Marie Kondo has made a fortune by telling people how to declutter their homes, so that they get rid of anything that no longer “sparks joy.” This idea has inspired one of my favorite exercises for artists. 

Artists face a challenging paradox. While the creative process itself is dynamic and unpredictable, creative people need structure and order in order to make consistent progress.  

When you declutter your living space, you remove unnecessary belongings. It’s what we do (or intend to do) when we run out of closet space or move to a smaller apartment. When you apply this idea to your art practice, you open up mental space by finding time for what matters most to you.

So here’s how it works. Examine two or three typical weeks in your calendar, where you write down appointments and other commitments. Notice how you actually spend your time, and look for patterns or recurring activities. Then think about your long-term goals, your highest priorities.  How much time do you spend on them in a typical week? 

For example, many of us spend hours each day on administrative tasks, errands, and meetings. Such activities can become automatic, habits that drain your energy. Look at your own calendar, and ask yourself if any of your recurring activities could be eliminated. 

Then remake your calendar by blocking out chunks of time devoted to your most important goals. Mark these times as appointments, just as though you were going to the dentist or meeting a friend for lunch.  When you think about accepting a new invitation, you’ll look at your calendar and see that you’re “already booked.”  You have an appointment with yourself. 

​For many artists this will mean finding the time to create the work that is the core of your practice.

​​​​Mary Edwards, Ph.D
Career & Life Coach for Artists
“Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People”
Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards ​

The Hammer Museum exhibition, Made in L.A., is still on my mind. I wanted to introduce another remarkable artist whose work both dazzles and makes us think.  Young Joon Kwak (she/they) is a Korean American artist and performer, and is showcased in the exhibition’s section called “The Feminine Absurd.”  

This work caught my eye because it shows how the best conceptual art can also be visually stunning, even humorous in how it reveals its intentions. 

Kwak covers bodily forms with resin, glitter, and rhinestones, while inside she gives us glimpses of bodies floating in space. These paintings and sculptures reflect your own image as you move by,  so that you cannot quite identify what you’re seeing. The artist’s work is about different ways of understanding queer and trans bodies, asking us to rethink how we look at bodies, to pause before we label them too quickly. 

Kwak’s art practice is also fascinating because it reveals how beginnings shape a career. Even artists who are now famous often start out in community venues rather than commercial galleries or museums. Young Joon Kwak first showed at Roxaboxen Exhibitions in Chicago, NP Contemporary Art Center in New York, and Commonwealth and Council in Los Angeles, all nonprofit or artist-run spaces.

Such organizations provide support, community, and connection for artists struggling to make their voices heard. It’s not surprising that Kwak’s first publication was titled “Nothing Great Gets Done Alone.”  

So if you’re stuck, or looking for ways to get your own work seen, consider opportunities in nonprofit art spaces. Reach out to these community art venues, support other artists there, and find ways to collaborate. 

It seems to me that nothing gets done alone.

​​​​Mary Edwards, Ph.D
Career & Life Coach for Artists
“Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People”
Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards ​

Last weekend I saw Made in L.A. at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. Curated by Diana Nawi and Pablo Jose Ramirez, this remarkable exhibition brings together 39 artists and collectives now living and working in Los Angeles.

This sixth version of the biennial is subtitled “Acts of Living,” from a statement by the artist Noah Purifoy: “One does not have to be a visual artist to utilize creative potential. Creativity can be an act of living, a way of life, and a formula for doing the right thing.” 

This expansive view of what constitutes art is echoed in the diversity of the artists presented. Not only are all genders and many ethnicities included, but for the first time the selected artists range in age from 26 to 83, with five artists over the age of 70. 

While you can read about the artists’ intentions through curators’ statements on the wall or in the catalog, their works speak to you directly, viscerally, making you smile or frown, or just stand in wonder at such unique and surprising ways of seeing the world.

What does this exhibition say about what it means to be an artist? That your art can be embedded in your life, in your values and commitments and community. The exhibition showcases artists whose art grows out of their everyday lives. For example, Esteban Ramón Peréz, whose work in leather is highlighted above, learned the trade of upholstery in his father’s shop, and used his skills to combine textiles, sculpture, and abstract painting.  

​Acts of Living honors 39 artists who have never given up, who have put all of themselves and all of their values into their art practice. That’s a powerful inspiration for all of us. 

​​​Mary Edwards, Ph.D
Career & Life Coach for Artists
“Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People”
Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards ​

Recently I upgraded my TV to a “smart” one, thinking it was yet again time to embrace new technology. It was supposed to make my life simpler, as the TV could do all kinds of things it thought I needed.

Alas, weeks have passed and I’m now realizing that my TV, like most such devices, speaks a  language I have to learn. This seems to me also true for artists trying to keep up with an art world that has gone digital. 

Let’s first remember why technology is so challenging for many artists. Creative people perceive the world primarily through the senses. You are visual and tactile, you need to see and touch in order to understand. Yet so many aspects of technology are invisible. Since you cannot get inside your devices to see how they work, you have to learn their language.

Yet that language can be confusing! Many technical terms, like function or format or interface, are abstract, and others are familiar but actually have a different meaning (like my personal favorite, “cookies”). When you don’t know what technology terms mean, you cannot master technical tasks. You have to speak the language.  

So that’s where you start.  If you don’t know how to do a technical task, begin by defining terms. Using Google or another search engine, you might ask “what does it mean to embed an image in an email?” Find an answer written in clear language, with step-by-step instructions, so you can see the words that explain the process. Print out the instructions. Then do it yourself, several times, trying and failing until eventually you get it right.  

​I’m going to talk to my Smart TV now. I think I understand what it’s saying.

​​​Mary Edwards, Ph.D
Career & Life Coach for Artists
“Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People”
Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards ​

We’re in the middle of Summer, and many artists are struggling to find time for their art. Vacations, visitors, or just the pull of a beautiful day can distract you from the structure that holds an art practice together.

Your own working schedule may be quite specific or fairly loose, but most creative people need some structure in order to be productive. Since you don’t get  organized by going to a “regular” job every day, artists have to create their own container.   

But what happens when the demands of your life overwhelm your best intentions?  Experienced artists know that the creative process has its own rhythms. They don’t panic when they veer off course, for whatever reason.  But when you’re just starting out, you don’t quite trust yourself and can go into a downward spiral when you stop making art.

Don’t judge yourself harshly if you need to take off a week or two.  Keep in mind that you might still be working on your art even when you’re not in the studio.  Your mind keeps going, and sometimes you find new ideas or solve creative dilemmas when you’re “not working.”

Don’t try to be perfect.  Holding yourself to an absolute standard of productivity doesn’t usually work for creative people.  Instead, when you know the demands of your life might interfere with your regular schedule, plan ahead.  Preserve a few minutes every day to imagine what you’ll work on when time allows.  Sketch out an idea or make notes in a journal. Keep your intentions alive in your mind.

The secret, of course, is to just begin again. A few breaks can even renew your spirit.  Remember, you’re going to be an artist for a long time.

Sometimes events conspire to remind us that we don’t have unlimited time to do what matters most to us. An accident, an illness, even a celebration can hit us with the realization that time is finite and needs to be honored.

While this truth can be startling, it can also lead to action. When time is short, we might decide to stop putting off difficult conversations or decisions. We might be ready to finally forgive someone, or thank someone, or just acknowledge a truth about ourselves. We might decide to tackle that impossible task that looms in the Land of Should. 

The hardest part is to figure out what matters most. For some it will be our families, or close relationships, or a cause we care about. Artists share all of these commitments, of course, but there is also the work to be done.

Creative people struggle to find a way to express their vision. It’s a messy process, full of doubt and hope, failed experiments and happy surprises. Remember, just doing the work matters, but sharing that work with others is also important. You might not yet have found your place in the big art world, but you can still dedicate time each day to being, or becoming, an artist. The work you make may well last beyond your time. 

So, if time is short and seems to be going by too quickly, do what matters most to you. Do it now.

​​​Mary Edwards, Ph.D
Career & Life Coach for Artists
“Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People”
Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards ​