A Practical Guide for Artists Who Do Too Much

Let’s be honest, artists and creatives are simply not appropriately resourced in America, and because of these limited resources, it is likely that any given person working on a project is running more than one or potentially all of the following: creative direction, fundraising, production, documentation, marketing, costuming, sound design, the list goes on and on and on and on…Many artists are multi hyphenates, but for many creatives, this multiplicity is forced upon them due to a lack of support. The pressure to keep so many balls in the air can sometimes lead to your art falling to the wayside or your creativity suffering. As a choreographer myself, this has happened to me time and time again. Here are my tips for staying cool, calm, collected, cared for, conscientious, and CREATIVE.

Manage Your Time

The biggest piece of advice I can possibly give is to over budget your time at every chance you get. When you are balancing multiple roles, you simply need more time. And it’s better to account for the unknown challenges than to always be falling behind. Set weekly and monthly tasks for yourself to keep the admin side of your artistry alive and well. Some examples of weekly tasks could be to post on social media, look for upcoming artistic opportunities, send a check in email to a potential donor, and clean out your email inbox. Some monthly tasks could include updating your expense tracking for taxes, updating your website, sending a newsletter, and writing invoices for freelance gigs.

When you have an upcoming project or show on the horizon, build out a detailed schedule to keep you on track. Work backwards, starting with the deadline or performance date, and then break down every teeny tiny task that needs to happen before that. When writing out the steps ask yourself, “if this is going to happen, what else needs to happen?” The more specific the better, and the more accomplishable the individual tasks will feel! Assign a deadline for each step, and try to give yourself as much preparation time as possible so you can stay on top of things and have room for error. Holding yourself accountable to deadlines you give yourself is HARD, so try sharing this schedule with a peer, a partner, or a friend who can check in with you and help keep yourself going.

Lean on Your People

As the wise cast of High School Musical once said, we’re all in this together! There is simply no need to do everything yourself, no matter how good you are. Especially during busy times or leading up to a big event, doing everything can come at an expense to your physical, mental, and emotional health, and your artistry will be worse for it. Take a look at that broken down timeline you made for yourself, and think about the people in your life, who can you offload tasks to? If you don’t have money to pay folks to help you, it is helpful to ask people close to you, or to offer a small stipend, or to do a trade of labor, goods, or even some homemade cookies to show how much you value their time.

Bringing on a co-creator, an interdisciplinary collaborator, a business manager, an intern, or even an enthusiastic friend can revolutionize your practice. This of course comes at a cost, likely requiring you to divide up the profits from any work you do. However, it is more than likely that projects that are supported by multiple sets of hands and multiple viewpoints will be more well-rounded, intentional, and able to garner higher profits. Sometimes it is worth it to lose a little profit in order to enhance your work and your well-being. Weigh the costs and benefits, and decide how you can bring other people along and into your success.

Keep Your Brain Intact

They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, but I say distance makes your work grow stronger. The work of a creative has no solid end point, and it can feel like there is always more to do. Work on training yourself to set time limits on creating your art and all the other administrative tasks that support your work. When a project consumes your whole brain, you actually lose the ability to look at it critically and your perspective may become cloudy. One method I often recommend, especially for freelance artists, is to set a schedule every week. Here is a one day example of this: Monday 9-10:30 am answer emails, 10:30 am-1:30 pm studio time, 1:30-2:30 pm lunch and take a walk, 2:30-3 pm nap, 3-4 pm work on upcoming grant, 4-6 pm studio time with collaborator, 6-7:30 pm dinner with friend, 7:30-10:30 lay on the couch and watch Netflix or read a book.  

Of course, you may end up veering off of a schedule, and that is ok! This practice is set up so that you intentionally set aside time to be creative, get any administrative tasks done, rest, and take care of yourself. Making time to step away from your work sharpens your decision making skills, allows you to see what you have done through fresh eyes when you return to it, and ultimately benefits the quality of whatever you are doing. Scheduling a day off, buying concert tickets, and going for walks are of equal importance to your work, and don’t you forget that!

Get Money

I hate it as much as you do, but when your art is backed financially, your life becomes easier. When you reach a point where you have resources to outsource certain tasks like marketing, bookkeeping, fundraising, and event production, your brain is able to focus on your art with clarity you didn’t know was possible. Write out your artistic goals for the year and then start working backwards. How much money will your next gallery, performance, album, or project cost? Once you identify what you need and for what, it’s time to start making yourself known. 

Some popular ways to fund your art are grants, sponsorships, community or government partnerships, and crowdfunding. This topic requires many follow up blogs, but the key is understanding the landscape in which you are making your work and investigating the resources that may be available to you. Do some research, how are other artists in your area funding their work? Better yet, set up a coffee date and ask them! The ultimate goal is to focus on your artistry, and some front end admin, writing, and networking can mean the difference between a year of hustling and a year of relaxed and intentional art making!

Before I Talk Too Much

To be an artist means to be busy, and it’s likely you are balancing many things at once. Let these suggestions guide you towards a practice that best suits your artistry, needs, lifestyle, and mental health. There is no one size fits all for existing as a creative, but if you take one thing from this blog post let it be this: you are not alone, but be sure to take time alone. Your work will be better with help, you can manage problems easier alongside a collaborator, and you can accomplish your goals more effectively by talking to someone who has been in your shoes. Be bold in your pursuit of community, but also in your pursuit of alone time and self care. Say no to things if you are tired or emotionally spent, open up to loved ones about your experiences, and enjoy your own peaceful presence.

Good luck and happy creating!

Eliza Malecki