Happy New Year! It’s that time of year again-time to reset, re-evaluate, re-order and re-invigorate. Have you created your 2019 Studio Resolutions yet? As promised, I’m sharing with you my list of New Year Studio Resolutions to help give you ideas for your own list. At the turn of the new year, on my favorite list making phone app, Evernote, I check my list from the year before, add/remove items, rewrite, redo. I make a list of daily, weekly, monthly and annual Studio and Marketing resolutions that I check frequently throughout the year to make sure I haven’t forgotten what I’ve resolved to do. Having the list in a convenient place on my phone and using an app that syncs to all of my devices, I’m easily able to check and recheck it in order to keep myself accountable.
Last year I shared with you my Daily Studio Resolutions in this and this post. This list has pretty much stayed the same, so this year I will share with you my Weekly Studio Resolutions in this post and my Monthly Resolutions in my next post. I combine my Studio and Marketing lists in my Evernote, but for the purposes of this and the next blog post, I will only be sharing my Studio Resolutions.
- Work in the studio 25-35 hours These studio hours reflect the hours I’m actually in the studio making something, producing or experimenting. I made this resolution way back when I was still teaching 2 days a week at Tyler and even though I’m almost three years retired, I haven’t added more hours as I thought I would. What I have added are more hours devoted to things that contribute to the making such as reading and drawing, photographic journaling, hiking, etc. Keep in mind that depending on what I have to accomplish in the way of deadlines, etc. my resolution hours may fluctuate from as low as ten hours a week to 70 hours or more. However, these are extremes and will only occur a few times a year. My resolution is an average-a mark to determine my success or failure weekly and/or monthly. To see how I log my studio time hours, read the first item in Part 2 of My 2018 Resolutions in which I detail how I keep my Studio Notes.
- Experiment at least two hours each studio day OR 1-2 days per week If you’re a regular reader of Art Bite, you may have read my recommendation for devoting a percentage of studio time toward experimentation, better known as the 40/60 principle outlined in this post. It is very important to do this in order to consistently grow and evolve your work. But as with anything, the world of ‘shoulds’ gets in the way which is why I consider it my most important resolution. If you find it difficult to devote time toward experimentation, either follow my lead as explained in the post or actually block out a day each week to experiment. It isn’t imperative that you do this for exactly 40 percent of studio time, but it is so very important to make time for it even if it’s an hour per month.
- Watch/listen to 8-10 art videos OR podcasts I must confess, I have become a Youtube and Podcast junkie and as a result I changed this resolution from last year’s 2-4 videos/podcasts to 10-15 for this year because it reflects what I actually do. I listen while I work, while I drive, before I sleep in order to relax. I listen and watch a variety of subjects, all inclusive my listening time is way over 10-15 but I want to make sure that a portion of my listening time is devoted to art. My Instagram viewing included, I probably watch a lot more videos than this, so what I’m including here are only artist interviews, comprehensive painting demonstrations, product demonstration, artist biographies, etc. I do believe that the videos and podcasts are contributing to my studio work, not taking away from it and that is why I increased the hours. Sometimes watching videos, even if they are about art, can become a substitute for studio work and we must be careful not to let that happen.
When you do make your list, print it out and sign it. Put it somewhere that you can see it and also keep it on your phone so you refer to it and be reminded of it often. If it’s your first time making a list like this, it will need to be adjusted a few times. Most importantly, don’t make these resolutions and forget about them by mid-February! Really try to stick to them and if you find yourself failing, adjust the list accordingly. If you’re having difficulty making a list like this and/or keeping to your resolutions, please don’t hesitate to contact me for a mentoring appointment-the start of a new year is the best time to begin….
Wishing you all an amazing year of Studio Resolution keeping and creatively productive time in the studio!
