A Not So Typical Day in My Studio

This article has been updated, because in the 4 years since I originally wrote it, I found that even my daily routine had changed dramatically. Circumstance, new skills, new ideas, all work to change even the most steadfast routines. This currently is mine. ~G~


I'm asked every so often to describe a typical day in my studio. Its a simple enough question, but it always gets me to thinking about what habits and routines I have and what habits other artists might have.

For me no day is really typical. Each shares a certain routine that I try to stick to, but with art, every day can also be very different. My routine is mixed with multi-tasking. I rarely work on just one thing, but move between projects and daily tasks with ease.

My work days, are really nights. For me the day starts around 1 in the afternoon and ends around 2am. Email is checked before I even get out of bed. A quick meal is taken in my studio.

The afternoon is errand and catch up time. Very little actual art occurs but a lot happens to set the stage art being created. I may write for the blog, review artists portfolios or comment and critique students work. This is also the time for those stupid nagging life chores like running to the store and cleaning the studio. A good portion of the afternoon is left to finding out whats going on around the world. As an art activist, the flow of daily information is as important as the art created from that information.

If all goes well by 7pm I've wrapped up the daily tasks. A short evening meal is taken out of the studio and a short period of time to evaluate the evenings work.

As  9pm approaches, the night is just getting going. There are some social media tasks to do such as posting Artists Calls and promoting the blog, but these tend to occur between the art. No night is the same because every piece of art being created is in a state of evolution. I may work on sculpture work, or I may decide to stay put at my computer and work on digital art. On some occasions I may go out into the city for a night photo shoot. On some nights I will take an hour to go trash picking, looking for useful items that I can use in the studio for upcycling projects. 

There are always projects in the works, some which take days to complete, others which take weeks or months. But I try to make progress on everything and rarely leave a project unattended for too long.

This goes on until around 2am when I shut down the studio and head for bed. But the work is not quite over. This is the time to take a look at the work of other artists online, reply to emails, and finally to spend some time brainstorming and considering the next days work. 

I consider this the most important time of each day because it lets my mind wander just before sleep and to look over my work with a little more distance. If I am successful, I eventually fall to sleep still brainstorming and wake up the next day with new ideas and directions to pursue my art. 

There are of course variations on my routine. But for the most part this is the schedule I try to keep. When something new is introduced into my daily schedule, it happens slowly and with a lot of forethought so it doesn't mess up everything else I do. 

What is a typical studio day for you? I know that for many, the novelty of being able to devote all their time to their art is a rare thing. But what are your habits? Do you have to psych yourself up first to create or do you just jump right into it? How long is your typical session? Tell me about it below.

~Grey~