7 tips for creating art while working full time! 🎨
Вставка
- Опубліковано 1 сер 2024
- I won't lie, it's not always easy to balance a full-time job with fostering a regular, healthy art practice! However, after doing this for almost 2 years, I've picked up a few tips and tricks along the way that have really helped me figure out how to stay consistent with my art even while I work my full-time job. As I mentioned in the video, I don't want to make it seem like I have it all figured out, so I would genuinely love to hear any of your tips for striking this balance! Are you balancing a full-time job (or other full-time responsibilities) with your art practice? What have you found that works for you?
Let's make lots of art without burning out while also working full-time! We can do this, team!!
---
MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO:
- my recent vudeo about master studies:
• I think copying other ...
-----
💌 SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL NEWSLETTER HERE TO SEE THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF BUILDING A CREATIVE BUSINESS:
pepostudios.ck.page/f8e78713fb
-----
🖥️ LET'S CONNECT!
Send me an email at: hello@pepostudios.com
📸 FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM:
/ pepostudios
-----
🌻 My Spoonflower shop:
www.spoonflower.com/profiles/...
🤑 Download my free Notion template to plan out your financial roadmap for your creative business: pepostudios.ck.page/5ac0d5843f
👩🏻💻 This is where my website will live one day:
www.pepostudios.com
----
0:00 : let's get this party started
1:04 : tip #1
3:15 : tip #2
4:50 : tip #3
7:00 : tip #4
10:18 : tip #5
12:54 : tip #6
14:46 : tip #7
16:38 : I don't have it all figured out!
-----
Recording setup:
- Camera: Sony ZV E-10
- Lenses: Sony ZV E-10 kit lens; Sigma 30mm f/1.4
- Microphone: Blue Yeti
Music from Epidemic Sound
-----
Here are some fun words:
balancing full-time job with art, full-time job with creative business, work-life balance, create art consistently, making art everyday, master studies, master copies, art references, art signature style, developing a signature style, quitting my full-time job to be an artist, artist with a full-time job, art side hustle, STEM to art pipeline, STEM to artist, scientist and artist, gouache painting, oil pastels, loose art style, art experimentation, surface pattern design, textile design, fabric design, repeating patterns, seamless repeat, pattern collection, beginner artist vlogs, beginner surface pattern designer, art licensing, bonnie christine, watercolor paints, acryl gouache, creative entrepreneurship, artistic journey, science background in art, non-traditional artist, building an art business while working 9-to-5, non-art job, pepo studios
Are you balancing art with a full-time job (or other time- and energy-consuming responsibilities)? What tips have you picked up over time to help you strike that balance? Have you implemented any of the tips I mentioned in this video? I'd love to learn from your experiences!
THANK YOUUU for being here, and for sharing your insights!! 🫶
I'm burnt out after my week work! I need a new job. It is stifling my creativity.
One of my favorite sketching exercises to do when I'm limited on time and motivation is grab a pencil/pen/marker and do observational sketches of my cats while they're just chilling and see how much I can draw of them in a certain pose before they change positions
I appreciate the tips but I want to emphaize too that there are times, your job or aspects of your life won't let you have barely any energy and I am referring to months or years. You are just trying to survive day by day. That absolutely stinks and is completely understandable that you don't have energy to do art or let alone take care of yourself because that also takes energy. Thanks again for great tips and I would put #7 as #1 for Be Kind to Yourself.
Yes, 100000%. Sometimes there are things that are outside of our control that lead to these seasons of life, and being kind and gentle with ourselves during these times is so so important. Even if it’s been years since you last picked up a paintbrush or a pencil, you’re still an artist. It’s definitely important to acknowledge that I’m sharing this info from a point of immense privilege where I have a stable job and income, no kids, comfortable housing, food on the table, etc., and that being able to make art in the margins of my life is a luxury that not everyone can afford.
This is definitely my circumstances. Plus anxiety added to the mix makes me even more drained... I really wish I had the time and energy to create and practice drawing more often 😢
I def don't stick to time limits, sometimes when I just don't have energy ill just mix some colours onto a sketchbook page. Having that little habit keeps me from feeling a weird hurdle to just "get to it" when I do have energy.
😂 but sometimes a week or more of no art sneaks in.
Sometimes the most difficult thing is to start. Then, minutes later, I'm consumed by creative focus and find it difficult to stop.
As an @buse survivor, yes... so many times yes. Even after I got out and was in a safe, stable place, it took me nearly 2 years to feel comfortable and confident enough to even begin creating again. And it's still hard to balance a full time job and time/energy constraints against that creative spark
Thank you for sharing this point, it is so important
I find that if I go too long without making things, I feel more drained. In spite of painting or drawing when I'm tired, I find that even if I spent 8 hours a day 4 days into the work week, if I spend an hour or two of that night drawing, then at the end of the week I feel better than a week where I didn't make anything. Creating relaxes me, I have so much fun making things that it really helps keep me alive.
Being a GenX artist, an organized space is different than a clean space. I have a mindset to change by not trying every craft and by getting rid of items I haven’t used for literal years! An organized CLEAN space ensures you have time to create.
Like you said, I think it’s important to remind yourself why you like art in the first place. We tend to place so much pressure on ourselves to create an artwork that we’re happy with, but the real joy and catharsis comes from the process of making the art. Seeing it as an opportunity to do something you enjoy and escape for a while will feel more like a form of self care than a chore. As someone who usually prefers to start and finish a complete artwork in one sitting, I’m teaching myself to become more comfortable and content with just creating something like a rough sketch, or doing an exercise to practice. Thanks for your tips! I really hope to get back into making art a part of my routine.
Yes, that’s such a good point about making art feel like a form of self care instead of a chore! When it starts to feel like a chore, I really need to step back and reassess why and how I’m approaching my art practice. That’s not to say that I don’t think that there’s a lot of value in being disciplined, but there should always still be joy at the core of the creation process. Thanks for sharing these thoughts!
I have used vacation days from my job to make art, and it was a wonderful vacation! Also, part of the reason I prefer painting in watercolour to gouache is because it's so much easier to wash my brushes afterwards! 😅
I love that idea!! I have some vacation time coming up and can’t wait to be able to create for hours at a time 🥰
Smart and makes sense. A worthwhile way to spend holiday vacation. Not just going away or watching tv.
It's all about finding time for sure. I bought my first acrylic painting set today as it will help me focus on my recovery from addiction. I feel nervous, as i have not painted since i left school 20 years ago!
So good for you, keep practising and do what you like!
Re: “Making things easy to grab.” I currently live in a fairly small space in terms of what is my own vs what is shared with others. I use “kits” to keep things easy to grab - a backpack or tote with everything ready to go. I periodically revisit and “retune” what’s in my current kits so that it’s supporting my ability to sit down and make something.
Ahh! Master studies as “classes”! I’m so glad you liked that concept. It’s a helpful one for me too.
(Haha, and always, yay cats! 😆🐱♥️)
I love that idea! My mom is a knitter, so this reminds me of her knitting bags where everything she needs for that one project is in that one bag, so it’s easy to bring around. Totally the same idea!
Also, yes! I’m so grateful that you shared your perspective because I really love that concept!
@@pepostudiosYes! Totally the same idea. Aw, knitting is great.
My pleasure! ☺️👍
Thanks for sharing all this! I really needed to hear “don’t hold a grudge against yourself.”
I need to hear that too, sometimes! We’re all doing things at our own pace, and that’s a-okay!
WOW, I can't believe I just found you ! I'm literally in this situation right now where I work full time and then come home to do artwork after taking care of my family. I have a little 2 year old boy and a wonderful husband. I am EXHAUSTED. I think the hardest part is doing art even when I am not inspired to because I am so tired...
I'm a stay home mom with a toddler and newborn and it's been SO hard to get painting time in. I love your idea to just have your supplies ready but with watercolor and my art room being on a different floor I find it too difficult. So you inspired me to pull out my watercolor markers and try to at least get something creative out everyday! Loved this video 😊
That sounds like a great idea! I’ve never used watercolor markers before, but I love the concept because it definitely doesn’t require the amount of setup that watercolor paints need. I’m so happy to hear that the video inspired you to start creating! You are already such a rockstar for taking care of a toddler and a newborn, so you’re seriously crushing it by adding a little art to your routine 💪🏼🙌🏼
I don‘t know what kind of art you do, but Urban Sketchers have really minimal watercolor kits with them that often consist of a very small palette with half pans and a watertank brush. So if you’re interested in finding a way to using watercolors without getting out lots of supplies maybe that‘s something you could look into.
#1 is very true.
I have my work station for my day job and, I have my art station that consist of my drawing display that I go to after work.
I keep both in separate corners and it helps out to mentally switch over.
Shout out to the rolling storage cart I keep near the dinner table for my art supplies. It’s all nearby to access but I can clear the table too
Thank you for this video! I have an ADHD brain that deals with this work/art struggle on top of it. I feel like artists, for the most part, don't talk about this subject enough. I love that you took some time to. I'm going to keep this video in mind moving forward....I've also saved this vid for reference :)
It’s definitely a struggle!! I know that the majority of artists I watch here on UA-cam are people who do art/content stuff full time. Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE following their journeys and learning from them. But it’s just not that relatable right now while I’m trying to do it all with a full time job! I definitely think there are a lot of us out there who are trying to strike this balance, so I’m really glad to hear that you got some value from this video 🥰
Love these tips! So practical and inspiring. My trick for getting started is to tell myself, "I'm just going to sit here and listen to this podcast/video/audiobook, and to keep myself awake I'll just draw while I listen." Any evening when my hand is moving across the page is a "win" even if it's just a doodle. And I love what you say about how the best work sometimes comes from those quick or simple marks on the page. So true! Love your videos and good luck with the move!
I love that!! Watching UA-cam videos/listening to podcasts/binging Netflix shows while painting is one of my favorite things to do haha, I love it so much! Thanks so much for the good luck - I’m writing this from my new apartment!
Thank you for this great video! The “follow your natural energy” tip was very helpful to me. It made me realise that I’m a night owl. I’ve been forcing myself to create in the morning and it just doesn’t work quite as well as when I work at night 😂
I appreciate your authenticity!
I love this video! What I’ve come to realize is that there are major drawbacks to pursuing a passion like making art as a full time career. “Passion” only lasts so long in any job, but especially when you’re faced with the realities of instability and a low income that’s common to many creative fields. I really firmly believe that you don’t need to pursue art full time to make art that’s worth making and likewise, that making a living off of art isn’t what makes someone “an artist.” There are so many ways to live a fulfilling life and be an artist in your own right.
I totally agree! I think that if the art you make brings you joy and fulfillment, then it was 100000% worth making, even if there’s not a single soul who ever lays eyes on that piece of art 🫶🏼
Great video and super practical helpful tips, plus I just really appreciate your honest attitude towards art. I've been trying to get my art practice more consistent with the craziness and business of life, and have tried a few of these ideas already which has helped. Definitely taking a bit away from this. Thank you 🙏🎨
It’s amazing how universally obvious these tips feel when you hear them explained to well. It’s so easy to get bogged down mentally so hearing you lay these tips out so clearly has helped so much. Thank you and I wish your artistic journey well!
So grateful for this video. It’s so great to see so many are in the same position. Great tips thank u!
Love this video so many helpful tips which I really needed! Especially the don't hold a grudge against yourself and make your supplies accessible! I still haven't got into the habit of doing art after work as the barrier feels so high to just get started. But I've found what can help me is setting clear and realistic with intentions from the moment I wake up about what I will be completing that day so I have something to hold myself to rather than letting the evening slip away which can be just too easy after a long day at work 😅
Tip #4 is a big one and one that I struggle with! I think dedicating a set time to paint and even setting yourself a time limit, like you suggest, can help to just get over that un-inspired feeling! I find that once I get started I often don't want to stop once my timer goes off!
I’m right there with you! I really think that just making the decision to sit down and start really is the hardest part, but once you get going it’s almost always so enjoyable ✨
You are badass, thank you for sharing these ideas. Appreciate #7 especially, I think a person's energy, focus, responsibilites, motivation can vary so much from day to day, week to week, month, year, etc that a person really has to feel it out literally daily. I like your ideas because they do help a person train themselves to "do" even when our minds are not feeling it and it is true that if you start engaging in art making even when you don't feel like it the motivation comes after you have begun and sometimes you do get some new ideas and insights from the short work burst of 10- 20 min because that was all the time you had that otherwise you might have lost had you given in to the mental fatigue. thank you again for your time and effort to put this info out and help others
YES! Thank you for this!!
Sometimes it seems like everyone has all this time and energy to make art - but not everyone has the same life demands or responsibilities or situations. There's no point in comparing, it's more worth it to be kind to yourself and do what you can - when you can :)
thank you for the insights and for working through the ever present NOISE
im only "part time" in my freelancing so i dont have the same time constraints as you but wow! this was really inspiring and encouraging. sometimes you really do have to push against your inner body telling you to lay around and do nothing (like me rn lol) but im sure once I get into the creative flow of things I'll feel and think differently.
Nice- glad to find your channel
These are really good :) I cannot express enough how much figuring out tip#1 was a huge help for me. Having my supplies in a box meant expending too much energy to get them out before painting, while just grabbing them from a dedicated shelf made it so much easier. Now I definitely want to implement tip#2 :D
I love how real and helpful you are haha. This is great for artists who are just tired, but we gotta keep going
Thank you! So true, but rest is also so important! If I don’t take time to recharge, then I feel constantly creatively drained 🥲
thank you for this. I'm working on improving my artwork while working a full-time job, and these tips are helping me pick myself up this week :D
I’m so glad to hear it! You can do this!! 🫶🏼
It’s a very useful video! I am in the same situation with the exactly same issues with a full time work and a kid😅 I try to apply to me a very simple rule in my case: just do one thing every day. Even if I am tired, I found out I can always manage to do something even small for my art 🙌
Thank you for sharing your knowledge 💖 your video came into the perfect time in my life, keep going ❤❤❤
Thank you for the tips! ❤
your hair looks so gorgeous 😍
Omg thank you so much! Everything changed when I found a hairstylist who really understands my wavy/curly hair haha 🙌🏼
@@pepostudios yes that is so key!! I struggled with that for so long 🥲
I 100 % agree to these tipps!
I’m so glad to hear it! 🫶🏼
Great video x thank you ❤
i love this video
Good luck with the move !!
Thank you so much! I’m typing this from my new apartment (surrounded by moving boxes 😂)
Awesome video..I like the limiting supplies.. One thing that helps me is exercise and eating healthy. When I physically feel like crud and I'm already exhausted from work and life making to the easel is next to impossible
That’s such a great point! It’s definitely something I’m trying to be more intentional about, too. It can be really hard to prioritize your health when you’re also balancing a full-time job, an art practice, and whatever else fills the rest of your life, but I definitely agree that pretty much everything in life feels much better when we take care of ourselves. Thanks for sharing this point!
Also interested in how you manage a UA-cam channel along with a full time job and making art on the side 😊 Hope you make a video on that someday!
That’s a great question! It’s definitely a lot of work 😅. Maybe I’ll make a video going over my typical weekly schedule sometime!
This are all great tips , I do have a desk where I have a box with the paints I use more a cup with mix of pencils markers pens and blushes I use more. If I am painting something that's going to take longer I leave it as display and work slowly on it when I can 😊 between that make small art cards. It's all so much fun 😄. I'm a new sub and I also love to paint thanks for the video 💖
Sounds like you have a great setup!! Also, thanks so much for subscribing - sending you a very warm welcome to my channel! 🫶🏼
The tips are much appreciated ❤
I’m glad! Happy creating! ✨
Great video! Really helpful 😄
I’m glad to hear it was helpful! 🫶🏼
Thaaank uu
I really needed this video, by job is so draining sometimes but I have a big goal of becoming a full-time artist. I feel like I'm failing anytime that I'm not drawing if I'm not at work 😓 I'm going to implement the masterstudy idea, and I already keep my tablet on my nightstand, it's very relaxing before bed! I'd also like to add that I've given myself a small amount of time to meet by the end of the week, I can draw for as long or as little as I want, every day or only a few days as long as that time is met (right now it's 7 hours per week, had to drop it from 10 because life happens!)
I think that’s such an interesting idea to set yourself weekly art goals! I’d love to hear more about how you track your time. I really like that approach though because it gives you some flexibility for those days when work and life are just a bit too exhausting and you’re left feeling creatively wiped out. It’s okay if we don’t create every day!
Hahahahaa all the noise in the background reminds me of my life 😂. It's like a comedy movie ❤
This rings so true with me. I started my art channel 3 weeks ago, I work full time, and we're expecting our 1st baby in August. Great time to start right?! 😂 Your tips are really helpful, especially using even the smallest amount of time to create something. Thanks for sharing! 🙌
Oh my goodness, I can only imagine how busy things must feel in your life right now! What an exciting time, though! I’m cheering you on and wishing you all the success in the world. You can do this!
@@pepostudios thank you! ☺️
Omg I have the same exact brushes and gouache as you! (Although I'm typically a watercolor color person)
Twins!! 👯 I used to be 100% a watercolor girl, but I’ve been really leaning into acryl gouache recently!
Awesome tips! Loving your videos❤
Thank you so much for being here!! 🫶🏼
Great video thank you ❤😊
Thank you for being here! 🫶🏼
@2:40 - Just wanted to say that's actually an eighth-sheet pan. What most think of as.a full sheet pan is a half-sheet pan. A full sheet is 26 inches by 18 inches (660 mm by 457 mm.)
If you're looking for a smaller wet-palette, look at some of the products aimed at miniature painters. Red Grass Games, The Army Painter, Game Envy, and many more companies make and sell wet palettes aimed at mini painters that also include some other useful features. I'd definitely give them a look as they may have something that's perfect for you.
Okay, enough pedantry and rambling back to the tips!
EDIT: Re: Tips 2 and 3 - This reminds of something I've heard before, limits foster creativity. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it does make sense when you think about it. If you have a hard limit you have to work around, then you'll start thinking outside of the bounds you normally set for yourself. It also limits what my old boss called analysis paralysis, when you have to make a decision and you just can't get past mulling it over. The more options you give yourself, the worse it gets. Then again, you do have people like me that fear the blank page, we can limit ourselves to just a pencil and a sheet of paper and still wind up overthinking things and doing nothing. I started calling this "the fear of the blank page" when I realized I had a lot of thoughts and reflections on the day when I went to write in my journal, but I would freeze up every time I started to write. It's something that happens to me when I draw as well.
Re: Tip 4 - Preach is sister! I find that once I get going it's easy to keep going, and not pressuring yourself is something that I thing more of us could stand to do in more than just our art. True, some of us (me!) need to put a little pressure on ourselves or else nothing gets done, but that doesn't mean we have to be so hard on ourselves when we don't do everything we set out to do. A flip side of this is giving yourself permission to suck or embracing failures. You're not going to be instantly good at everything, and even when you do get good at a skill, you're still going to make mistakes or even backslide some. It's okay if not everything you make is beautiful or is technically perfect. Embrace the imperfections as part of the learning and growing process. Don't set out to create a masterpiece. Set out to make some marks on paper and if it looks great, that's just a bonus. Sketchbooks are not sacred, so no need to treat them as such.
Re: Tip 5 - This is something that I need to do. I've never done it outside of an art assignment when I took classes in college, and I kinda regret that now. I think it could also be helpful in figuring out what you like and why you like it, as well as seeing how master artists saw things like color and how they used the theories of art in practice.
The flip side of this, of offloading the creative decision making to make it easier when you're mentally spent to make/practice art, reminds me of something I heard recently:
Those that work with their hands should rest with their minds and those that work with their minds should rest with their hands.
It's not an exact quote, but I think it gets the point across. If you work in a field that is physically hard, then when you relax, you should do things that engage your mind. If you do things that are mentally hard, then when you relax you should do things that engage your body. I think this is why so many people in IT and STEM fields, especially those that work with computers all day, are turning towards physical and tactile hobbies. I know that as I've gotten older I have been less interested in doing digital art and wanting to do more with analog media, like ink, watercolor, oils, acrylics, and gouache. I still want to do some of the digital things, like 3d modeling and sculpting for 3d printing, but I'm not as invested in learning how to do that exclusively as I was in my teens and early twenties.
Re: Tip 6 - Oh this applies to so much more than making art.
Re: Tip 7 - Again, this is something that's important to do in more than just art. If we give ourselves some grace, we aren't wasting energy beating ourselves up. This is a lesson that's taken me over twenty years to learn and put into practice. That isn't to say that discipline isn't important, but discipline doesn't mean punishing and insulting yourself over and over again for your failures, especially years after the fact. If you physically can't do something, then there's no reason to beat yourself up over it. You may wish you could, but we all have to understand that we aren't omnipotent. We can't do it all. We can't even do everything that we may want to do. I know that's the case with me.
Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all.
Thanks for posting this. Hope you enjoy your journey through this life. May God bless you with many years of enjoying making art.
As someone who is currently in the middle of a personal challenge to paint 12 paintings by the end of June my advice is to spare yourself from any such insane notions.
one sentence in, I was like yeah that's exactly it.
Nice video keep it up 😁
Thank you so much!
Can you please share your lighting and filming setup to use for filming your art at night ? Thanks for the helpful tips I’ll be using them as a busy mom of two little kids who are a full time job to me and a priority that comes before my art every day
To be honest I’m still trying to figure out what works for me!! I just moved to a new apartment and am revamping my setup, so I’ll definitely share more once I have that figured out. But historically I basically just use this big ring light that I cover with an old grocery bag to diffuse the light (if you watch my last video about master studies you’ll see me use this setup early in the video). Not only does that provide enough light for filming, but it also makes the painting process much smoother since I can see what I’m doing haha. But updates to come from my new space!
@@pepostudios thanks for answering I’ll keep that in mind! and best of luck in your new apartment!!
I also like working in day light but it's always " oh so much is pending I will do this first then sit, do that one then sit" and when everything is done it's already night 🗿, light might not be there but atleast my mind is clear , there is no work pending at night there is no one calling at night and other disturbance.
So when I have to record something then I make a space in between the daily routine to record in light.
✨🌹such great practical tips! if its not too much trouble, would you be so kind to drop the link to your master studies video in the description box or in a comment reply? I’m interested in watching it but for some reason its not showing up in the video cards nor can I find it on your channel. Thanks so much for sharing! 🌹
Hi! Sure thing! I just added it to the description (good idea!), and here’s a direct link to the video: ua-cam.com/video/gN0cR5829AA/v-deo.html
I hope you enjoy it! 🫶🏼
I’ve gone digital mainly because I have no time for cleanup
Cleanup can take so long!! I just got an iPad not too long ago and I’m really enjoying how everything is pretty much good to go without any cleanup. Such a game changer!
Thank you for sharing these tips with us 🧡
I'm currently doing a 100 days challenge, it's pretty simple because all I need to do is draw for 6 minutes, if I feel like doing more, I do more, if I'm not, then I leave it there. I'm practicing my fundamentals and it has been really helpful, I do it first thing in the morning before I get busy 😅
btw this was a challenge created by a fellow artist called Kesh, check out his channel if you haven't seen him, he's really good 😊
I looovveee the idea of a 6min/day challenge! That’s so doable! I’ll totally check out Kesh 🙌🏼 Thanks for sharing!
I am wondering what you do for a living?
So you are actually practicing STEAM. Not just STEM
Hah, love it!
Great tips but it isnt true you cant sell your master studies, you can do it if copied artworks are in public domain.
Even if you can, legally, I wouldn't recommend it. At least not if you're serious about making a living as an artist.
I have the same mindset! Regardless of the legality issue, I just wouldn’t feel comfortable selling artwork that, at its core, is not my own.
It's not correct to say that you cannot sell Master studies. If the artist has been dead for 100 years it's public domain. You can absolutely sell a master study
Its not the full time job, part time meaning thing…try adding two kids, or god forbid 3. Having just a full time job and a part time meaning is easy after you have experienced having kids
Draw with your kids. I used to do all sorts of projects and drawings with the kids. Even at a restaurant - we had a "restaurant bag" it included crayons, markers, play-dough, and a ream of paper. I used to buy plastic animals to use as props too.