Productivity tips for artists

Find out when you work best for best productivity

Morning lark or night owl? It’s amazing how different people’s productivity can be at different points in a day. For some artists, getting up at dawn and beginning work soon after is how they like to work. For others, this would be their idea of a nightmare. When considering what time of day you work best as an artist, it is good to keep in mind practicalities too. If you’re a portrait painter who paints from sittings, then working at night clearly isn’t going to be practical unless your clientele base is of the fictional blood-sucking variety! If, on the other hand, you’re a digital designer, then working at night could be great as you can work digitally at any time of day and you’d be saved the bother of sunlight making your screen difficult to see. There’s also the interesting work pattern of working early in the morning and then working again in the evening.

Consider where you prefer to work

We all have different preferences as to where we like to work. Some artists like working plein air outdoors, while others prefer the home comforts, or practicalities, of working from a studio. I would say that, for me, I like a happy medium between the two. If I’m lacking productivity, then working outside is best for me as I find it easier to really focus on what I am doing and escape the distractions that being indoors with technology can bring. 

Other times, working indoors is good for getting into the flow with one of the ‘painting’ playlists I’ve created. Studio work also means I don’t have to watch out for the unpredictable Scottish weather!

Customise where you work

If you work at a desk then use quotes, photos, and postcards to provide some inspirational background to your working space. I am always taking photos when out and about which really comes in handy for this. I print photos of scenes I find particularly motivating and white-tack them onto the wall behind the desk in my studio. More motivation means more productivity. Not all of the photos contain the subjects I tend to paint. Some of them are there to be calming and remind me of the beauty of nature in general. Quotes are great to have too, and you could even stencil one from a favourite artist directly onto the wall.

Maintain a notebook of ideas

Having a resource, you can go to when you’re not sure of what to create is really helpful. Whenever I go to art galleries and exhibitions, I jot down notes of work I found especially interesting. I’ll also sometimes do rough sketches of the art to remind myself of it. I then look up more about the artist when I go home. If it’s contemporary art on show, I’ll do a search for the artists on social media to see if they have social channels I can follow. Inspiration can strike anywhere so wherever I am, I like having a notebook or sketchbook to write down what I’m thinking so I can go back to the notes at a later time when I’m lacking inspiration. This helps me get back to peak productivity!

Make lists of what you have achieved

It’s common to make to-do lists, many people in a whole range of professions do so often. What is a bit less common, however, is making lists of tasks you have actually completed. A key problem for artists can be self-motivation. When working alone, it is unsurprising to have dips in self-motivation at points. This is especially the case if the rest of the country is off for a Bank Holiday or enjoying the weekend, while you, and all others who are self-employed or freelancing are slogging away! By writing lists, you can remind yourself of all the things you have already achieved, either on a daily or weekly basis.

To keep up to date with the work I create when I utilise these tips, follow me on my social channels – Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.