How I Stay Motivated in the Art Studio

A community I’m part of recently asked me – How do you stay motivated in the studio?

I have a whole ritual when I’m in the studio and ready to create. Having a routine helps me stay organized and take myself and my work more seriously.

My studio flow:
Get into a creative groove with music – for night painting I like ethereal flowy (Glass Animals, Odeza), instrumental/pop (Andrew Bird, Surfjan Stevens) or Nostalgic Indie (The Spill Canvas, The National)

Survey the scene – Usually my space is pretty messy since I also use it as a home office, so switching gears takes some reshuffling. I take a minute to cut down the clutter and make some room. I’ll thank myself later for this, since I like to spread out while painting.

Set goal(s) – what am I looking to accomplish? Do I need to add some finishing touches to a piece or am I starting something new? Gather the necessary paint colors and tools.

Start small – sometimes the goals feel overwhelming, so I start with one easy task first, like adding some quick details with a paint pen on a dry & almost finished piece. This leads into confidence and I’m able to get into the groove. Do the least messy projects first.

Creative flow – the fun and messy and beautiful part of studio time! This is what gives me energy and my artistic motivation really shines.

Clean up – The least favorite task, but oh so important. Take good care of your brushes and tools and they’ll take care of you back.

Gratitude/ Reflection – I could just run to bed when the brushes are clean, but I find it valuable to go back to my work area and say good night and thank you to my studio. Art is such a solitary but rewarding practice for me and I need it to feel at peace. I look back on the progress of the day, stare at my favorite finished pieces on the wall and reflect. My mind wanders during this time like meditation and some of my best ideas have come from this ritual.

This studio flow roadmap could be 20 mins, or it could be 3 hrs, but I find all steps necessary. Having a routine in the studio helps me stay motivated and in a healthy rhythm. I value my work as an artist and know it wouldn’t be possible to juggle with the rest of my life if I don’t take it seriously and stay organized like a business.

Small steps every day – slow & steady & at my own pace.