I used to believe multi-tasking was a good thing. Being able to take care of two jobs at once was a bonus. Now I’m not so sure. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and my overall ability to focus is waning so doing two things at once means neither gets done very well. But I also think in our busy world, it’s kind of a necessary evil.
We all face some of these choices in our daily lives. Work requires full time attention. Home demands constant input. Family is another time-worthy investment. And within each of these important categories there are ongoing responsibilities that require attention. How can we do it all and do it well? I don’t necessarily have an answer.
I’ve been thinking about this as I continue to develop the business side of my clay art. Making pottery is the fun and easy part. Photographing, posting on-line, marketing and selling are all crucial elements of the business side of this endeavor. Each could be a full time job. So how do I succeed with a part time effort in each of these areas?
Education, organization and compartmentalization have been the key for me to tackle each full time endeavor. I talk to other artists and creative people I know to share ideas on methods they use. I’ve taken some professional workshops to gain insight on improving my skills in unfamiliar territory. I’m working on streamlining a system to achieve the necessary steps for marketing my creations and carving out specific time to undertake these tasks. And finally, I’m conjuring all my yoga-inspired focus to stay in the moment and be present in the activity I’m working on and letting go of the distractions that so often lure me away from my goal.