10 Habits I Credit My Success as an Artist To
Blogging regularly.
In one of Seth Godin’s books, I read that blogging regularly is the best thing you can do for success. That it will help you find your tribe, drive traffic to your work, and hone your voice. That really stuck with me, so I’ve been blogging every week since. With hundreds of posts under my belt, I’ve seen how amazing blogging has been for my art.
Think about it - we all occupy a footprint online. That footprint grows with every piece of content you put into the world. Much of the internet is based on word searches. Therefore, the more you blog, the more people you can reach. It’s also a great way to find your voice as a creator. I find the process therapeutic because it’s helped me uncover who I am as an artist. I’ve gotten to know myself better through my own words.
Whether you want to blog once a day, once a week (which works for me), or once a month, try to start this habit and I promise you will see great results. Many people have found my work because my posts have showed up on search engines.
Morning pages.
I’ve long been a proponent of morning pages ever since reading Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way. I’ve also mentioned morning pages many times on my blog. For those of you who don’t know what morning pages are - it’s 3 pages of stream of consciousness writing first thing in the morning.
To me, it’s the best way to get your demons out as an artist, recognize bad patterns, and set goals for the future. It clears away the mental clutter that comes with being an artist. When that mental clutter is gone, we are free to make our best work.
I’ve also found morning pages facilitate forward motion in my life. When you catch yourself complaining about the same thing over and over again, it’s hard not to do something about it. Morning pages have affected my general life in a big way too.
Reviewing work.
To me, the best way to learn is from past work. At the end of each year, I like to post my 10 favorite paintings from the previous year. This helps me identify trends in my style - what I’m liking and not liking. That way, I can make little corrections next year. It’s my way of summarizing where I’m currently at with my work and what I still need to work on. Throughout the year, I’m also pinning up my best work in my studio. I’m constantly analyzing my work, identifying what I like and don’t like about each piece. I even make notes sometimes, which is helpful for future work.
Lastly, I analyze top selling prints in my shop at the end of each year, so I can identify which pieces my customers like best. They’re not always the ones I like the best. However, the ones I pay attention to are the ones I love and customers love as well. Those are my north star for the next year’s body of work.
The 3x3 to-do list.
You’ve all heard me talk about this on my blog. Jim Kwik, author of Limitless, suggests making a list of three personal and three professional things to do every day as a way to stay productive. It’s best to keep the items on your list small yet mighty.
One artist tendency I’ve identified is that we’re kind of all over the place. We have trouble focusing our attention on things, because we’re passionate about many different projects. Our ability to jump from one project to another is a blessing and a curse. If not controlled, we’d never get anything done.
This 3x3 list habit keeps my attention focused. As someone who works from home full-time freelancing, it keeps me from getting too distracted by personal tasks that need to get done around the house. I know my three tasks going into my day, so I can plan accordingly. For something to get done, it must end up on my list. Otherwise, it has to wait until the next day.
Set timers.
I’ve started setting timers on my Alexa while I work, and it’s taken my productivity through the roof. I’ve read so many studies that support this habit, and I’m now a believer. Usually, I set a 50 minute timer. Then, I’ll take a break and start another timer. Those of you with shorter attention spans can break this 50 minutes into two 25 minute increments - also known as a Pomodoro. The Pomodoro technique was developed by Francesco Cirillo in 1987, and is based on the idea that 25 minutes is the ideal amount of time for us to focus on a task.
For some reason, the idea of setting a timer makes me actually sit down and work, versus getting up for distractions. It also helps me plan out my day better, knowing how much I can actually fit in. Usually it’s less than I think, so this habit helps me accomplish the important stuff. When I try to sit down without a timer, I usually don’t sit down at all, because it feels more daunting.
Prioritize personal projects.
I define a personal project as any idea that originates from me. In my experience, personal projects - like opening a shop, redoing a website, writing a book, or releasing a newsletter are the best way to level up as an artist. Often, these are the projects that fall by the wayside in favor of low hanging fruit like client work. It can be difficult to set aside time to work on a project that doesn’t yield immediate cash. However, I’ve seen that over time, these are the projects that reap the best results. Unfortunately, these projects will never get done unless we make them top priority. The attention others demand from us will always come first.
I’ve made a habit of working on these projects first thing, before shipping orders, answering emails, and doing client work. This mindset has produced amazing results for me. These projects will bring you income years from now. I’m always trying to produce more cash from personal projects, and less from client work, because this model is more sustainable in the long run.
Keep a list of things to make.
I’ve talked about this one a lot too. We creatives always have ideas swirling around in our brains of things to make. Then, when we sit down to actually create, we can’t think of anything to make. This exercise has two benefits. One, it clears your mind so you don’t need to remember all the great ideas you have. And two, it ensures you’ll never fear the blank page again. You list doesn’t need to be in written form. It can be on your phone notepad if that works best for you. Just keep up this habit, and you’ll never fear the blank page again.
Good organization habits.
Organization does not come easily to most artists. Something about being messy is built into our DNA. However, I’ve learned to be organized because I’ve seen great results.
One good organization habit to start today is to have a great filing system for your work. I have a black archival storage box for every year. This year, I needed two, so they are labeled 2022A and 2022B. Then, I put my work into sealed archival plastic sleeves within each box, so it’s protected from the elements. I haven’t yet had to create a digital catalog list of what’s in each box. However, I may have to that soon, since my body of work is getting so large. The size of the boxes will depend on the kind of work you make. My work is typically smaller, so 9x12 or 11x14 boxes work for me. Just being able to locate my work at any time has done wonders for my creativity.
Another great organization habit I’ve implemented is to tidy my workspace at the end of every day. I’m more likely to create if I enter a clean room in the morning. Also, on Fridays, I do a deep clean of my studio. I wipe down all the surfaces, and put everything away. My Friday clean is digital too. I empty my desktop, organize my files, and clean my inbox. It’s great to start Monday with a clean slate.
Establishing a digital filing system early is key. I use Dropbox to keep my art files backed up. I try to keep my folders nice and organized so I can find something within seconds.
Have a designated space for creating only.
If I were to choose one habit from this list to implement, it’s this one. Sadly, many artists don’t have a special place set aside to make art. I hate hearing that people are making art at their kitchen tables. It doesn’t matter how small your space is. All you need is a little desk and cart for your art supplies in the corner of a room. I like a desk with cubbies or drawers for storing paper and sketchbooks. I use a cart for my paints, palettes, and brushes.
Why is this habit so important? First, if you have to get out your supplies every time you make something, you probably aren’t going to create very often. Sitting down to make art is hard enough. Who has time for a lengthy setup?
Second, having an art desk out in the open reminds you to make work. It also validates you as an artist. It’s a great way to show yourself that your art is important to you.
Make a little something every day.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How do you become a successful artist? One brushstroke at a time. And some days, literally one brushstroke is all I’m capable of. I just try to make a little something every day, without putting pressure on myself to produce amazing work. To me, it’s more important I keep the art habit alive.
This mindset, which took me years to learn, has helped me produce a huge body of work. This habit is why I think of myself as a productive artist. You will never feel like you’re creating enough work on a daily basis. However, at the end of the year, you’ll be in awe of how much you made.
Bonus habits:
Take a process photo every time you create something.
Making this a habit ensures you always have content to share. Also, legally, it’s good to document your process as proof you made the work.
Keep an e-mail list and send a monthly newsletter.
I like to think of my newsletter as a summary of everything I’ve been up to each month. It’s a great way to keep my fans plugged into what I’m doing. Even if you don’t have the capacity to send a newsletter right now, start collecting e-mails on your website for future use.
Go to the art store once a month.
I have a Dick Blick art store 25 minutes from my house. It’s my happy place. Every time I go in there, I walk out with something new to try. This last time, I bought watercolor pencils as a new way to sketch out my work under my paint. Going to the art store regularly forces me to try new techniques and never get too comfortable with my work.