Week beginning 23.07.18

week beginning 09.07.18

Sunshine, my studio and a seasonal timetable?

I'm lucky enough to have a lovely big studio (at least for now) - the whole downstairs of a (now closed) pub. In the winter however, it is freezing - really, really cold. There is some heating but the space is so big that it's impossible to get it at any reasonable temperature unless I spend the fortune I don't have. I'm often seen in finger-less gloves, jumpers and scarf, shivering and running upstairs for a warm up in the kitchen and a hot drink!. In the summer however - it's fantastic. Warm, but not too warm - so in the amazing hot weather we've been having recently it's the perfect place to be.

I also run 'the day job' from home - it involves designing, printing & making personalised products - cards, little keepsakes, cuff links etc. and I found the cold was a serious problem. My paper and vinyls just weren't printing properly as they were getting damp -  so last winter I moved the bulk of it upstairs. 

I've been self employed for a long time and one of the hardest things is time management. I'm constantly juggling my timetable to try to balance both areas. My ideal would be to spend all my time on my art/ exhibition work but I also have to pay the bills and the day job brings in the money to do that so I do have to prioritise that and spend the majority of my time on it. As a result studio time is always being squeezed and I struggle to find time for it. I am thinking though that during the summer months it makes sense to spend a bit more time on the artwork and then more time on the day job during the winter. Instead of thinking daily, weekly or monthly -  having a seasonal overview?

week beginning 2nd July