The Secret to Prolific Art-Making (Day 27/100)

“Fawn” Sold, prints available here…

It’s Day 27 of my 100 Days of Art Project! It’s already been life-changing. And I’m settling into a nice routine, which reminds me of the book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work (Thanks, Bean!)

It reveals the intriguing habits of the most prolific artists of our time. What struck me was that they all had a routine. Bizarre and unique, yes. But systemic and efficient too. A lot of times we think of artists as blocked and tortured. I think the ones who get past this find their routine, and insist upon it. This 100 Days project is helping me create that ritual and establish boundaries against all the distractions.

“Kat” Sold, prints available here…

On a good day, my routine looks like this: Wake, do yoga, make smoothies. Chose my subject for the day by checking journal and Pinterest boards for inspiration. Set up palette and arrange workspace. Snap a photo of yesterday’s work, post on the book of face and to my shop. Make lunch. Start creating, while listening to meditations, downtempo, or gospel music. Snack on chocolate and tea. Throughout the process, get up to do dishes, lie in the sun, pet Diesel, and or do laundry. Come back to it refreshed. Repeat until finished!

I was interviewed recently for Art People Magazine, and I go more into my “routine” in that interview. It’s different than the 100 Days routine in a few key ways…

“I Love You as Big as the Stars in the Sky” Sold, prints here…

Here are a few of my favorite pieces from the project so far. Prints are available but I’ve sold 17 of 26 originals. If you want an original, grab one quick! Remember they start at $1 for Day 1, $2 for Day 2, etc…

“Rain Dance,” available here…

As you can see, they’re all over the place stylistically. I’ve been playing with all sort of stuff and enjoying that. This project has been a true blessing so far. True, some days I’m pulling my hair trying to finish in time, or come up with an idea, but mostly I find my flow pretty quickly.

To follow my progress, I post my pieces daily on Facebook. You can also join my Newsletter for weekly updates.

♥♥♥
~Meghan Oona