Do you have so many creative ideas that you can’t wait to put them onto your canvas? But when it comes to action, do you often find yourself scrambling to find uninterrupted time or struggling to find your workflow, aka, stay in your “zone”?
This was me a year ago. If you’ve read my last post about a creative time, you’d know that I touched on this topic a bit. So now I am going to tell you a secret:
Learn from Musicians and Athletes
Many performers and athletes arrange their time into three big blocks:
1. Focus Days: These are the days they fully focus on producing and performing. It’s the most physically and mentally demanding part of their week.
2. Buffer Days: This is the time they spend practicing, preparing, learning, and rehearsing—essentially their backstage days.
3. Free Days: They don’t think or do anything work-related. They rest, recharge, and do whatever helps them fill up their life energy tank.
This way, they ensure they always perform at a professional level and never burn out.
Since I adopted this philosophy, my workflow feels so much easier, and I am a happier, more fulfilled, and purposeful person.
I just started painting again after a month-long hiatus due to the busyness of the end of the school year and needing a break from painting. During that time, I read several books from different genres, relaxed, and took a vacation with my family. Now, I am fully charged to get back to my studio again. In less than three days, I finished this 36 by 48-inch painting.
For the next month, I plan to single-mindedly focus on my paintings in the mornings while my children attend summer camps, except for a couple of travel plans. Then, I will take a week or two to rest and recharge. After that, I need to focus on marketing and prepare for my two shows in the fall.
This is a system that ensures you have a holistic life and more quality time and results, rather than just focusing on quantity.
One reminder for all of you high-achievers: When you are not in the highly productive stage, do not let anxiety creep in, thinking about EVERYTHING you need to catch up on in your art business. The resting stage is crucial for inspiring new ideas and helping you make quantum leaps in your personal and professional life. This is called psychological detachment from your work.
This approach gives you so much freedom of time—you actually spend less time but get more results.
If you like what I’ve shared so far, I actually got this idea from a book I just read. Click here for the link: https://amzn.to/4cJFdtt
I hope you have a productive and relaxing summer!
Your artist friend,
Ying
