Question of the Month: How do you work in another industry and be an artist without burning out?
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I have a lot of thoughts on this, and it's a question that comes up regularly. Over 15 years of being in (and out) of balance with managing work as a printmaker/paper artist and academic librarian, I have learned a lot of things that work and don't. I have been making a lot of art consistently for about twenty years and working full-time in academic libraries for over fifteen years. The later 10+ years of Library work have been as a tenure-track or tenured librarian and come with a commitment to finishing tenure docs, lots of teaching and prep work, running events, and previously managing a library gallery. Sometimes my mental capacity is stretched a little thin because of a constant churn in two fields, but the excitement and different workflows also help inform each area and improve me in each role. Sometimes the tech skills I pick up in one field help to streamline projects in another. Or an article I read in one discipline sparks an idea for a problem I couldn't solve in the other field. Here are a few strategies I use:
Adding in a daily walk helps me reset stress and enjoy the natural colors of the desert.
Don't Pretend It's Easy
This is a big one. Working as an artist and mother is hard enough. Then adding in an additional full-time job (in any field) is a weight to carry. No amount of calendaring or time blocking can fully cover every required deadline or meet every scheduling need in a way that isn't sometimes stressful. I don't try to be perfect. Sometimes I let go of the ideal schedule and realize I need to make do with particular circumstances. Sometimes there are hard weeks, or I need to finish something later than I would like - but the trade-off would be to do less art, not be as focused while teaching, or give up on a family tradition. I would rather have some hard (tiring) days than give up things I enjoy. I acknowledge the hard days, move on, and then rest and recover. It's also important to note that I work in education as my full-time job, so significant breaks are a part of the yearly plan. I get months away from the office in the summer and long and restful winter breaks. These are really critical to my art process. When I worked for 12 months, I strategized my week and vacation time differently so I could focus different blocks of time on art making.
Streamline, streamline, streamline
I take the same thing to work every day to eat at my Librarian job. (I take a London Fog Tea, water, an energy bar, and a PB&J sandwich for my snack.) I also wear the same outfits every week and have a super minimal work wardrobe. I also follow along and love the minimalism movement and strongly believe in having a capsule wardrobe (good overview article!). I have 4 blazers, 3 dressy scarves, 6 dress shirts, and 4 pairs of pants I wear to work in rotation (with one virtual day a week). By rotating the clothing throughout the week and planning on the same snack daily, those decisions are removed from daily and weekly decision-making.
I used to plan out my clothes for the whole week on Sundays and lay them out on hangers (I obviously love planning ahead- haha). Then I had kids and realized a super minimal closet of items was more manageable, and no actual planning needed to happen. The real star of my clothing wardrobe is the home dry cleaning product I use called Dryel. I have used these dryer sheets for over ten years to freshen up my work clothes and wash my blazers (no washer cycle is required). If you are looking for a dry cleaning alternative or need to freshen up clothing consistently, buy these Dryel sheets from amazon.
By focusing on the most essential, I complete the projects I really care about - including original paper quilts such as this (titled “Jungle Storm.”)
Manage the Energy
So much goes into being an artist. The various responsibilities of framing, managing communications (curators, designers, collectors, artists), creating and managing social media, and making the work can all be time-consuming. Having a plan of how much time will be spent on each part of the art-making and business management process needs to be decided. As with any job, some things rise to the top, and unexpected press requests or a close exhibit deadline pop up. I prefer to wake up a little early, have some quiet studio time with coffee, and head into my Librarian job during the school year. I have a little time after work to make a snack for the family and do business-related items such as email or answer any pricing or press inquiries. If I had done the email work before my Librarian job, I'm have been as focused during my work day. Finding the schedule that worked for me was about something other than using the time well and meeting deadlines; it was about paying attention to my energy and how much I had in each role. Personally, I don't love email. Starting the day with studio time makes me feel like I have already accomplished something when I go to work and start the day off quietly and with purpose.
Those are my main strategies for working in two separate industries. The bottom line: look for overlap, let go of perfect balance and streamline as many decisions as much as possible. What about you - are you working in separate fields? What are your key strategies?