Tools to get you going

Not those kids of tools ;) For most of my artistic life, I was bogged down with the mental clutter of doing too many things at once, and hence not finishing projects. Here is a short but sweet list to get you started in whatever creative field you're in.

1. Get a diary - truth be told, I would organise my life in my mobile's calender! Nevertheless, it wasn't very organised... get a diary you can carry with you.

2. Have a designated art/creative space - only for you, not for your kids or your partner. Make sure you can see this space (eg. it's not hidden in a closet). This can be a small desk with good light, or somewhere in your bedroom, the corner of the lounge, a third room, etc. Somewhere you can see it so it is mentally noted everytime your eyes gaze in that direction. My looong art desk is in my bedroom. The light is good there and it is the first thing I see when I wake up (after my partner LOL!). I know then that I have things to finish, it's at the forefront of my mind always.

3. Mobile phone - ok here it IS needed :) I have alerts on my mobile when I have to get down and create something. I learnt that sitting round waiting for the artist 'feeling' to come over me was not making me any cashola. Now I get into the artist feeling by making myself do it.

4. Time. This is a hard one, as per Claudia's last post. BUT Rome was never built in a day, as the old saying goes. Many think one need's to have ample time to delve into your creative side. I don't think that for a second. Like every other aspect of your life, this is something you have to make time for if you want to get it off the ground - as a career or even just as a hobby. Making time also puts you into check, as when you are organised with time, you are organised with accomplishing work.

5. Sacred 6. I got this from good old JB at Morningcoach.com. I loooove my sacred 6. Each night before I nod off, I list the 6 things which need to be accomplished the next day. The things which make that sacred 6 list are already going through a process of elimination in my head as I'm writing them down. This way I am focusing directly on what is related to what I am doing, and not writing mindless points on there like 'take the garbage out'. How is that going to help me artistically? LOL. Going thru this process, I have 6 'sacred' things ready for the next day - 6 amazingly focused points that I am very keen to have ticked off by midnight.

If I've forgotten any please do add!
Lin x