Much To Do About Too Much

Have you ever experienced artist block? I think that's what I'm going through right now. I've been hanging out in my studio quite a bit lately hoping that just being surrounded by paint, brushes, paper and canvas will cause me to create something. But instead, all I have to show for the time I've put in is a studio that's significantly more organized.

I'm not lacking in ideas, mind you. No, I have a ton of those. Nor do I lack inspiration. What I seem to lack at the moment is a way to funnel and filter all of this into a single project (obviously, this block applies to my blog posts as well).

The picture featured in this post is from my painting "Escape from Chaos" and it seems to be particularly appropriate today. If you look closely, you'll see the word "move." This is not something I painted intentionally. In fact, this specific piece was created in what was one of the most free-flowing painting experiences I've ever had. Could it be it's trying to tell me something?

If you can relate, what did it take to get you moving again?

Your fellow A w/a DJ,
Rebecca

Race to See the Sun

My day job gives me the opportunity to work from home. Usually, this is a blessing...no traffic jams, no need to shower by a certain time, or even at all if you don't feel like it.

But there's another side to working from home that can often be a curse. Checking and responding to email before getting your first cup of coffee, thinking nothing of working through breaks and lunches and, perhaps the worst, having no defined "end" to the work day. (To any employer reluctant to allow their employees to work from home, believe me, you end up getting way more than you pay for.)

It's ironic that I'm in an industry where people are actually penalized for not "adhering" to their work schedule. Working more than your scheduled hours is just as bad as working too few. What a concept! I wish someone would penalize me for not adhering to my schedule. Actually, when I step back and think about that statement, I must admit that I do get punished and I'm the one who does it to myself. Reminds me of the line from the old Eagles song "...So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we hold the key..."

Admittedly, I need some serious work on adhering to my end of day schedule. But the beginning of the day? I'm getting a lot better.  I'm very fortunate in that I live near the St. Johns river. A short 10 minute walk takes me to a bridge where the east side gives me a spectacular view of the sunrise. Lately, I find myself waking in anticipation of my morning walk. In fact, this morning I left the house a little bit late and actually ran to the bridge so I could catch the sunrise (the picture above was taken from the marina at the foot of the bridge on the other side...talk about artistic inspiration!).

What about you? Do you race to see the sun at the beginning of your day? Do you get up early enough to build in a little time for reflection before the distractions and concerns of the 'day job' creep in? If not, I encourage you to try it out. It may end up being the only time for "you" you get.

(For those who like the "thought" of being an early riser, but have difficulty with the reality, there are several great posts in Lifehack.org that you should check out. Here's a good one to start with: Become an Early Riser in 5 Days.)

Time is My Enemy...Time is My Friend

"When"

The date of my last post makes me sad. I began the year with many hopes about where this blog would go. I had dreams of fostering a community of like-minded creatives who also struggle with balancing their day job selves with their artist selves.  What happened? I'll tell you what happened...a new "day job," that's what.

As of January 1, 2010, I transitioned to a new role within my company. Though still retaining a manager title, I would no longer have people reporting directly to me. No more performance evaluations. No more having to motivate and inspire team members to do their best. No more having to tow the corporate line on company policies I didn't necessarily agree with. Ahhhhhh....I imagined life was going to be a whole lot easier in a role where the only work I would be responsible for was my own. I could not have been more wrong.

My days are now so chock full of back-to-back conference calls that practically the only time available to actually do the work I'm assigned to do is outside of the business day. I'm not afraid of hard work, I can assure you. I've built a career and a reputation for doing what it takes to get the job done. I've always been the "above and beyond" girl. But I'm beginning to realize that what it takes to get the job done in my new role is going to require a significant, on-going sacrifice to my personal time, my relationships and, last and least in this line-up, my art.

I won't deny that being more productive helps (and if you're struggling in this area, I highly recommend David Allen's Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity). But productivity alone isn't the answer. Often the more effort we put into streamlining work tasks and being more efficient only serves to make room for (you guessed it) more work. When you consider that we are all limited to 24 hours in a day (half of which is needed for sleeping, eating and the maintenance of other bodily functions), what we do with the rest of our time comes down to personal choice and priorities, and that includes the amount of time we allot to the pursuit of the almighty dollar.

Perhaps my new job won't always be this way. Perhaps my department is just experiencing its "busy season." I hope this is the case because I truly do enjoy my work and the large majority of the people I work with. But when I look beside me to my peers, they are doing the same. When I look above me to my management, well...it's even worse for them. For artists with day jobs, making time for our art requires more than hopes and dreams (as you can clearly see by the three month gap since my last posting)...it requires creating a plan and building a fence around the real work we were put on this earth to do.

If you can relate, how do you cope? Let's get the conversation started...

Your fellow A w/a DJ,
Rebecca

Are you an "A w/a DJ"
(aka "Artist With a Day Job")?

Take this test and see:

1. T or F:    You make things you consider to be art.
2. T or F:    Most of your income is not from your art.

If you answered "False" to statement number one, you are (probably) not an artist.

If you answered "True" to statement number one, chances are, you are an artist (good or bad, we're not here to judge).

If you answered "True" to number one and "False" to number two, you are technically not an "A w/a DJ" (based upon the general definition of the term) but you can still hang out with us if you'd like.

If you answered "False" to number one and "False" to number two, I'm not sure what you do with yourself throughout the day, but if you ever decide to 1) get a job and 2) create something you refer to as art, we'd love to have you join us.

For those still remaining who answered "True" to both statements, you are definitely an "A w/a DJ." Congratulations and welcome. I'm glad you stopped by because you're exactly who this blog is for.

In case you don't know me, let me take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Rebecca Wise Girson and I am an A w/a DJ (not enough acronyms in your life? Here's another for ya). I find the term "Artist With a Day Job" to be an interesting one, partly because this is how so many artists and musicians describe themselves instead of simply using the word "artist." But what really intrigues me is the connotation that seems to come along with the term. We often refer to ourselves as an A w/a DJ as if we're some how different or "less than" other artists who make a living entirely from their art.  Or we use the term to indicate that even though we're working for "the man," it's just a temporary state and that we don't identify ourselves with what we happen to be doing for money at the moment. I'm curious to hear what the rest of you think (note that this is assuming any of you think about this at all....it could just be me).

Anyway, I purchased the domain name "artistwithadayjob" in early 2009 when I decided to finally get my own site and put my work "out there." However, I kept feeling like the term was so universal to the entire artist community, that it was somehow selfish just to use it for my own personal art. I have a lot of plans for where I want to take this. Why should you care? Because if you're an A w/a DJ, I want to take you with me (more on this later). In the interim, my objective is to get a community of like minded people together so we can support each other and share ways to be more effective and creative with our art and our day jobs. I hope you'll decide to come along.

Until next time remember...Day job or no day job, you're the boss of you.

Take care!

Your fellow A w/ a DJ, Rebecca

The Artist With a Day Job blog will be launching on January 1, 2010.