Art Biz Mondays: 5 Things I've Learned About Being In Control Of My Activities

Art Biz Mondays

It's become a habit for me over the last 6 months or so to sit down on Monday's and gather my business shizzle together.   Actually,I've been doing Art Biz Monday's for longer than that, 'electronically' it's been about 6 months. What I mean by that, is  previously all my planning and business numbers were done on paper, then 'sometimes' or at 'some point' , I would  transfer that information electronically to my computer.

The problem with that method is that I lost my planner once.  Total freak out.  Luckily my planner was returned in tact by a good Samaritan.  I also spilled a drink on my planner and had several pages  stuck together.  Bad, girl, I know.

Fast forward to last November and I decided to take charge and change the way I organized my business information,  moving from a paper system to an electronic system that encapsulated a monthly sales sheet,  weekly task list,  yearly goals and events, customer order sheet,  social media stats,  and a gallery spreadsheet that lists addresses, notes about the gallery, payments and shipping dates.  

The problem with this system is that you can also spill coffee on your computer and loose all the information.  yes. That happened to me last week.    LUCKILY  all was only temporarily lost.  The brilliant techie guy I found helped recover lost data with relative ease.  phew. PHEW!!!!!  So...lesson learned, I backed up everything on Drop box from my documents that should have been backed up  long ago.     I'm still working on my pictures, but that's another story.

Here are some things I've learned about myself and my art biz by being more focussed on my financials and activities.

1.  Overall,  I feel more in control of my business and activities.  I sat down before the end of the year and planned out what I was going to be doing (the bigger events and things I knew were coming up) each month. Overbooking and jamming up my schedule has been a constant hurdle that I have had to figure out a way to manage.  When I say this, it's not like I have events every week, but being a single parent and not having all the flexibility in the world to travel all the time, I have to really be realistic about what I can do and the time inbetween projects I need to do things well both personally and professionally. 

2.  My sales online have gone up dramatically over the last few months.   Perhaps part of the reason is that the work that has been put in place over the last few years is really starting to flow even more so than in the past, but I also think the reason my sales have increased is that I'm more aware of what's working and what's not working.   What's working is focusing on my online sales..haha.   I'm giggling because..ya...what a  brillian idea, if you focus on something, and give it some attention that it deserves, well what do you know, you see an uptick in activity generally!  I definitely want to delve into this more in another post, but for now...let's leave it at the fact that I've gone from having 40 or so items in my shop around Christmas time to steadily increasing that number to around 100 items currently, has helped sales tremendously.  

3.  Starting the week with a more specific plan outside of what my monthly plan has been extremely helpful in keeping myself accountable.  I like to check things off a list, and I get frustrated with myself if they aren't checked off.   Instead of 'physically' checking off that list, I highlight tasks that are completed. Those that are not completed get moved to the following week..and honestly, just like any list, sometimes certain things get moved up or down in priority, depending on what is going on.

4.   By tracking not just my sales, but my productivity, I can ensure that I'm putting the effort into producing enough inventory and the right inventory that will help me achieve my goals.   Now some of you may be saying, ya...but what about your inspiration, how can you track or force that to reach a particular number?  The answer is you can't force anything but at the same time, you simply must have either things into the pipeline later that will net a positive result, or create work that will eventually net what you need to make a living...scratch that...not just make a living, but be able to thrive like any business would want to. As an artist, you are no different.  You just have to change your mindset and merget the creativity with your business sense. 

5.   I've also learned, I'm far from perfect. I need help in certain areas.  I can't do it all myself.  I overcommit still despite my best efforts not to overcommit.  I get tired.  I get cranky. I procrastinate.  I get burned out.  I am messy and disorganized in my studio.  I am not as proactive as I want to be.  I am not where I want to be in my version of success.   And you know what, all of these things I've learned are totally okie-dokie. There is always something to learn and grow from.   The part of being more aware  and having a system in place is that you can keep yourself in check and keep re-evaluating the plan. The more I learn, the more I realize there is MORE to learn.   Does that make sense?  For point number 5 my key learning is that things are not always going to be perfect, I'm not going to always live up to my own expectations, and that even when I think I have a handle on it all, things change.   My reaction to those changes and those 'faults' of mine is what has changed (and still changing in a more positive way).  I'm still more in control than I used to be and that has made all the difference to my state of mind and my art biz.

How in control of your creative business are you?

What do you have in place that works for you?

What do you NEED to put in place to thrive in what you do?

Join in the conversation.  I'd love to hear from you through the comments here or via email:

jodiohl@hotmail.com

Artfully yours,

Jodi Ohl

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10 Minute Journaler -Creative Inspiration in Short Bursts of Time

Something I hear quite often is, I don't have enough time to create.  I'm too busy doing other things.  I totally get it, we all have 72 hours worth of stuff jammed into a mere 24 hours. With that said,  I think if you took an honest look at your schedule-you'd find 10 minutes here and there or you COULD find 10 minutes if you really wanted. I know I could find about and hour more in my day if I didn't meander around the world wide web of oohh look at that, or what's that about, or who's doing what, where, and when. I get sucked up into it too...all..the..time.

How do we change? You just do.  I know I'm making small changes in my schedule that are leading to big things and making more room in my life to do things that I really want to do.  Here's a little messy grungey journal page that I did in 10 minutes.  Of course it's in speed play but I really didn't speed it up too much. I took a 10 minute video and about 1/2 it.  Is it totally done? No.  But it is further along than if I just said I didn't have any time to play and just did some other time sucking thing.



Keep those creative juices flowing by just doing something! Anything!

Some of the products used in my journal page:

Liquitex Paint Markers
Sharpie Paint Markers
Dylusions Journal
Stencils
Liquitex Spray Paint
Gesso
Golden paint
Fineline applicator bottles
Neocolor Watersoluble crayon.

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The second side is started and ready for me to add on when I have time.  My tip of the day is to not multi-task in a fashion that leaves you going in 500 different directions all at one time, but to not waste paint or supplies if you can help it.

Swipe your excess paint on another journal page.

Wipe your opposite stencil side on another page or paper handy.

Put your stuff away after a project. I'm trying to do a better job of that and it's helping me stay focused so much more. Rather than have every art supply I own on the table, I only keep out what I'm using. I used to fear that I would forget I had something unless I left it out. Irrational, I know. Recipe for creative chaos and I've had enough of that. I want to do what I love everyday but I also want to live my personal life, too, and I can't do  both if I'm not efficient.  Hi my name is, Jodi, and I'm a recovering messy artist :))

I hope this little creative inspiration helps you to realize that 10 minutes of creative time is achievable and something cool can come out of even short bursts of time.
:)

Until we meet again,

Jodi

"Opening Channels of Creativity" Guest Blog

Good Monday Morning! 

Hope everyone survived the snowstorms that seemed to be relentless last week on the East Coast with no damage or war wounds to speak of!  I have to admit, I wish I was more productive during the down time when most everything was closed but felt like hibernating and just going slow (I need to get over that feeling quick as there are tons of things for me to get ready for in the next couple of months which I'll be discussing with you over the next few weeks)!   

So it was a blessing with I was approached by  the super sweet and talented 

  Cindy Michaud  about writing a guest blog post about  her exercise recently where she worked with her non-dominant hand over a 30 day period.

Today she is sharing  some of her art with us and tips for taking on a challenge such as this. 

It's not surprising that when you shift your way of thinking and doing, you open yourself up to new "channels of creativity".  Read on for more on Cindy's experience!

“Opening Channels of Creativity”

Cindy Michaud (www.cindymichaud.com)

We all get stuck: our art adventure hits a wall and we feel drained.  We feel un-creative. While there are 1001 reasons this happens, I know of one sure-fire way to cure it.  Get unstuck with a little-used method guaranteed to re-open your channels of creativity:

Work with your non-dominant hand.

If you are right-handed, commit to several days of working only with your left hand.  It is a direct way to connect with the side of your brain (the right hemisphere) which controls creativity, spontaneity, and imagination.  Stimulating the opposite side of your brain (left-handers need to reawaken their right side) opens neural communication while strengthening those synapses we hear so much about.

I know all this because I experienced it first-hand, I mean left-handedly, before I did the research.  Faced with at least a month of recovery from surgery, I had two choices: abandon my creative pursuits (which would definitely drive me crazy) or work with my non-dominate hand (which might make me crazy).  I chose the latter.  To add a little motivation I committed to it publically for 30 days.  Yep, 30 days of sharing with the world art done strictly with my left hand.  (I might as well strip naked for a selfie, right?) 

Before I share the benefits (and there are many) let’s break it into manageable parts. Don’t jump in with your usual tools and expect anything more than frustration (which, hint, is part of the ride).

Controlling the hand and controlling the arm are two different functions.  Start with the hand by using a small piece of paper or a page in your journal.  Smooth paper and a pen flow best.  Start by making squiggles, loops, arcs and corners.  Play with pushing and pulling the pen.  Feel your brain warming up?

Write your name.  Take it slow, savor the movement involved. 

My brain needed to break each letter into a set of instructions: go up, up, up to the right and come down to the line making a loop (that’s an “l”).  Talk to yourself.  Your hand and brain might need to rest between letters.  Try a longer word and you will get so engrossed in shaping the letters that you may forget how to spell it. 

What seems automatic with the dominant hand takes time with the non-dominant.  Be patient.  Use different pens and note the feel against the paper.  This is like doing sit-ups, no one sees you do it, but they will eventually notice the results.

(Relax, it is hard work stimulating the brain and forcing the hand into foreign positions.  I likened my right hand to the bossy older sister, often jumping ahead of the plan and wanting to direct everyone while the left hand was my compliant middle child, anxious to please and eager to learn albeit slower to perform.  Some days I sat on my right hand to keep it from interfering.)

Are you game to continue?  Here are some ways to simplify your exploration:

1                      1-      Draw something simple from memory.  If you like leaves and vines or prefer faces, draw things familiar to you.  These subjects are new items to your off-hand and you will see a freshness in the interpretation.

             2-      Next, copy an object.  Try a contour line drawing of your coffee cup.  Do only the outside edges and have your eye move in tandem with your pen: slowly.  Notice every dip and chip and turn and curve.  It may take 15 minutes to do the cup.  Breathe. 

contour line drawing of a fellow artist

             3-  Feel free to turn your paper.  Your body will want to contort and twist for some movements but moving the paper is better.  Your hand won't care if it is upside down.

                           4-   Add color.  Whether you want to start with color or do the pen first then add paint, I found that simple watercolors were the easiest.  (Since I could not get the tops off the acrylics or oils, this tip came intuitively.) Soft, luscious, drippy colors made my non-perfect drawings take on new energy and I began to look forward to brushwork.

Above was drawn in ink and
then the color was added.



 Left was done with watercolor first and then ink drawings on top.



The right one is only watercolor, no ink drawing at all.

                        5- Commit to working with the non-dominant hand for a period of time.  This is a training process and you will not progress if your attempts are sporadic.  It will be aggravating if you don’t see a benefit.

              6- Branch out and try new combos.  I actually did some gluing of letters, an abstract in acrylic (with help on those tube tops) and played with pastels.  I had a sense of exploratory freedom I often lack.

And speaking of benefits? There are so many! A new-found confidence emerged.  I had set my bar very low: get something on paper every day.  So imagine my thrill when the left hand began to produce results I liked.  Another outcome was improved observation.  I learned to “see” with extra attention, sending the brain and hand minute details that I previously would have missed.  This is a huge benefit. Also I noticed a lack of fear and hesitation.  Since I had such low expectations I felt free to fail, free to jump in without hesitation or anxiety.  And finally, I gained a positive patience with my work that I did not feel before. The art became relaxing and fun, I was not rushing.  In fact, studies have shown that working with the non-dominant hand helps short-tempered people become less aggressive.  Who knew? 

And yes, before you ask, I intend to continue to involve my left hand in art.  It’s hard to explain the creative channels that were opened by this 30 day exercise.  My new work has a special style and personality; I see a creative looseness and spontaneity in it that I want to keep.  Had I not been forced to employ the non-dominant hand for a period of time I seriously doubt these benefits would have been realized.  So go ahead and bust through that dry spell. Your off-hand will surprise you by unveiling some new creative channels.

Cindy Michaud works primarily in oils.  To see more of her work or to contact her, visit her website at www.cindymichaud.com.  She also invites you to sign up to receive her blog every Friday via email (www.cindymichaudart.blogspot.com) where you will be treated to jewels of information about art and the creative, dedicated people who produce it.  Cindy enjoys sharing her own adventures as well as the journeys of other artistic souls.  (For more stories about her 30 days as a left handed artist go to her blog and search "30 in 30" or "left handed work.")  

Thank you Cindy for joining us today and for sharing your journey. I, for one, am very inspired!

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