Daily art habits cultivate a lifestyle that helps you overcome your lack of willpower or inspiration.
Many people think that disciplined people are like that because of some personality trait or their firm (and magical) willpower. Sometimes they even look for a genetic reason for being or not like this. Still, my experience as an art teacher has taught me that being disciplined is a matter of having and maintaining good habits.
I have to admit that a lot of my teaching with my audience (often teenagers) goes through there, and it's a tough fight. They think that knowledge is the main focus when methodology, good habits, and routines are essential for their progression and success. They also believe (and well) that good artists are the ones who break the rules, so why not start doing it right from the start. And they have a point: the geniuses broke the rules, but only after they knew and mastered them with excellence.
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” ― Pablo Picasso
More, there's this romantic idea (which solemnly unnerves me, I might add) that artists must be disorganized, unclean, and miserable.
As an educator, I cannot continue to perpetuate this idea: first, because I disagree with it, and second, because I think that we, artists, deserve better.
But let's focus on what's essential, and that is: what artists must do if they want to continue progressing and producing regularly and consistently.
The four things disciplined artists always do:
1. Not Wait for Inspiration
Surprisingly, many people believe that disciplined people must be in the mood to go to their atelier* and artwork. Disciplined people know that they can't rely on motivation (or willpower).
Like anything, motivation comes and goes. It's a bonus when it's there, but it's impossible to always be present. Motivation or willpower will bring will help you in the first days but what happens after that?
It would help if you design your timetable and environment to be more conducive to completing your goals. Understand that taking action, no matter how your mood is, will bring you more motivation in the long run.
Timebox your art working time. It should be in your daily habits going to your art space. For example from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. or if it`s not your main activity, to work during one exact period of time, daily. If after work without the "I`m too tired" excuse.
You should be carefull and reduce the countless distractions around you, and leave your phone silenced away.
Motivation comes when you start to make progress, so it's more important to take small actions daily, no matter how your mood is. In a few words: find a space without distractions to work. Just show on time and sART.
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” ― Pablo Picasso
2. Start Small
It's hard to implement a new life´s habit if it`s too big or complex to start with.
When we face the reality of how difficult it is, "if the effort is too much, we go back on reliying on willpower, and we give up."
If you're serious about making change, then it's about starting small and slowly making improvements.
Do you want to paint 30 art pieces per day? Start with ten and work your way up. Or even better, start with one. Yes, you are reading well. One.
When something is easier to do, it also makes it easier to implement and keep in your life.
After you accomplish that for some time, let's say a week, add up a bit more. These will come naturally, to three and then seven, etc.
It's just not going to happen with one significant massive effort. Do it in a slow mode and hold to your results.
3. Have a Plan
Focus on what you can control, make a plan and work steadily towards your goal.
Keep on with your daily habits and actions, which will lead to the desired goal or outcome if done consistently over time.
Understand what you can manage: if you will paint/draw five hours (or ten minutes) per day.
So plan your goals and tasks initially, focus on the small steps you can take right now, like deciding the when, what, and how you will do it—sometimes adding a why also helps. Plan and leave it on your table for the next day or until you find the time to do it.
Example: at what time will I start and finish working? On what exactly? What will I need to do it? What it's the primary purpose of this?
Whatever you decide, make sure you commit to an artistic goal that you believe is realistic, considering your lifestyle and living situation.
For example, I'm doing the #100dayartchallenge: in which I dedicate myself to spending 100 consecutive days creating abstract art using watercolor. And since I have another work during the day, I reserve 30 minutes of the afternoon to do it, leaving everything ready to start working.
This already made decisions saves time and reduces my decision fatigue, distraction and excuses to avoid or postpone artwork.
Be careful on the need to have the perfect plan** and reward yourself once in a while when you're making progress.
4. Accept Imperfection
Listen to your feelings and be very aware of them, but don't let them rule you. Better said than following, isn't it?
If you want to achieve some artistic results, you need to realize you can't always trust blindly in your emotions. Emotions are your mind's guesses about how you should perform or achieve.
Be ambitious in your progress but respect your pace. Accept your performance level and just keep showing up to work. Watch what others are doing not to compare yourself to them but to fuel your inspiration and learn new things. Adapt what you observe around you to your circumstances.
"Adapting our dreams to our capacities would be a great asset also." - Lachlan Brown
If I'm not capable to make fifty drawings a day, but I'm keeping my average of good quality ten for some months now, why disturb my peaceful and happy production?
Keeping up with that habit is the key here. At the time, it might not seem significant, but this small consolidated habit can lead to big achievements.
* atelier used here must be understood as a space where you can work in a consistent and durable mode. It can be the kitchen table, a real studio, or a corner in the home's living room.
** I already wrote about this idea of "the perfect plan": Just focus on having a "good enough" plan, start taking action, and keep on improving from there.
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