Delegating Tasks as an Artist
The #1 Time Hack
When I ask if you’re delegating tasks as an artist, I get some funny looks. No, I don’t mean have someone else paint your background so that you can come back later to paint the primary subject. Although that might work if you’re working on a collaborative project.
Delegate mundane tasks, not your artwork! (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Copyright: Alexander Cherepanov)
On the contrary, what I’m referring to are the more mundane tasks that eat up hours of the day that you could otherwise spend working on your art. Cooking, cleaning, laundry, taking the dog out for a walk. Those kinds of things, while they’re not difficult, they do take time. If you’re a professional artist working from home, family members could take advantage (especially if you’re a mom).
Small sheds like this can offer an outdoor alternative to a bedroom studio space.
I know several artists who are well off enough that they rent studio space to get away from home and all the home stuff. Others have purchased one of those sheds from Lowes or Home Depot and set it up as a mini studio outside. When they’re in that space, that means it’s work time and family members respect that time.
If those aren’t an option for you, then it may behoove you to call a family meeting and explain that from 8am to 4pm you are “at work” and should not be disturbed unless the house is burning down. This would be the perfect opportunity to ask for their cooperation, not just with the do not disturb part, but also with all the stuff that needs to get done in the house. Yes, this is where you start delegating tasks.
Depending on the ages of your children, you can delegate tasks. Consider it things they need to learn anyway. Adulting 101. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Copyright: belchonock)
Ease them into it. Depending on your spouse’s work schedule (or lack of) and depending on the ages of your children, delegate tasks that you think they can handle without any supervision. I know for you moms, if you have any amount of OCD, this can be quite the challenge. Relax. It will be okay. The house will not fall apart just because your son vacuumed crosswise instead of lengthwise. At least the carpet has been cleaned, right?
And when it comes to art, why not continue delegating tasks that aren’t your primary concern? For example, very recently I hired an artist from Fiverr to design a logo for a website I’m building. It was a line art design. Super simple. Yes, I could have done it myself. But I did not relish the thought of devoting any amount of time to it. $25 bought me 3 designs I really liked, one of which I will be using. The artist I hired had the three designs to me within a day and a half. JPGs, PNGs, and vectors!
So why not? It’s all about being more productive in this day and age. Knowing how to delegate (and for some of you, this means relinquishing control) means time is freed up for you to focus on artwork!
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