Micro Productivity. The busy artist's friend

Wednesday, 03 February 2010 14:31

Recently I have read some great posts by Michael Nobbs and Fabian Kruse - The Friendly Anarchist about Micro Productivity. To be honest it was nice to be able to hang a label on the way I work - by grabbing every fractional second I can.

Basically Micro Productivity is just that. If you have 3 minutes before making lunch. 4 minutes before the kids come home, 5 minutes whilst waiting for someone to get ready - USE IT PRODUCTIVELY. All those 4 or 5 minutes add up over time. Dont just waste them vegged in front of the telly or reading drivel. Do something - draw in your sketchbook, plan a painting, do some writing.

Most of my prints are actually planned out whilst I sit at the play gym with a coffee, whilst my son is busy playing in the ball pool. Im writing this post as he is sitting down for a brief 5 minutes playing with his trains. I work a lot at 6 am before the kids wake up. I have to grab every single secong I can get.

Im always wishing for more spare time, but recently I had a revelation. Too much time can actually REDUCE creativity!. I get more done these days in those snatched minutes than I ever did when time stretched unendingly in front of me. When you have plenty of time you have a greater tendency to faff around, whereas lack of time forces you to cut right to the chase and get things done. When I was a student I could spend weeks on a project that I would now do in a few hours. What on earth did I do with all the time I had when I was younger? Obviously experience helps but I do think that lack of time focuses the mind and cuts the "fannying about and procrastinating" element.

Having suitable materials instantly to hand is also a great help. Keep a notebook and/or sketchbook and pen on you at all times. An iPhone or mobile that you can make notes on is also massively handy. Mobile internet access is great for accessing services such as www.evernote.com to allow you to save notes online.

So, instead of putting things off as you don't have the time, just start them. We all know that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So do it, take that first step on the project you have been meaning to do. You've got 3 minutes before you need to start making lunch. I had better get back to playing with my son and his trains now.

Comments

0 #1 Randi Wood 2010-02-04 02:34

Thank you for the inspiration Helen ! It is really amazing when you think about it. How long does it take to create something simple? Just do it. I love it.

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