery. A few mental health walks throughout the week are also great.

Content batching. Have you heard of it? It’s a block of time you set aside to create evidence of your art magic ahead of time to share with your fans/collectors aka social media. You don’t need a camera or any fancy equipment, hopefully you do have a smartphone you can film with and just use that (it’s enough, your content-making arsenal will improve gradually over time).

How to do it:

1) Decide what you need to create, for ex: 3 Reels/3 TikToks, 1 YouTube video, 5 story posts, whatever you want to post/however often for the following week (use art-related hashtags to search for inspiration towards your own posts or hop on a trend that resonates with you & give it your own twist)

2) Set aside enough time, 1-2 hours to start

3) Make a new folder for your photos/videos to easily access them when needed

4) Take your phone/camera & use a tripod if you have it (if not, stacking up some thick books/box about 1.5ft high so you can achieve an aerial angle of yourself creating or set up your phone somewhere that you can zoom in on your workspace), play around with different angles & make sure you’re using the back camera (better quality than front facing camera)

5) Record your entire painting session (or whatever your medium), record at least 10 different clips that you can string together later, you’ll need to learn how to do some basic editing (there are some great apps for this like CapCut but, it’s easiest to use the editing features in app on IG/TikTok/YT). Create a VoiceOver or pick a tune that compliments your vibe or mood

6) You can create posts, save them as drafts & schedule them for the future- you’ll be showing up online while clocking in at your other job(s)

7) Remember, everything is content. You don’t need to be worried about constantly generating masterpieces. You should be focusing on consistently creating art to share with your community, even if you’re only posting 3x/week. Don’t sweat it too much. If you don’t have it in you to actualize your art magic, then create short talking videos you can use for reels/tiktoks/yt shorts about your process, materials you use, or thoughts while painting. You can even take a former piece and film closeups, share the title/size/medium & maybe what it means to you, signifies, or resembles.

8) Don’t feel like batching & editing? GO LIVE! Just do it already- this is an amazing opportunity for you to connect with your audience & get engagement. It’s an easier way to produce content that takes little/no prep and platforms reward users that go live (it will help your algorithm). If you’re hesitant like I first was, there’s a new feature for going live on IG that allows you to set your audience to private so that you can practice by yourself & shake the nerves. Make sure to keep it under an hour if you plan to repost it & share with your people.

Personally, I’m all in favor of an “aesthetically pleasing” social page. however, I LOVE finding artists who have found the success of their creative dreams (especially with an aesthetic that’s unapologetic/interesting) and scrolling back a few hundred or more posts to see their humble beginnings. This was crucial in my realization that those artists started out just like me and I knew that a little hard work would send me on my journey to reach my own version of success. People love to see progress and follow you on your journey no matter what your start looks like. My first time lapse was a very blurry, poorly lit, and mildly edited video that in my book was a total hit even though I have a higher standard now. Creating a schedule helps us improve our aesthetic and other things we want to achieve.

The point is to manage your time wisely, realistically, and set expectations for yourself that you know are attainable. You should still challenge yourself since growth happens when you step outside of your box. Increase or decrease expectations of yourself as needed. Burnout is real, so tread lightly. If you only have several hours to dedicate each day/week, try content batching. This will allow you to appear more active than you actually are and show up on a constant basis. Make sure to rest, recharge, and give yourself time off social media if you need to. Don’t be so hard on yourself, it’s necessary to push through the struggle and figure out a feasible routine.

My wish for you is that you break the ice and share with the world your rendition of happy, funny, angry, or miserable creative sessions. After all, artists are like rockstars (or so people say) and your ability to make beautiful, extraordinary color explosions is something your followers want exclusivity to witness.

If you have any tips/tricks/suggestions you’d like to share from your own practice, sound off in the comments below. :)