Switching the Narrative
Switching the Narrative
a 2022 Studio Progress Report
As the first quarter of 2022 came to a close, I could sense the motivational slump lurking about my studio. Since the announcement of my plans for the new year and the daily routines I wanted to embrace, I have felt energized. Yet recently, despite my allowances for periods of downtime, I saw cracks starting to form.
I scheduled March as a "Social Media Break" to keep my time focused in the studio while allowing grace for my newly forming habits of 2022. The break also motivated me to create many new paintings (see last week’s post, “New Paintings”).
Despite this past studio-centered month, I still felt my newly established routines trying to slip away. I realized it may be time to review and adjust my course forward for the year.
In the process, I discovered it wasn’t a to-do list of daily activities and weekly goals that was holding me back. (Although some adjustment is needed there, too.)
I found I had to switch the narrative.
I originally chose to pursue a painting career in order to have more time with my young children while filling a need for creativity and purpose. Making art with the flexibility of a freelance schedule fulfilled those needs. But I also needed an income and aggressively pursued every avenue for selling my art. I became an expert at fitting tasks in between activities. Painting as a necessity for filling my show booth. A non-stop cycle of making, marketing, and selling my work to hang onto my newfound lifestyle.
I am so grateful for this time. Over the years it has allowed me to volunteer at school and chaperone events; attend rehearsals and concerts; follow new hobbies; travel across the country meeting fellow artists following similar dreams; all while honing my skills as an artist and building a sellable body of work.
Yet every time I shared or lectured on “how to build an art business” by “remembering the art comes first” - I overlooked my own need to do the same.
Now, with an art career established and children raised, I realize I have an amazing new opportunity.
An opportunity to fully focus on the art.
With the tools I brought with me into this year…
Using a time management app (Timeular - which I now use to simply track time for specific larger projects.)
Scheduling grace periods (such as March’s “Social Media Break” month as well as one week “off” every month from daily online updates)
Calendar tracking - keeping my personal online calendar up-to-date with weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals.
… and the focused studio time I enjoyed this past month, I realized my routines were not synced with my overall artistic goals. Everything on my schedule held equal weight. I prioritized tasks daily based on immediate necessity. I parsed my day into a mixed selection of tiny increments of progress instead of blocking out larger portions of my day and week to allow for longer focused studio sessions.
I wasn’t serving my larger goals.
I want to create more thoughtful, purposeful, and meaningful art. Art that can fill a space, cross disciplines, and tell a larger story.
At the Beginning of 2022
I started the year with ambitious goals which, thankfully, are still progressing mostly as planned.
Regular studio journal entries showcasing smaller “swatches” of work in progress (daily updates are progressing mostly as planned on Patreon, with occasional updates here on Substack and on Instagram)
2 Virtual art show events (The first Affordable Art Show of 2022 is currently in progress)
Share at least two mixed-media making-of art features (The 1st video is on schedule for release in June via YouTube & Instagram)
At least one LIVE painting demonstration (scheduled for April 16 on Youtube, with live painting in-person occurring at the Thyme Garden Mother’s Day Weekend Event)
A regional Book & Art Tour for September 2022 (planning is currently in progress)
I also worked to establish a few new work and personal daily habits…
Daily Digital Art (still going strong)
Almost Daily Swatch Making (I’m still finding my rhythm with this project, which can be followed in detail on Patreon, but am happy with how it’s taking shape and definitely see it helping my creative process)
Daily Writing & Poetry (When I took a short holiday last month this routine took an unplanned break. I hope to start it up again soon.)
Daily Mandolin/Ukulele Practice (Happy to be keeping this up, even if it’s often just a scale for the day)
Daily Walk/Hike (This has been the best new habit for me emotionally and physically, only missing one day so far this year!)
However, as April approached and my energy and enthusiasm waned, I saw a need to change my perspective. Instead of letting daily details consume me, I decided to re-focus on the larger picture I had in mind for my art.
In order to do that, I can no longer treat my art-making as a task to fit into an ever-changing daily routine. I need to schedule focused studio time first - something I’ve never felt I had the luxury to do before.
Dreaming of an art installation
Today I am inspired and re-energized. My vision of the story I want my art to tell is at the front and center of what I am doing today. As I’m planning, crafting, researching, and testing, I have created the necessary room for me to explore and grow. As I develop new pieces and share my progress, I will work to keep my focus on the art.
I see 2022 as an opportunity for tilling the soil and making room for big dreams. I can see a future filled with possibilities and large-scale multi-disciplinary art installations. As I work with versions of ideas and plans I’ve been creating and refining for years, I acknowledge it may take several more years for me to complete my elusive grand designs. However, I can now visualize the steps in the process. Whether by luck or by strategy (or both), my initial plans for this year have allowed a new future to take shape.
I am giving myself grace.
And, most importantly, it’s a future that also holds space for grace. The time I had allowed to recuperate, reflect, and take breaks was a greater gift than I had realized. I thoroughly enjoyed my March tucked away in my studio. It gave me the opportunity to now happily return to the world rejuvenated and ready to share more about my art-making while understanding the path my art needs to take.
So as this first week of April ends and I return to my designated 2022 routines - making swatches, sharing art, and writing reflections (to name a few) - I look forward to scheduling next week’s dedicated studio time - to put in the work, create, and keep dreaming. Big.
~ Jennifer