Art is a field that takes precision, patience and creativity. And it might even require a little bit of selfishness too. Both budding artists and professionals alike may stop in their tracks at this suggestion since, after all, art creates products for everyone to enjoy. However, you do need to give yourself time to polish your works.
1. Let People Know You’re Working
When you’re out at your day job, people are generally understanding that you can’t text them back right away or answer the phone. However, this understanding seems to go away when you say you’re working on your latest painting or other creative project at home. Instead of having to respond to one more text message at a time that doesn’t work for you, put your cell phone on silent when you’re doing this type of personal work. Let people know you won’t be checking email either.
2. Schedule Time for Yourself to Work
Not only do you need to have an environment that is free from the constant distractions of modern technology, but you also need to schedule your creative sessions for certain times of the day. If you don’t set up a schedule for yourself, you might be tempted to slack. Don’t feel bad about having to cut back on the number of activities you’re signed up for either. You need a little bit of “you” time. While you may be unable to carve out hours every day to work on your latest project, you should give yourself at least some time each week to do so.
3. Hire a Babysitter
Perhaps you have the time to work on your art and you don’t get too many phone calls in the middle of the day, but your kids are constantly begging you to play with them and to take them out. Part of raising respectful children is teaching them that they cannot always have what they want when they want it. Look into hiring a babysitter or a mother’s helper to come over for a few hours every week when you want to spend time perfecting your latest project.
4. Give Yourself Money
Whether you and your spouse have been saving for a new house or you like to put a certain amount of money each week toward your children’s college funds, you do need to give yourself a little bit of spending money. When you don’t have the right tools and equipment to produce polished pieces, you are stifling your artwork. While you should not put all of your dreams of home ownership or your children’s future aside by any means, you can figure out how much is reasonable for you to take each week to put toward your art.
5. Promote Yourself and Your Work
While your ultimate goal might be to have your work shown on a larger scale, don’t be afraid to request that your family members and friends act as your viewers. You can ask them to please share your latest masterpiece on social media, or you may ask if they know of anyone who is looking to purchase a piece of art. You have to start expanding your network somewhere, and you can rely on those closest to you to help you out because you know that you would do the same for them in their personal endeavors.
Learning how to be a more selfish artist is important, but you don’t need to turn into a greedy person who only cares about him or herself. These suggestions help you to maintain your goals while still keeping your caring and giving personality.