The Complete Guide to Time Management for Artists

Sometimes, in the depths of inspiration, 3 hours can feel like 3 minutes — which can be a good or a bad thing. 😉 As someone who’s had to find that perfect Cozy Girl Job to make financial abundance a part of my songwriting and performing journey, I realized that a big part of finding […]

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October 31, 2024

Kira

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Sometimes, in the depths of inspiration, 3 hours can feel like 3 minutes — which can be a good or a bad thing. 😉

As someone who’s had to find that perfect Cozy Girl Job to make financial abundance a part of my songwriting and performing journey, I realized that a big part of finding your own success is about learning how to harness your creative energy within the constraints of time. 

Creating art requires creating systems, and after 5 years of learning time management for artists, I’ve found quite a few things that help me work towards my artistic dreams.

Here’s how to manage your time and stop procrastinating — for artists. 🙌

The Art of Time Management for Artists

You know what’s amazing about us artists? We have this beautiful ability to lose ourselves in our craft, where time seems to stand still and creativity flows like a river.

But without some gentle structure, we can find ourselves stuck in an endless cycle of unfinished projects and missed opportunities. But friend, it doesn’t have to be this way.

All you need is to create a time management system that works *with* your creative spirit, not against it via artist productivity hacks — without feeling like we’re putting your creativity in a box.

Setting Clear Goals, Priorities and Estimations

Goal setting for creatives requires a unique approach. Effective time management for artists starts with clear goal setting. Creative project planning helps you turn big dreams into manageable steps.

Think of your creative goals like a painting — you start with a vision. Especially when doing things like transitioning your full-time income, developing multiple creative income streams, or taking inspired action in your artistic career, you’ll want to make sure you have an overarching vision.

time management for artists woman writing in journal

So, take a moment to really think about what you want to achieve in your artistic practice (I know you’ll have more than one goal, and that’s okay!)

Here’s an example of how to break it down:

♡ Goal — I want to release my first record and go on tour with it.

♡ Priorities — Get [insert target income here] saved up for tour van, hotels, food, etc. Schedule ongoing rehearsals 8 weeks in advance.

♡ Estimations — Based on my current income, it will take me 6 months to save up the desired income if I save X amount per week.

I’ve broken this down with a bigger goal, but you can use these three tools outside of each other, too. For example, I’m constantly making estimations throughout the day. For example, I estimated how long it would take me to write this blog post (and time blocked it) before I head over to the gym!

Balancing a Flexible Schedule with a Disciplined One

Balancing art and life becomes easier when you have systems in place. But something I’ve learned the hard way: creativity doesn’t always show up on schedule.

Sometimes inspiration strikes at midnight, and sometimes your best ideas come while you’re in the shower. That’s why I believe in creating what I call a “flexible framework.”

Block out your non-negotiable time slots — maybe that’s your most productive morning hours or your sacred evening studio time — but leave room for spontaneity. After all, there’s a reason why you want a flexible schedule: so you can control it and let the day-to-day drive you if you feel pulled towards something else!

Always start with structure, and if you need to reorganize, you can. ✨

Theming Your Days

This is one of the newer tools of time management for artists that I’ve started using. We talk about time-blocking within your days, but what about time-blocking your actual days?

Instead of trying to do everything every day, designate specific days for different aspects of your creative practice. Maybe Mondays are for sketching and ideation, Tuesdays for client work, Wednesdays for creating content, Thursday for “adulting” tasks (like making/going to appointments) and Friday is a more free-for-all creativity day.

This approach helps your brain switch gears more efficiently and reduces that overwhelming feeling of having too many tasks competing for your attention. Plus, if you’re feeling overwhelmed because of tasks you need to do, just write it all down and organize it into which day it fits into best.

Planning & Estimating Your Tasks Before the Day Starts

I mentioned this a little bit with estimating time, but I want to emphasize it even more, because making plans is one of those great time-saving techniques for artists that can help give you that structure you need throughout the week.

I know it might sound counterintuitive to plan creativity, but spending literally 5 minutes each evening or right when you wake up planning the day can save you hours of unfocused time.

Think of it as setting up your creative workspace before starting a new project — you wouldn’t just dive in without preparing your materials first, right? Or start working in a dirty studio? You’d want to make sure everything’s clean, pristine, and properly set up, so you have all the tools you need to start a focused creative session.

Using a Time-Tracking App

Instead of thinking about time-tracking as a way of restricting you, think about it as a way to 1) monitor the time you’re spending on certain tasks to prioritize more of what you love, and 2) a way to keep yourself focused while avoiding creative burnout.

I was surprised when I started time-tracking and realized I was spending waaaay too much time on silly little admin work in my Cozy Girl Job, like making Google docs, Google folders, copying and pasting things, etc. So I paid for an automations specialized to help me cut out all this busy work that was taking up the time I could have been spending making music.

And guess what? Now, I have dedicated time every week for songwriting with STATiC! I also use time-tracking to give myself a time limit on things I’ve been putting off or tasks that are overwhelming me.

For example, if I know I have to do something boringly adult like compare insurance policies or make an appointment, I set a Pomodoro Timer for 25 minutes, and say that I can take a 5 minute break after it. More often than not, I get pleasantly surprised that the task itself takes less than 25 minutes!

Creating a Google Calendar with Reminders

Your calendar can be your best friend in managing creative time. I put everything on my Google Calendar so I can have a centralized (and cutely color-coded!) way of labeling my themed days, tracking my appointments, and even putting in time blocks.

You can create different calendars within the calendars (without having to make a separate email account) and label them based on how relevant they are. Maybe you have a different calendar for each client you have, or a work calendar, a personal one, and a creative career one.

Make sure that your calendar is schemed with colors that you love and has cute emojis so it can spark joy every time you bring it up — because organization should be fun!

Having an In-Flow and Romantic Workspace

Have you ever walked into a space and immediately feel the inspiration being sucked out of you? Because sameee. For me, it’s those bright, vibe-less lights in public schools, Home Depots, and Costcos, and an industrial, cold vibe. So… my home is basically the exact opposite in every way!

Vibe lighting, warm, deep colors, plus delicious smells via non-toxic candles and vintage items I thrifted that make me feel like an integral part of the space.

This also means making sure your workspace is organized in a way that supports your flow, like keep your most-used tools within arm’s reach, Marie Kondoing your place, and creating systems that make sense for *your* way of working.

Adapting Your Time Management Strategy as You Grow

Trust the process when you’re in it, and constantly audit it when you’re outside of it. Because time management for artists isn’t about rigid schedules, but creating space for your creativity to flourish while making sure you’re progressing towards those beautiful dreams of yours!

If you want more tips and tools for creative manifestation, there’s a growing abundance of bespoke videos just for you right on my YouTube channel — I’d love for you to check them out. ♡

Strategy + Productivity

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The Complete Guide to Time Management for Artists

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