The answer is a resounding yes- with a few adjustments.
We’re fast coming upon the 6 week summer holidays in the UK, when family time and childcare will take up much more of my time. Although I love not having the pressure to do much, I also really enjoy making artwork and don’t want to drop it completely. Lockdown was, of course, the ultimate frustration in this regard, but it was also the time when I started to formulate my strategy to keep on keeping on, in the face of low time and energy.
So whether life has thrown you a curve ball such as illness, caring for a loved one or a change of circumstances, here are my tips for those low capacity times when you still need some creative juices flowing to feel good.
Acceptance. Instead of berating yourself for not ‘getting as much done’ as you used to, try to accept your changed circumstances- they will likely force you to work in a different way, and that may be a blessing.
Decide what is really important to you, and prioritise it- that might mean cutting out other things. You can’t do everything, and that’s OK. It doesn’t mean you’re a failure, just that you’re prioritising. Who knows, in hindsight, this might be a turning point in how you make art (instead of grappling with large canvases and big problems, you might find that you work faster and freer, releasing something hitherto unknown in your art.)
Time– there’s never enough! There’s nothing like being pushed for time to make every last minute count, you will become much more efficient with your time.
You may find that the way you plan your time changes- out with the 2-3 hour blocks of studio time, in with the 15/20/30 minutes squeezed in- you may not even be able to plan these into your week. This is no bad thing though. Short periods of time- often just enough to make one mark- mean you don’t overthink. And all those one marks add up to something. Plus, time away from your work in between marks can be really healthy for your art- allowing you see the work afresh every time you go back to it.
Also: look at the free time you do have. Could you do something creative early in the morning, just for 15 or 20 minutes before you start your day. Look at art books over lunch? Use your evenings to make art or take online courses? (If, like me, you’re facing the summer holidays in Northern Europe, those lovely long evenings really add up).
Have a good look at how you’re spending your time now- what can you cut out, reduce, delegate, postpone, or put on hold?
Space. The way to be most effective with your reduced time, is to have a space close by or part of your home. I know this isn’t always possible or ideal, but having even a small corner you can go to for 15 minutes can feel life-saving.
I’ve known people with a small chest and workshop in their flat hallway, full of all their jewellery making tools and materials, ready to go at short notice. As you may know, I have an 8ftx8ft shed studio, which came into it’s own during lockdown.
The key is to be a little disciplined: keep it fairly tidy (or you will spend your 15 minutes tidying, not making) and have things to work on easy to get to or already out- motivation goes down when you can’t decide what to do- or find anything you need!
Materials and Art Type. You may find you need to change what you make. For instance instead of large canvasses and trolleys of paint, you may need to work on paper with minimal colours.
Or it might be a case of adapting what you already do. Printmakers may find that they can’t get to the print studio or press, but as you’ll know if you follow me here, there are myriad ways to print at home without a press (my video courses show you how, plus there are live online courses such as my ‘Complete Home Printmaker’ starting on September 24th). In fact, learning at home, online, is now a fantastic way to keep any practice going- you can watch videos and recordings at any time and they can give you the motivation to make, even when you don’t think it’s worth it.
Constraints are often the beginning of incredible creativity, so don’t rail against them, find what you can do within them.
Repetition of technique, colours and forms can often lead to new motifs, series of work and entire new directions. I’ve completed the 100 day project 2 years in a row, and I found it incredibly useful in teaching me how much you can achieve in 10 minutes a day and that constraints and repetition are no bad thing (you can read about my experiences here and watch videos about it here).
Pre-planning for lower capacity . If you’re lucky enough to know in advance that you’ll have lower capacity, then you can plan ahead. Leave some projects aside if you know they’ll be easy to work on or finish at home, or in short spurts (this also saves deciding what to do, later on).
Have fun making collage papers (one of my favourite ‘quick win’ ways to make art), so you have piles ready to go for 15 minutes collage sessions.
When I know I won’t be able to get to a printing press for a while, I use my time at the print studio very effectively, printing as many plates as I can, then leaving them to work on at home in the coming weeks.
What ever challenges you’re facing- don’t give up. Adapt, adapt, adapt. And have fun!