Have you ever taken a really good look at your process in your studio or office to see if it is helping you or causing you grief? As someone who teaches time management I am always looking for ways to increase my efficiency, produce better work, etc. At the beginning of July I had a major computer software crash that made me rethink how to do things that were basic. That event not only made me think about software, but even how and where I am spending my time. For instance I used to do most of my marketing activities in the morning and my studio work in the afternoon. The problem was that the problems of the day usually meant I was working into the night to finish projects or too tired to put in all of my creative effort. I am definitely a morning person. I have since switched that around and found by doing my creative work in the morning I am more efficient and produce better work.
In my time I have seen some amazing studios and I have also seen some studios that there was no point in trying to clean up as that attempt would have been hopeless, just burn it! I find I clean up in stages. I am pretty neat to begin with and don’t use oils or anything but I find that I usually leave my projects out and just move onto the next one as I complete them. Then at the end of the week I will straighten out my studio in preparation for the next week. So try grouping your projects to see what works best for you. In my former days when I was doing more personal projects I would have three projects on the go at once and move in between them as required.
The important thing is to find a process that works for you based upon the space you have to work with. The larger the space generally the more you can leave out, but the longer it takes you to clean it up. Is your space efficient or do you have to move tons of stuff to start work each day. Is your space pleasant to work in or all over the place? Even if your process has been working for you try and improve it on a regular basis. It will not only make it better for you but for the clients you deal with.
About the Author
Bruce Outridge is an illustrator, business consultant, and cartoonist from the Southern Ontario area of Canada. Information can be found about his illustration business on his website www.brueoutridgeproductions.com or his consultant website at www.outridge.ca
Bruce Outridge Productions 