5 Tips for Increasing Productivity During Visual Art Creation

Being a visual artist can be difficult to handle, especially when it comes to the creation of your pieces. After all, creative genius doesn't tend to flare up exactly when you want it to. There are also many ways to lose your essential focus and drive when trying to work. You may find that this issue is leading to highly unproductive creative sessions. If this is the case, here are five tips for increasing productivity during visual art creation.

1. Use Background Noise

Working in silence may conceivably promote high levels of concentration, but it can sometimes have the opposite effect. In fact, many people struggle to stay on task without having a source of entertainment nearby. So, since visual art requires your eyes to be focused, you may want to use background noise during your creative session. This type of entertainment can refer to a wide variety of options. If you're looking for news shows, you could try programs like MSNBC live streaming. If you want something less talkative, you can try playing music or even using nature sounds.

2. Make a Personal Space

This is your personal artistic time. That means that you need a personal artistic space. Whether you're working from a studio or at home, try to find a place that you can turn into your own maximized creative haven. By having such a place, you could make the most productive environment possible to work in. Once you've located a spot, work on deciding what will make it perfect. Consider colors, spatial configuration, furniture, decorations, etc. Unless it's absolutely necessary, try not to let yourself worry about what others will think. This needs to be your spot, so make it as crazy as you want to.

3. Organize Your Supplies

It's hard to get anything done if you don't know where your supplies are. So, before anything else, make sure that your tools are organized to your satisfaction. Start off by separating things based on certain characteristics. The most popular choice is to focus on the type of tool, but your mind might be better suited to color or size-based separation. Next, make sure that everything has a place to go. If you know the storage spot for every supply, it's less likely that you'll leave things lying around in the future.

4. Collaborate With Others

Sometimes, collaboration is all you need to get your creative genius working. It can seem daunting, especially if you normally work alone, but you may want to reach out to fellow artists. This provides a second opinion and another creative mind to work off of. There are many different ways to collaborate, so choose one that works best for your current situation. If your collaborators are far away, you can still work together by using a video chat service. However, working together in-person can often lead to increased energy and idea flow, so you may want to try to get together.

5. Take Breaks

Oddly enough, this task is often hard for artists to undertake. Once you get in the flow of a creative process it can be difficult to stop. However, you may be doing your work a disservice by pushing through. Breaks allow your body to rest and your mind to recharge. You won't be able to give your piece enough energy by working through a session, especially if it's long or physically demanding. Give yourself an allotted time to sit down and unwind. Try not to keep thinking about your project or anything complicated while resting. Instead, try reading a book or even taking a short nap.

You aren't a machine. You can't ensure that every artistic session, all of which rely on you as an artist, to be perfect. However, you can increase the likelihood that you'll get things done while working. If you take these tips to heart, you may find that your art is far easier to produce than before.