Limiting your options for greater productivity.
It is no secret that I have a brain that is constantly planning 50 different activities in varying degrees of complexity and my art practice is no different. There are dozens of sketches and ideas on the go at any one time. This is as natural to me as the way I cook - think throwing all the contents of your fridge into the air and holding a few casserole dishes underneath to see which combinations land where and that’s my meal plan.
My ~10 different art pages are always at varying levels of completion and whilst this keeps me very entertained, it doesn’t involve any strict deadlines yet. My year of art school with Make Art That Sells is primarily about experimentation and narrowing down my style and taste. It is also giving me a good sense of what is required in a formal assignment. But at some point in the future, I am going to have to work to strict deadlines and become dependable for clients.
Fast forward to 6 months into MYOAS and it became apparent that I needed to practice a few new techniques so I purchased some classes from Domestika.
And here is where my art practice fundamentally changed.
I really wanted an output. Something Instagrammable, possibly Portfolio worthy but absolutely definitely something which constituted a step change in style and taste.
I gave myself 3 days to complete the first course, ignoring everything inside the towering pile of sketchbooks beside my desk. The task was very strict - draw yourself in your environment as a self portrait, with a colour palette, objects, flooring, layers of paint and pencil. We were given permission to dislike it at the end.
But I didn’t dislike my end result. I loved it.
Because it was ONE FINISHED PIECE to which I had stayed committed. Within that page I had been given freedom of materials. Mixed media gives me joy!
Recently I have tried to apply this theory of limiting my options to other tasks which take me far too long, such as food shopping. By going to the smallest shop with limited but helpful choices, I cut my procrastination, the effort required and my food bill. In my wardrobe I have selected 5 outfits to wear throughout the summer, whilst bimbling around the house. I created a breakfast trolley for the children where they can physically see what is on offer and make their own.
All of these changes give me more time for practicing art.
The takeaway for me is that to truly make progress for the next 6 months I am going to have to severely limit my options. That could be colour palette, choice of medium, subject matter or market. It doesn’t mean I can’t have 9 other mini pieces on the side to keep life interesting, but I am reaching the point where consistency is becoming more important to me. I want to be known for a particular offering and I am ready to make the commitment.
It is not certain yet, but if feels like water based paints and oil based pencils are becoming my firm favourite.
What options could you limit in your life in order to progress an area which has become stagnant?
That’s a brilliant idea. I’ve been loving outcomes working only in Neocolors lately. Maybe I should embrace their versatility and use only those for a bit.
I love Domestika too. Was it Sarah Von Dongen’s course? She’s great. I really enjoy her Patreon.