Ask the Art Prof: How Can a Visual Artist Balance their Life?

“How can an artist balance their life?”

There are so many aspects and responsibilities to being an artist, and balancing them is often times a logistical nightmare.  Know that finding that balance is a constant work in progress which you will always have to work at. I don’t know anyone in the field who isn’t constantly troubleshooting how to make things work for them.

The ultimate challenge for most artists is how to get is those periods of solitary, uninterrupted time to work. Life is full of distractions, and finding pockets of time to work is the most difficult. Then when you finally make it to the studio, there’s the pressure to actually accomplish something with that precious time.

Making the artwork is just one facet of being an artist.  Unless you’re independently wealthy or you’re an internationally renowned artist, there is a very long laundry list for artists. You essentially have to be your own accountant, publicist, agent, installer, webmaster, etc.  I’m always filling out applications year-round for artist grants, artist residencies, and jobs. Documenting my work with high quality images is always ongoing. Storage is a constant issue for many artists. Writing is important: writing cover letters, grant applications, and artist statements. Finances are a concern, in terms of doing taxes, purchasing materials and being able to rent studio space. Networking, both in person (attending events, artist lectures, openings) and online (social media) is absolutely critical to securing exhibitions, jobs, and other opportunities.  Maintaining a website and/or blog is also becoming increasingly necessary to survive now as an artist.

These tasks can be just as time consuming as making the work itself, and all of them are ongoing.  I have times where I’m so overloaded with these tasks that I don’t have time to get to the studio. You have to figure out what works for you. I try to isolate my studio work to when I’m physically in the studio. When I’m in the studio, I get rid of all potential distractions (I turn off my phone) and focus exclusively on making the work.  I keep the other tasks (marketing, promotion, documentation, etc.) to when I have down time at home, which is generally late at night after the dishes are done and the laundry is folded.

At times it can be very, very hard to find this balance.  I’ve certainly had my share of frustrating, unproductive sessions in the studio where I accomplished nothing with that precious time. Usually my strategy for figuring out what to do next is to ask myself “Where is the emergency?” What is the task that I’ve been neglecting? That’s usually the best way for me to figure out what needs to be addressed next. If you constantly ask yourself this question, it will lead the way.

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ART PROF is a free, online educational platform for visual arts for people of all ages and means. artprof.org features video courses, art critiques, an encyclopedia of art supplies, and more.

                         

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PORTFOLIO VIDEO CRITIQUES
Prof Lieu offers video critiques on portfolios for students applying to art school and working artists. More info.

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ART DARES
Every month, we assign a topic for you to respond to with an artwork. We give out prizes in several categories!  More info.

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ASK THE ART PROF was a written column in the Huffington Post from about art related topics. Visit our Pro Development page.

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