I have found myself forcing myself to do certain things because I feel like they’re expected. I am working at home, and yes, I do need to budget and stick to a schedule because it’s the most efficient way to get things done. But there are some things that I could tweak or cut out of my writing days completely:
- Starting at 8:00
- Working at my desk
- Trying to write all day
- Running errands
I am doing my best to separate my writing and art days so that the tasks don’t get as jumbled. This week has been an exception, though, because I am creating some posts for my upcoming novel, Reserved, by creating character sketches. In this case, I will post both on Instagram @hannah_marie._artwork and Facebook @hannahmarie.author
Though I have to pace myself with scheduling, I don’t mind because I am still working towards my long(er)-term goal of writing while including my own sketches in my authored works.
During the day, I’ve attempted to figure out how to make my schedule work for me, without stressing myself out because I’m the one in charge of my business. That means everything! I’m the writer, the painter, the editor, the critic, the publicist, the vender, the financier, the social media coordinator. And somehow I have to balance these. A few of the ways I add flexibility to my life is by limiting:
- Starting at 8:00 – I’ve learned to start as early as I want (morning person), and just count those hours as part of my day. So maybe I finish that day at three…
- Working at my desk – This is especially true for my writing days. I’ve learned to move to the couch if I get restless, or sometimes go to the coffee shop for a treat!
- Trying to write all day – Depending on the day, this is very much a reality! However, I don’t necessarily have to work only on my graphic novel or WIP. I can do research and social media/blog posting, too.
- Running errands – I do run errands every couple of weeks during my day, but I try to keep the work-related things to the middle of the day. I visit Michaels or order pens…something that I would use for my work. Sometimes it needs a little bit of research (or funds) and I just leave it in my cart for a few days until I sell items at market.
I’ve also recently uploaded all my art to a professional website, which can be found at http://hannahmarie.shop. This is attached to my current webpage, so you can still search for classes, blogs, and books at hannahmarieartwork.blog and Buy at Hannah Marie. with Art Storefronts. I am hoping this will make it easier to shop and to snatch up some originals or limited editions (signed by me before shipped) and to view them in a simple, unique way.
I am hoping this new change helps bring in new customers, and also frees me from some of the “details” side of a business. Then I can focus on creating new pieces and dedicating more time to writing while my artistic-loving community can still shop with ease!
For those of you who are small business owners, or who are working on your own as you write, how do you accomplish your to-do list without stressing yourself out?
Plodding along,
Hannah Marie.
