Ask a Creativity Coach: Negative Thinking

Plan to attend the May 18, 2013 Artist Survival Kit workshop "Artistic Practice: Motivation, Discipline and Busting Creative Blocks," at the Multi Arts Center in Stillwater, OK. Romney Nesbitt will be one of the presenters. More information and registration available at www.ArtistSurvivalKit.org.

Dear Romney,

I have creative projects that aren’t getting done and I know why-- I ruminate.  I work in a high-stress office. When something negative happens at work I replay the scene in my mind all evening.  I even try to figure out what I will do and say when the next drama arises. My brain won’t let things go!  Any tips to help me clear my mind?

Dear Ruminate,

In psychological circles this type of mental activity is called Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs).  ANTs are depressing, negative thoughts that seem to generate and replicate at will. The solution is called “thought stopping.” The first step to solve your “pest” problem is to recognize the ANT.  Step two is to kill the ANT and regain control of your thoughts.  I see two ANTs ruining your creative picnic.  

Historical Re-enactor ANTs:  Thoughts stuck on negative events from the past. The past could be what happened today at work or what happened decades ago. Imagine an ant dressed in a Civil War era uniform in a re-enactment of a battle. This ant revels in reliving past events.

How to kill this ANT:  Yell “STOP!  This present moment is mine not yours!”  The truth is no amount of rethinking can undo what’s done so don’t hand over another minute to the ANT. Do what you intended to do before the ANT marched in.    

Fortune Teller ANTs: These thoughts center on trying to predict what will happen next at work, in relationships, world events etc. See an ant wearing a fortune teller’s turban peering into a crystal ball.

How to kill this ANT: Remind yourself that you cannot know what the future will bring. If you could predict the future you would have already won the lottery! Show the fortune teller ANT the door by telling yourself, “Yeah, life is unpredictable, but I have the skills and confidence to handle whatever comes my way tomorrow.”

The basic strategy to kill ANTs is to notice that your thoughts have shifted from positive productive thinking to rumination or fear-based thinking. Stop that thought by telling yourself the truth.

There are several other types of ANTs outlined in Dr. Daniel G. Amen’s book Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.

Romney Nesbitt is a Creativity Coach and author of Secrets From a Creativity Coach.  She welcomes your comments and questions. Book her to speak to your group through OVAC’s ARTiculate Speakers Bureau. You can contact her at Romneynesbitt@gmail.com. 

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2011 issue of Art Focus Oklahoma.

Ask a Creativity Coach: Do ONE THING

Plan to attend the May 18, 2013 Artist Survival Kit workshop "Artistic Practice: Motivation, Discipline and Busting Creative Blocks," at the Multi Arts Center in Stillwater, OK. Romney Nesbitt will be one of the presenters. More information and registration available at www.ArtistSurvivalKit.org.

Dear Romney,

My to-do list is not working. Even when all of my tasks are related to creating or promoting my art, I’m still not making measureable progress on my paintings.  What am I doing wrong?

List-maker

Dear List-maker,

A to-do list works IF you complete the most important task on the list. A typical to-do list includes one or two “must-do” activities and a few worthwhile “should-do” tasks.  The top priority for an artist must be to create new art—this is the must-do.  Should-do tasks may be art-related such as straightening the studio, organizing contacts, research etc., but they are rarely urgent.

Artists prone to procrastination will choose to do an art-related task instead of tackling the most challenging task—creating. Why? Because creating is hard work. Surfing the net or reorganizing your work space doesn’t require risk, courage or persistence. Self-doubt can also lead you to postpone your most important work.  Doing an art-related task is seductive. It feels like you’re being productive while you’re doing it, but at the end of the day you may feel disappointed because you didn’t paint.  Busy-ness is not effectiveness.  Doing the wrong things won’t move you closer to your goal.

A different to-do list strategy might work. I found this tip in Timothy Ferriss’ book The Four Hour Work Week. He recommends two to-do lists for every day. One list has the most important task for the day such as “PAINT.” This list has only ONE THING on it.  The second to-do list could list other tasks you could do, if you have time. Do the ONE THING first, and then choose a task from your second list.

Two key questions can help you make to-do lists more effective.

Ask yourself, “What is the one thing I must accomplish today in order to feel satisfied with my day? (This is the one item on your ONE THING to-do list.)

What are three other activities I could do today that would contribute to my goal? (These items go on your second list.)

Use your work time wisely.  Create art first. Accomplish this ONE THING and it will make a difference in the way you feel at the end of the day.

Romney Nesbitt is a Creativity Coach and author of Secrets From a Creativity Coach.  She welcomes your comments and questions at romneynesbitt@gmail.com. Book her to speak to your group through OVAC’s ARTiculate Speakers Bureau.


This article originally appeared in the May/June 2012 issue of Art Focus Oklahoma.

Ask a Creativity Coach: Procrastination

Plan to attend the May 18, 2013 Artist Survival Kit workshop "Artistic Practice: Motivation, Discipline and Busting Creative Blocks," at the Multi Arts Center in Stillwater, OK. Romney Nesbitt will be one of the presenters. More information and registration available at www.ArtistSurvivalKit.org.

Dear Romney,

Everyone I know struggles with procrastination.   What’s the logical explanation for this common problem?

Looking for answers



Dear Looking,

Piers Steel’s new book The Procrastination Equation, gives the best explanation for why humans procrastinate.  Procrastination is an unwillingness to endure short-term pain for long-term gain combined with impulsiveness. A short quiz in the opening chapter will help you identify your procrastination behavior. Steel lists three reasons we procrastinate: expectancy, value and time. 

EXPECTANCY: you delay starting because you fear the worst.  Why put forth the effort when it will probably fail? 

VALUE: the less you value a task, the harder it is for you to start it. This is why the post office is open until midnight on April 15!

TIME: the task will “take too much time” and can be done “anytime.” Motivation happens only at the last minute.

Here are the solutions.

To solve an EXPECTANCY problem: remember your past successes, surround yourself with people who are reaching their goals, be specific about your goals, see the gap between where you are and where you want to be and develop a daily plan of action steps to get you from here to there.

To solve a VALUE problem: reframe the way you view the task (from no value to some value), reward yourself when you complete an unpleasant task, check to see if you have truly overcommitted your available hours, create a pleasing work environment and use your high energy times for your most valuable work.

To solve a TIME problem: see your future as concretely as you see the present, define the steps of a task so you won’t blow things out of proportion, create a series of short term deadlines to keep your motivation high, reward yourself with small treats to curb your impulsiveness and log in output (what have you completed in an hour) rather than input (time spent). 

Take the test in the book to see whether your problem is expectancy, value or time then put these solutions to work in your life. Try one tip per week. You’ll see your output increase and your stress levels decrease.


Romney Nesbitt is a Creativity Coach and author of Secrets From a Creativity Coach (available on amazon.com).  She welcomes your comments and questions at romneynesbitt@gmail.com. Book her to speak to your group through OVAC’s ARTiculate Speakers Bureau.

This column originally appeared in the May/June 2013 issue of Art Focus Oklahoma.

Where does your creativity come from?

Where does your creativity come from?

I was asked this question recently, and I haven’t really stopped thinking about the question and the many answers since. On Facebook, I posed a similar question to my artist friends, “What are some specific triggers that inspire your creative practice?” [Read all the answers posted on 4/29/2013 at https://www.facebook.com/romyowens]

The answers were as varied as the artists: some are inspired by other people’s art, some by emotional experience, some by environment, and some by materials. There were three answers that I was particularly able to relate to and for the purposes of this post about creative blocks; I am going to comment on each.

Sarah Atlee, You Can Go Back to Camp, Ink and Colored Pencil on Paper, 6.5"x6.5"

Sarah Atlee commented, “Learning about something I didn't know before.”

Whether actively pursuing knowledge or whether learning about something new comes more haphazardly, new information fires synapses in your brain and can inspire a train of ideas worth exploring. For example, I heard a story on the radio recently about an anthology of Willa Cather’s letters being published. Before she died, Willa Cather expressly forbade the publication of her personal letters. She even went so far as to burn some so they could never be seen again. Her family respected her wishes and kept them safe, but upon the death of the last executor of her will, the decision was made to publish selected letters. The book comes out soon. On the radio, one of the editors was being interviewed and said he believed she really would want the letters to be seen and that many of the letters were informative of her literature that they put her work in context.

While I am a fan of Willa Cather, and I am intrigued by the idea that there is more writing of hers to read now, I must admit it makes me terribly sad to know her wishes are not being followed. And it makes me angry to think that a male editor would say that he thought Cather would have really wanted them to be published. This story has me thinking about privacy, sexism, and legacy, which are all topics I don’t often think about. I am not currently making work that is directly about any of these subjects, but I write down my thoughts on the matter and when I am thinking about the next body of work or installation I might want to create, the exploitation of Willa Cather after her death might be something I would pursue.

Michael Hoffner commented, “A problem to solve.”

Oh, how I love problem solving. Granted, not everyone does, and some problems are far easier to solve than others, but the challenges posed by a problem force your brain to work in new ways. Solving problems instantly sends my mind into brainstorming mode where no ideas are bad ideas. Come up with ten ideas that could solve a problem, good or bad, in ten minutes, and certainly there is some nugget of awesome in there that could inspire new art. And if not, then there is your new problem to solve. Sometimes, a quiet place to meditate and visualize solutions will work. Sometimes, consulting a trusted council of advisors does the trick.

Here’s a problem I currently facing: my right arm hurts from fingertips to elbow from repetitive motion injury due caused by the art I am currently making. I need to keep working because I am on a tight deadline, but I don’t want to risk serious injury because I know I will be working for weeks. Here are ten possible solutions: stretch more often, change position of tools, quit this project and start something else less physically taxing, have someone else make the work, get an arm transplant, develop telekinesis skills, take pain killers to dull the pain, work through the pain, use left hand, and schedule more rest time. Of these ideas, I am not sure which combination I will use to solve my problem with carpal tunnel. However, I am certainly intrigued by the ideas of using my left hand which would produce a totally different kind of art.

More than that though, the idea to use telekinesis makes me think of the 1975 movie Escape to Witch Mountain in which Tony plays harmonica to move objects via telekinesis. Even the words in the previous sentence could be a launching point of creativity: escape, witch, mountain, and harmonica. What if I made a drawing of a mountain of harmonicas? Or a photocollage of an exodus of witches escaping the tyrannical rule of a harmonica playing Tony Soprano?

Finally, Zachary Presley commented, "I get a lot of thinking done while driving."

So do I. Whether I am listening to something on the radio or not, if I am in a car driving long enough, my brain will develop some crazy ideas about concepts to explore, media to combine, compositions, color schemes, and entire exhibitions. I imagine chewing gum or exercising could produce the same kinds of results because your body is preoccupied with a task that is routine enough and that allows your brain to float.

…Floating brains.

Thanks to Romy Owens for this article, posted in part eagerly anticipating the May 18 Artist Survival Kit workshop on Artistic Practice: Motivation, Discipline & Busting Creative Blocks.

Stops and Starts: Christopher Owen's Studio Practice

What happens when artists stop making art? In this blog series, we hear from artists who have restarted making art after a hiatus and how they got back into their studio practice. For Christopher Owens, the hiatuses seem almost a part of his studio practice.

Chris Owens, untitled

Christopher M. Owens, Tulsa

The first big break came on the heels of grad school. I started working at the Museum of American Art in D.C., as an exhibits specialist. I found myself surrounded by things that I didn't understand and things that overwhelmed me in terms of their beauty. I felt confident enough as far as skills were concerned, but I didn't have a clue about what I wanted to do. I didn't see any need for another still life, or another landscape. I knew perfectly good landscape painters who had plenty of paintings to sell.

There were people whose work I loved, and I remember thinking that I didn’t want to become a mimic of that type of work. I would draw from time to time, and the drawings were tortured. I remember overhearing curators in conversations about how good or important one person’s work was in comparison to another’s. I remember thinking that most of the reasons they had were not so important to me.

When I moved to Canyon Texas, I rented a big house outside of town, and you would think with all that space and all that quiet, I would be able to get something done. I was there for about two years, and never picked up a brush.

Time went by, and life changed around, I was still working in museums doing the same kind of work, only more of it. Through those years I had been doing things, art things, some small, some a little more aggressive. There were constructions, like sculpture, made of wooden drawers, glass, nails, bits and pieces of junk, collected over time for some unseen reason, there were some academic things, portraits, more drawing, a mural in a dance studio. I was moving closer to finding what interested me and what made me want to work.

The big change, although at the time it didn’t seem so big, came when I began teaching studio classes. I felt that I had to have some answers to all the questions that I had been asking myself. This self-imposed objective helped to provide only more questions. That seemed to be the truth of it. I could teach mechanical skill, and theory, but I couldn’t teach anyone how to make art. Classes began to include more conversation about the ways we think and the ideas we have, and what seems to be important. The answers to these questions are always changing and should. In the process of preparing for classes, I would try things and see if they could work. This kept the game moving, and helped to generate work.

Chris Owens, untitled, charcoal

All I can tell you is that if you try something new, if you engage in conversations about what ‘s important, and if you look in different places, there may be answers. To think that these breaks, in the work will stop is naïve. Every time I stop working on a piece and have to start another, I get those run away feelings. I use little tricks to keep working now. I work on two things at a time, and move back and forth. I draw a lot, and work on paper, collage, paint, charcoal and pencil, or all together.

These past few months I’ve been working in a space at The Atlas Life Marriot building in downtown Tulsa. The space is being given without compensation for artists to work so that visitors can watch a progression of the work and talk to the artists. I had never worked where people could watch, and you can imagine the dialogue inside my little mind. Yesterday I noticed that I could hear voices but wasn't paying much attention to what they were saying, and had gotten quite comfortable with the hallway spectators. I have enjoyed having walls to work on, and conversations, and simply saying that I have no idea what I’m doing, just looking for something that isn't self conscious and predictable. I have enjoyed explaining why I use peeps in the work, and why there are black plastic funnels attached to the bottom of an old wooden ironing board.

I know that those runaway feelings will come back, and I know that somewhere out there on the horizon is a bathroom renovation riding in full battle dress toward me, and will find me a reluctant opponent, and afterward I will begin again.  Meanwhile there’s work to do and opportunity. So today I’ll go back and draw some more and maybe learn something new, and get closer to the other end. Did I forget to mention that I got a new tank of gas for the welder a few weeks ago?

Switch Hands if You Have to: Kay Deardorff Gets Back to Painting

What happens when artists stop making art? In this blog series, we hear from artists who have restarted making art after a hiatus and how they got back into their studio practice. 

Kay Deardorff, untitled left handed painting

Kay Deardorff, Bixby

I had been nursing an injury in my right shoulder (probably from weight lifting) for months. I was finally able to hit a bucket of golf balls and was anxious to get back to playing.  I had a few minutes of pleasure in the studio to put some finishing touches on an oil painting of a life size Zebra head that I was doing for our bedroom. I hadn’t been painting much lately. As it goes with most creative people some days are diamonds, some days are pearls and some days are just coal. I’d been having lots of coal days. What I did paint I wasn’t happy with and nothing inspired me. Oh, well, I thought! It’ll come back. Little did I know my life was going to take a huge detour and I was not going to be a happy camper.

As is so often the case, I don’t remember much about what happened. I was going out to the garage when I apparently missed the first of three steps. Instead of going straight down I turned (my husband, Max, said it was a lovely pirouette) hitting my left leg on the step and my right shoulder on the pavement.

A trip to the doctor confirmed my suspicions, a broken right humerus under the ball of the shoulder. That day began a love/hate relationship with my newest very best friend, my sling.

As the days went by, the depression set in, you know the kind.... You know those uncreative thoughts I was having? Well, of course, now everything I saw looked like a painting and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it. Cob webs were collecting in the studio and that depressed me even more.

By 2 1/2 weeks out, I am feeling like whale poop, wondering if I will ever be normal again, although my friends would say I was never normal to begin with. My night time cries were “I don’t know how long I can do this!” I need a lift and quick. The Bible teaches us to thank God in all things (1 Th 5:16) What? Not just when you win the lottery? Ok, I really don’t feel like thanking anyone for a broken arm, so I’d better come up with something.

Then the saving grace, a painting. In the studio, my husband squeezing paint tubes and adjusting the canvas on my easel, away I went slapping on thick paint with a palette knife with my LEFT hand! A landscape, of course, so no need to worry about detail. Success! Not a half bad painting and a very good confidence builder. Thank God for a left hand and the flowing creative juices!

Since then my attitude, which needed adjustment, has much improved. I am thankful that each day is better and if not, I know the next one will be.

Scaling Down: Chris Ramsay's Response to Artistic Time Crunch

What happens when artists stop making art? In this blog series, we hear from artists who have restarted making art after a hiatus and how they got back into their studio practice. 

Chris Ramsay, untitled, mixed media 2011 

Chris Ramsay, Stillwater
Julia Kirt: What caused your hiatus and how long were you not making art?
Chris Ramsay: In 2008 I was asked to serve as Head of the OSU Art Department after making art and teaching Jewelry/Metals and 3D Studio Art Classes in the department for over 20 years. I am currently still in the position, however the shock of the transition is over and I am finally making some adjustments that allow me to get into the studio.


JK: How did you restart your art making?  Please discuss in as practical terms as possible.
CR: The simple answer is that the desire and drive to make artwork has never gone away, it has always existed just under the surface of my daily job requirements and family activities- the frustration is not having the “quality time & energy” to connect with my ideas and processes.   In order to engage with my desire to create, I realized I needed to scale down the scope of my vision to a manageable activity and processes that could provide the stimulation that I require, without (too drastically) sacrificing my intent, until I once again have dedicated time to explore more in depth projects. 

Chris Ramsay, untitled, mixed media 2011

A ritual I have performed since creating my first studio workspace involves cleaning when I complete a piece of work.  I can also remember that as I was searching for a way to get back to work in my studio, I found myself doing a thorough cleaning and assessing of the articles in my shop… it helped me focus on what I have and where I am going. 


I now give myself credit for the simple act of arriving in my studio, relishing in the experience and seriously trying to be conscious of the environment I have created as my studio- my place-me.  


JK: How would you have approached your hiatus differently looking back? Or any tips for other artists?
CR: Life is full of change, and really the only thing we can be certain of is change itself.  So with that in mind, I try be flexible and find a way to enjoy what I do or make a change.

Avoid the Soul-Sucking Job: Artist Kendall Brown's Advice

What happens when artists stop making art? In this blog series, we hear from artists who have restarted making art after a hiatus and how they got back into their studio practice.  

Artist Kendall Brown with kids

Kendall Brown, Norman 
After finishing my time at OU, to make ends meet I took a soul-sucking state job and promised myself even though it wasn’t a job in the arts, I’d still create. I'd still be an artist on the side, until something better came along.


I was wrong.


For an entire year I languished doing a job I hated, making excuses for why I hadn't produced work since my capstone documentary project on HIV/AIDS in Oklahoma. I had a lot (I mean a LOT) of excuses. I didn’t have the money to travel and do documentary work. My dog broke all but one of my lenses. I didn’t have classes anymore to push me to produce or be better.


I was so discouraged, I even stopped looking for a job in the arts. It took making the decision to quit the soul-sucking job with no safety net to force me back into gear. Once I finally got out of my funk, it only took two months for me to land my dream job - Arts and Entertainment Editor for the Norman Transcript.


Now, my life is literally all art, all the time. Spending my days talking to artists that are creating inspires me to go home at night and do the same. After a year long hiatus, I’m working on one documentary project and have another (involving some pretty major travel and the challenge of switching mediums to work in film) in the works.


My advice is this: DON’T, if you can avoid it, take a job you hate. Don’t waste your time. Even if you’re cleaning toilets at an art museum, make sure you’re somewhere surrounded by creativity. Let yourself make your excuses...then tell yourself to shut up and create anyway. Even the work sucks, it sucks less than a year of producing nothing.

Find a Quicker Artistic Medium: Margaret Aycock's Answer to Lack of Time

What happens when artists stop making art? In this blog series, we hear from artists who have restarted making art after a hiatus and how they got back into their studio practice.  

Margaret Aycock leading workshop for community art project

Margaret Aycock, Tulsa

When I first started having children I had to let the painting go for a while.  I had to find a creative outlet that allowed me to stop in midstream and pick up where I left off after someone was fed, diapered, played with etc.  During that time I picked up stained glass, quilting, crocheting and crafts.  None of those things required a concentrated block of time and all of them could be picked up and put down without breaking the creative process.  


All of those things became useful later in life as I transferred my skills in stained glass to mosaics (Tulsa Spirit Monument ) I now use my skills in needlework and crafts to my artist residency at Hillcrest Hospital.  I taught two girls to crochet today and one girl to knit. I also work with children and families to do craft workshops at the Gilcrease Museum.


As creative people, I think that we all find something to do in those dry spells that is still creative.  It may be that we pick up crafts, gardening, cooking, woodworking etc, but we get to take all those skills with us into the future so don't worry, be happy, and continue the creative journey!


Margee Aycock is an oil Painter, oil painting teacher, workshop leader at Gilcrease Museum, arts facilitator through Tulsa's Arts and Humanities Coucil's Artist in the Schools and Parks programs and Artist in Residence at Hillcrest Kaiser Rehab and Women's Center. 

Intensive Painting in Retirement: Eric Spiegel's Answer to Long Artistic Hiatus

What happens when artists stop making art? In this blog series, we hear from artists who have restarted making art after a hiatus and how they got back into their studio practice.  

Eric Spiegel at his easel

Eric Spiegel, Choctaw

www.ericspiegelstudio.com

Julia Kirt: What caused your hiatus and how long were you not making art?

Eric Spiegel: I was an active artist as a teenager and studied at an evening school for about two years. I was eventually drafted in the military for the Vietnam War.

From that point on, I had no time to sit down and paint which is my medium of choice. Between my being  drafted and returning to the US four years later, I went back to college for a degree in chemistry and then a second degree in Pharmacy. I was asked to return to the military as an officer and decided it was a good career for my wife and son.

Around 1991 when I decided that I would be retiring from the military, I started taking workshops from some of the modern well-known painters of today. I retired in 1997, and eventually moved to France to study art on a full-time basis.  I spent over six years in a private atelier and lived in France until 2008. 

JK: Did you continue making artwork at all during that time?

ES: While spending my time and days in military life, I did not have the time or materials to paint.  I did have a few drawing pencils in a little tin and set up still life items to keep my drawing skills. But honestly it was not very frequent.

JK: Did you miss your studio practice?

ES: I missed terribly not being able to home squeeze out some paint and grab a canvas and get to work, I was frustrated many times, but I would return to these artist homes or ateliers near me and keep their work in my head and heart, knowing that one day I would be able to have my own studio and paint whatever excited me. I would usually go to the local museums in each country where I was stationed and that kept stimulating me to keep thinking about painting again... For example, William A. Bouguereau taught in the Academie Julian  in Paris, but he was born and raised in town far from Paris (La Rochelle) close to the ocean. There is very nice museum of his early work, both complete paintings and some incomplete work... and so many others kept my mind going when my hands didn't have brushes and paints.

JK: How did you restart your art making? 

ES: In 2000 I stopped working as a pharmacist and moved to France, not only to study privately, but also to paint on my own. I went to every outdoor and indoor art show in France within 100 miles of my home. I showed my work in galleries and in many Chateaux in the Loire Valley. I was doing what I liked and sold paintings as well. My wife and I didn't come back to the US because we wanted to..my father called one day and told us that he was diagnosed with vascualr dementia and asked me if I would come home to eventually take care of him. I returned [to Oklahoma] as an oil painter with a wealth of knowledge in 2008 and have been working in my own studio since that time. 

Stopped Making Art? Kicking an Artistic Hiatus

Returning to the office after maternity leave from the birth my second child, I admit a preoccupation with feeling like I am behind. For one, I haven’t written for this blog in a while and hope you will forgive me. I have seen a similar anxiety in many artists when they haven’t been able to make as much artwork for one reason or another. 


I requested stories from our members and have been amazed at the response. From sudden illness to post-graduation doldrums, many complications slow artists’ studio practice. Many artists already overly fixate about quantity of work produced and a hiatus really frustrates them. In the following series, artists will share how they kick started their studio practice again. 

Stuart Asprey with his twin babies 

Stuart Asprey, Norman 
Many things, both unexpected and planned for, often creep up in one’s life that cause momentary occasions (or long periods) of non-art producing phases. I find these times to be both frustrating and motivating. The trials and tribulations of life force one to evaluate what is truly worthwhile, and hopefully for you (since you are reading this) one of those is making art.  


My best advice, (coming from a dad of twins) is to take every opportunity to get to the studio, even if it is only for 30 minutes every couple of days. Don’t pile your excuses on top of your reasons for not getting to the studio. You have to tap into that creative period at the drop of a hat, no room or time to procrastinate when you only have a small window of opportunity. Time in the studio will add up and eventually there will be more time.


It helps to have easy access to your studio, even if it is a temporary one.  Driving 5 minutes just to get there is not worth it when time is precious.  My studio is in my garage, allowing for quick access between feedings, burpings, changings, play time, and that thing called sleep. This truly enables work to be consistently produced, albeit at a slow pace.


Another solution could possibly lie in changing the medium, if you work with a labor-intensive, process-oriented medium then perhaps a simpler, quicker approach to art-making is the answer. That being said, if you truly love your medium (say porcelain clay for instance) then you will do anything to preserve your relationship with it and somehow find the time.


Asprey loves porcelain clay and also draws. He is also a professor at Oklahoma City University. See more of his work here.