I used to think all full-time artists did was paint. That was until I actually became a full-time artist. I pictured the greats like Monet, Picasso, and Van Gogh toiling away in their studios from dusk till dawn. Now, I see this probably wasn’t the case. While I don’t know exactly how these artists spent their time, I do know the body has limitations. Also, I’ve found art to be a process of ebbs and flows. As a full-time artist, I now imagine much of their days were spent gathering inspiration around town, planning for new work, dealing with galleries, and enjoying hobbies. We just don’t hear about this part of their lives in the history books.

Even if I can accept the idea that these artists painted constantly, I don’t see that being a very balanced life. Not one that I want to sign up for anyways. I always try to keep my art in perspective. It doesn’t define me and it’s not my life. It’s just something I like to do, and I’m lucky enough I get to make a living from it. This passion of mine could easily turn into an obsession, but I won’t let it. Other things in my life are more important.

I’ve found I can only fit in 3-4 hours of painting per day at a maximum before I get tired. At that point, my eyes hurt, my shoulders ache, and my brain feels like mush. Most days, I only paint for 1-2 hours. Sometimes, I’ll only work for 30 minutes. While this doesn’t sound like much, I’ve still managed to produce a massive body of work. My secret to creating is doing a little something every day, and this really adds up. You’d be surprised. The rest of my workday is spent doing other things.

From 9-5, I try to stick to mostly work-related tasks, with a few breaks here and there. These tasks are writing for my blog or newsletter, producing content for my membership program (thanks to you!), commercial work, posting on social media, and shipping print orders. Shipping print orders and managing my shop is the biggest time suck. And I enjoy every second of it. I like being up on my feet and moving around after an art session.

The rest of my time outside of work hours is spent on hobbies. Sometimes I do paint on the weekends because I enjoy it so much. However, these sessions are limited to 1-2 hours, just like during the week.

Lessons in Chemistry - one of my most recent reads.

Reading

I absolutely love to read. For the first few years after starting my business, I was very into non-fiction. I constantly read books about art, business, time management, and success. Now, I crave an escape, so I’ve turned to fiction. Lately, I’ve been reading 2-3 fiction books per month. I’m very active on goodreads, if you’re curious what I’ve been reading lately. My favorite place to read is on our front porch swing or screened-in porch. I’ll do this rain or shine, in hot or cold weather. Often, my husband and I will get two copies of the same book and read outside together. A good old visit to the library still makes me as happy as it used to when I was a kid. My entire family is also very into reading, so we compare notes on good books.

Playing with Our Dogs

My dogs are a major hobby of mine. We play a lot in our backyard, which we had completely fenced in last year. It has been a game changer. We also love taking our Corgi to the dog park. It’s his favorite thing. Our Great Pyrenees is more of a loner, so he doesn’t come with. I probably spend several hours a day just petting my dogs and hanging out with them. They are my best friends and greatest teachers.

Walking & Yoga

We live in a wooded area, which is perfect for walking. Every walk has great scenery. I try to go one at least one substantial walk per day. Usually, I go on multiple walks per day. If we want to go on a longer walk, we’ll drive to the nature preserve trails near our house. We’re lucky to have a lot of hiking trails in this part of Illinois. When I take a break in the middle of the workday, walking resets my brain. It feels so nice to get fresh air and sunshine. I also love yoga for indoor movement. The combination of walking and yoga seems to be just what my body needs to feel good. Yoga never fails to reset the damage painting and being on the computer does to my body.

Watching TV

I’m a little embarrassed to say that I consider TV a major hobby of mine. Streaming has just gotten so good. My husband and I will block off 1-2 hours per night to watch a show together. Sometimes we’ll make some popcorn too. We rarely watch shows alone. And we’re pretty selective about what we watch. If we’re not obsessed with a show, we usually skip to something else. We either go for really cinematic dramas, travel shows, cooking shows, or design shows (at my insistence). He’s a good sport about it. Surprisingly, I get a lot of art ideas from TV shows. Lately, we’ve also gotten into playing Nintendo Switch. It makes me feel like a kid again, and has been a lot of fun.

Antiquing

I’m not a big shopper. I buy most things online in order to save time. However I LOVE thrift and antique stores. Since my art has a vintage feel, I get a lot of inspiration from these places. Also, I just love the hunt of finding something beautiful with history. The main thing I’m always looking for is vintage frames for my art. I’ll usually visit antique stores with my husband or my mom. Sometimes with a friend. To me, it’s the perfect way to spend a weekend.

Hanging with Family

I don’t hang out with friends as much these days as I do with family. I’ve had many friendships go stale over the years, so family feels like a better investment of my time. I read once that you can only have 5 truly close relationships in your life, and I believe it. I’d rather use these slots on family. I do have a few friends I see often, but I keep my circle small. I enjoy hanging out with creative friends who can relate to my love of art, since that’s something most of my family doesn’t understand.

Travel

Ryan and I in front of our hotel in Miami, FL.

I never get sick of visiting new places. I’ve been married 13 years this November, with no kids, so I’ve had lots of time to travel. Pre-Covid, my husband took trips all over for work and I would go with him. Since Covid, he’s traveling less for work, so we’ve taken more personal trips. Our most recent trip was to Miami earlier this year, which I loved. I get many of my art ideas on trips. It’s the perfect way to reset when I’m feeling disconnected from my work. On our trips, I’ll bring a sketchbook and paints. And I always have my camera ready to take inspirational pictures for my art. When we travel, we love visiting art museums, restaurants, and going on long walks to explore a new area.

Listening to Music

I always have music on, whether it’s while I’m making art or driving in the car. Our favorite music to listen to as a couple this year has been Yacht Rock. It just makes us smile. I love listening to older music while I paint to bring out the vintage feel in my work. I also like folk and alternative music. I’m always searching for new artists, and revisiting my old favorites.

Baking

I love to bake, but I’m not very into cooking. One of the things I bake most often is french macarons. I love trying out new healthy recipes I find online too. My love for baking started out as a child, when I used to bake with my mom. I have so many fond memories. It just makes me happy. We were lucky to find a home with a really large kitchen, so I love spreading out and baking with some music on. A lot of my paintings have been inspired by baking.

So that’s how I’m spending my spare time right now. What are you all up to when you’re not making art?

What I Do When I'm Not Painting