My question: could you share how you balance your writing/marketing/creating life? Do you assign days to tasks? How do you make sure you have the time to write, visit schools, etc. when marketing and video making takes such a time commitment–especially at first?
Thanks for the question, Pat. I’m not the type to make a schedule and say, “Monday is for writing, Tuesday is for marketing, Wednesday is for illustration…” and so on. If that works for you, do that. I prioritize by project. If I have a deadline or level of importance, that will take precedence, or if I need to learn something that I know will benefit me or my work, I might put more time into that. Or if I know it will benefit my health or well-being so I can work more, too, I will do that! Seriously! I never understand how people count the days till the weekend because I love what I do so much – if it weren’t for my family, I’d be sad when the weekend came. Some things definitely slip through the cracks and when I start to stress about that, I know it’s time to re-evaluate. I have what I call “balance lunches” with a friend. Every two weeks we meet for lunch, otherwise I’d never get out of my studio.
You need to find what works for YOU. At first there is a learning curve to everything. (I just typo typed that as learning “curse” not “curve” – hmmm.) You have to give learning its own time, and its own path. As a Video Idiot Boot Camp student, you know that. Creating video doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Some videos are lickety split fast. Some take more time. Depends what kind you make and how you want it to look. And as another person in our private Facebook group mentioned, at first it took her a long time to create videos and now its fast for her.
So, as with all things, do the things that feed you. That nurture your creativity, that feed your career, and that help you blossom as a person, too.
Thanks, Katie. I like your idea of “Balance Lunch” and totally agree with your subconscious about the learning curse/curve. We’re lucky that we have so much to do and learn–keeps life interesting.
3 Comments
Pat Miller
My question: could you share how you balance your writing/marketing/creating life? Do you assign days to tasks? How do you make sure you have the time to write, visit schools, etc. when marketing and video making takes such a time commitment–especially at first?
Katie
Thanks for the question, Pat. I’m not the type to make a schedule and say, “Monday is for writing, Tuesday is for marketing, Wednesday is for illustration…” and so on. If that works for you, do that. I prioritize by project. If I have a deadline or level of importance, that will take precedence, or if I need to learn something that I know will benefit me or my work, I might put more time into that. Or if I know it will benefit my health or well-being so I can work more, too, I will do that! Seriously! I never understand how people count the days till the weekend because I love what I do so much – if it weren’t for my family, I’d be sad when the weekend came. Some things definitely slip through the cracks and when I start to stress about that, I know it’s time to re-evaluate. I have what I call “balance lunches” with a friend. Every two weeks we meet for lunch, otherwise I’d never get out of my studio.
You need to find what works for YOU. At first there is a learning curve to everything. (I just typo typed that as learning “curse” not “curve” – hmmm.) You have to give learning its own time, and its own path. As a Video Idiot Boot Camp student, you know that. Creating video doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Some videos are lickety split fast. Some take more time. Depends what kind you make and how you want it to look. And as another person in our private Facebook group mentioned, at first it took her a long time to create videos and now its fast for her.
So, as with all things, do the things that feed you. That nurture your creativity, that feed your career, and that help you blossom as a person, too.
Pat Miller
Thanks, Katie. I like your idea of “Balance Lunch” and totally agree with your subconscious about the learning curse/curve. We’re lucky that we have so much to do and learn–keeps life interesting.