Tag: creative focus
The last thing artists expect is needed to stay consistent is emotional skills, but let me break it down for you. Most of us think being consistent is all about discipline, rigid schedules, or hours locked in the studio. Like, “if I just grind long enough, I’ll magically produce every day.” But the truth is way messier, and way more human. What really keeps you showing up is how you deal with the doubts, the distractions, the little inner voices that whisper, “Maybe today isn’t worth it.” That’s where emotional skills…
Choosing which open calls, exhibitions, or opportunities to pursue is rarely straightforward. The art world is full of invitations, submissions, and deadlines, all promising exposure, recognition, or a boost to your career. But not every call actually moves the needle. It is easy to chase opportunities just because they are visible or prestigious, without pausing to consider whether they align with your vision, your audience, or your long-term goals. Understanding the difference between noise and value is essential. Some calls bring nothing but temporary visibility, while others can connect you with…
People don’t always admit it, but rushing becomes a habit before you even realize what happened. You get used to moving fast because it feels safer than slowing down. There’s this quiet belief that if you pause, someone else will move ahead or you’ll lose momentum. A lot of artists fall into that pattern without meaning to, and suddenly speed feels like a requirement instead of a choice. What makes it tricky is that rushing looks like progress. You finish tasks, send things out, apply to opportunities, push out new work,…
Burnout doesn’t always happen because you’re overloaded with work. More often, it builds quietly when you don’t have a system to hold your creative flow together. You jump from project to project, say yes to new ideas, and keep pushing through late nights because that’s what creative drive looks like, right? But over time, the energy that once felt limitless starts to fade. What used to be exciting now feels like another box to check. That’s when you realize it’s not the work that’s the problem, it’s the lack of structure…
Being an artist is already very hard. Between painting, managing your studio, and trying to get your work seen, it often feels like you are juggling too many balls at once. What if I told you there’s a simple formula that makes it easier to get your work done, handle the behind-the-scenes tasks, and actually see results? The 60/30/10 rule does exactly that. It’s a surprisingly small adjustment with a big payoff, helping you balance creative time, admin tasks, and marketing without feeling like you’re drowning in to-dos. Here’s why it…
“Yes” has a way of sneaking into an artist’s life and never leaving. Every email, every invitation, every comment feels like a chance to grab something, to prove something, to be seen. But here’s the deal: saying yes to everything doesn’t make you unstoppable. It makes you stretched, tired, and wondering where your spark went. When you keep saying yes, the projects start to pile up. Deadlines collide, ideas blur together, and the work that actually excites you ends up on the back burner. That big, juicy, soul-feeding project? It’s the…
Inspiration doesn’t wait until the laundry’s folded or your inbox is clear. It tends to crash into you while you’re in the middle of reheating leftovers or racing to meet a deadline you swore you’d tackle earlier. And honestly, that timing can feel cruel. You want to grab the idea, sketch it out, let it breathe, but the rest of life is standing there with its arms crossed, reminding you it comes first. That’s the real struggle of being an artist in everyday life. You’re not living in some cabin in…