Hello, my name is Elza, aka Helga. I am a mother, IT professional, Suma cum Laude, and quite a decent artist (or I would like to think that). And let me tell you how and why you need to build the art routine.
Sounds like a post from the online couch on how to live your life. But I am not selling anything nor trying to teach you. Instead, I want to think and share on the matter of “how you can keep it all together.”
Spoiler alert: you cannot.
The simple truth is that you will sacrifice something. And if you what to have a list of all the good things, the piece you sacrifice is your sanity and health.
I am neurodivergent, and I struggle with different anxiety and depressive disorders. I had manic phases when for months, I would not sleep and work nonstop on things no one asked for. I would be highly emotional, and I can fight with people just because. I would have anxiety, but I still would finish all the projects and take even more on myself. And then, I would fall into deep months-long depression and apathy. Needless to say, I do not get anything done during those times. Hardly.
For years I tried to develop a scheme to help me exist to the best of my abilities. It does not help me with my disorder, but it helps me to control my swings.
Further are some steps and tools I used and stacked with to function. I can describe more about how I used those tools/techniques if anyone is interested.
Art/craft
First, I tried to assume the “Craftsmen” mindset. I use this mindset for my study, work, and art. Or craft. Many will argue that what we do is not a type of art but instead craft; however, I create my own designs, and I would concede it is some art. I may be very naive.
Coming back to the craftsman mind concept. I first heard this concept from carl Newport’s books, which define the system in which you practice your craft, and you have a simple output from it. And you practice every day to make it better.
For many of us, this is a hobby, and we cannot dedicate every day to practicing our art/craft as a form of habit. In reality, art is not a habit. It is not the same mindless action you commit every day. But the simple truth is you can only evolve your art with regular practice. Maybe not every day. Maybe not an hour a day. Try to find and schedule some time you know you are working on something.
Say No
Oh, this is the art I am still learning. I am incapable of saying no. to others and myself. I end up with many projects with demanding deadlines; I am overcommitting myself and need more time to work on what I want. Likely I have various interests, and I find everything interesting, but still too much. Say NO.
Tools and techniques
- I select one project per week.
Sometimes a project takes more than a week, but I write it into my weekly objectives as long as it is incomplete.
Try to select one project per week to keep yourself manageable.
- I break down the project into small parts/tasks.
I write them into my to-do list. I use to-doist and separate the tasks into different projects. To-do lists software usually lets to create templates for tasks and projects, so it takes little time to create them for every project.
- Keep an ideas list but clean it once a year.
Keeping a list of commissions, ideas, plans, etc., is essential. However, over time this list tends to be overloaded with items no longer relative. Feel free to remove all the noise. Focus on what is essential.
- Talk about your work.
It was the only way to get my work and research out there. I take so much pride in what I do; if that is not perfect, I struggle to put it out. So I came up with a psychological trick – I post regularly, so I stay accountable, so I am actually doing something.
- Take a break.
Important! If you need to take a break, take a break.
What is important
At the end of the day, YOU are important. Your sanity is essential. Burnout is not worth it at all. Keep it steady, keep it under control, and be patient with yourself. And your tree will blossom.
Phoenix Safe Place 