Productivity in the Studio Part 8

FINISHING WORK

I work on multiple projects at all times.  My work is dramatically multi-media, ranging from drawing to full scale installation in all sorts of materials.  It suits my personality!  There is usually something to work on that suits my attention on any given day!  But how do I manage the list of projects?  among other things, with LISTS.

1) I often prioritize my lists by day and delivery date

2) When I leave the studio at night, I try to leave the work with an obvious next step: e.g. hang a fresh piece of paper and put a mark on it; lay out tools needed for the next step; webpage open to idea sources

3) I use a bookmarking program that allows me to save, offline, lists of sites germane to my research (DevonThink Pro)

4) I leave myself notes pinned or taped to artworks in process, especially  if I need to be out of the studio for a few days, so I can more easily pick-up where I left off.

5)  If it looks stupid, CUT IT UP and re-assemble.  If the time and materials are precious, Photoshop the cutting up process to rehearse it.

6) trick your eye: walk away from a problem piece, then turn and look: what is the first thing you see?  Is that a good thing?

7) put problem pieces away for a while to "marinate."  When you take them out again, you may know what to do next, including recycling;-)

8) turn it upside down and sideways!  Repeat it! What if you made more of them? Your camera and Photoshop are great for testing this.

9) Photograph that problem piece:  the camera flattens it out allowing you to see the composition differently.

10) ask people to look at it:  how does it make them feel, what do they see first.  Ask artists and non-artists.

11) form a critique group

12) always ask "What if..."  Theme and variation can lead to bodies of work ready for large exhibition.

13) I write a list for the next day before I go to bed

14) Create accountability-especially in the absence of an upcoming due date, how do you keep working?  Create an accountability relationship with another artist: agree to gently hold each other accountable to finish works or make progress toward finishing work.

15) When my obligations are complex or unmovable (like when I have a grant to fulfill) I will create a timeline and stick to it.