Many artists flinch at words like productivity and time management—and for good reason. Those terms conjure up images of cubicles, performance reviews, and output quotas. In a creative life, the goal isn’t to crank out widgets faster. But that misconception is exactly why so many artists resist systems and routines that would actually give them more creative freedom.
This is the first in a series of articles about working with your time in a way that lowers stress, creates space for inspiration, and keeps you moving forward without the constant feeling of falling behind.
Structure Doesn’t Kill Creativity—It Protects It
There’s a common fear that organizing your time somehow locks creativity in a box. In reality, a lack of structure is far more limiting. When your brain is busy remembering everything you “should” be doing—or anxious about the unknown—it has less room to create.
Artists don’t need clock-punching discipline. What we need is enough clarity to step into the studio without three other worries shouting in the background.
Structure isn’t about micromanaging your day. It’s about eliminating unnecessary friction so you can focus on your most meaningful work without guilt, distraction, or decision fatigue.
Stress Isn’t a Scheduling Problem—It’s a Clutter Problem
Most artists don’t feel overwhelmed because they’re lazy or disorganized. They feel overwhelmed because their brain is trying to juggle too many unprocessed to-dos at once. When tasks live only in your head, every unfinished thing competes for attention.
That’s when the familiar spiral begins:
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I’ve got so much to do.
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What should I start with?
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Maybe I’ll just go clean the studio… or check email first…
The problem isn’t that there’s too much to do—it’s that you don’t know what comes next.
The Saturday Spiral: A Familiar Pattern
Picture this: you head outside to sweep a patio. On the way, you notice the garage needs straightening. While fixing that, you stumble across something that belongs in a closet. You take it there—only to discover the closet is a mess. Now you’re organizing that. By the end of the day, the original task never got touched. (Yes, this describes my activities last weekend 😂😢)
You didn’t lack time. You lacked a clear starting point.
This same thing happens in the studio and in the business side of art. You sit down to paint, remember an email you should send, open your laptop, check a notification, and suddenly the morning is gone—and your energy with it.
Clarity Creates Momentum
Creative people don’t need rigid schedules—they need fewer decisions. When you know exactly what you’re doing first, second, and third, your mind relaxes. Focus becomes easier. Stress lifts. Progress happens.
Intentional focus prevents rabbit holes. Even something as simple as leaving yourself one written task to start with the next day can stop the Saturday spiral before it begins.
Space, Not Pressure
The goal is not to “get more done.” The goal is to reduce the background noise that keeps you from doing your best work. Time management for artists isn’t about speed—it’s about relief. It’s about knowing you’re not forgetting something important while you’re trying to create.
Over the next few articles, we’ll move deeper into practical, artist-friendly systems for clearing mental clutter, lightening stress, and reclaiming your attention. This isn’t about becoming hyper-efficient—it’s about making room for the work only you can do.
Jason, your blog is starting to sound as AI-generated as the images. I have enjoyed it very much in the past, as well as your book. However I have to admit, my finger is on the unsubscribe button
Oh, I honestly believe this blog is the most interesting and relevant to me as an artist of any blog I’ve ever encountered
To zero in on your mention of decision fatigue, I find that to be the biggest killer of both energy and creativity. After all, creativity itself is a very large number of rapid fire decisions. If you enter a studio session already fatigued in the decision department progress is going to be an uphill battle. Not only do you want to protect your studio time so your only decisions in the studio are about your work but also pay attention to the decisions in your life overall. Do you have to rethink every thing every time or can your delegate or automate (or at least not need to make a decision) many of your day to day tasks. Every decision you free yourself from is one more you have available for your studio work. Read up on decision fatigue if you are unfamiliar with the term. This one life manipulation alone got me moving again in many areas of my life. It is worth a look to see if you can make it work in yours.
This is EXACTLY the article I needed to read! The constant to do lists and the overwhelming speed by which it grows is my number 1 issue and the feeling of falling behind keeps me up at night. I can see a path forward with this article. THANK YOU!
absolutely spot on! can’t seem to make it to the studio without tripping over 17 other odd jobs that “need” done. seem to be conditioned to prioritize other tasks definitely one of the hardest things to change. everyone looks at you like how can you walk by all of that and go paint – i try to explain – need to make art – it is a need like breathing – certainly can’t sell something if you haven’t made something….
This is something I really need and have been struggling with my whole artistic life, and that has been going on for more than 50 years .
I have a “weekly to do” list and a daily “to do” list. It enables me to maximize my use of my time, and there are many things in the art business that don’t include studio time. My approach allows my to get all those “other” things done in a timely manner, therefore giving me what I want most……time to paint. I have always been a list maker. Nothing better than marking off the list “done”.
simple formula. art comes first and create every day. worked for me for 50 years while simultaneously operating a global art enterprise.
You make some great points. It is so important to have an uncluttered mind when creating. When I am painting I want to fully immerse myself. I have a set time for the business side, and that helps me enjoy the creative side of my life.
Even when everything is organized, my mind is clear, and my tools are ready to hand, the most significant block to productivity in my stonecarving studio is getting in a hurry and taking shortcuts in working. I must keep in mind that my objective is not to get stuff done but to produce the highest quality sculptures that I can. Sometimes high quality work can proceed quickly. More often, design problems have to be resolved, problems with the material must be compensated for, the tools i have available are not ideal, etc., all of which require mindfulness and restraint. In a word, haste makes waste.
Great article. Unfortunately, I kind of live in the realm of to-do’s. I find when I discipline myself to go to bed by 10:00 p.m., I can get up easily at 4:00 a.m. and go out to the studio. I do best when I get up, throw on the required clothes, and do not do so much as put a brush through my hair–just paint until breakfast at 8:00 a.m. That leaves the rest of my day for the to-do’s, including more painting after breakfast. The biggest time waster in the world for me is the computer. I try to deal with that in the afternoon and well before bed-time. It’s so easy for me as a natural night owl to get suckered in by electronics, get wired by blue light and not make it to bed at the appropriate hour! Thanks for the reminder that a little planning goes a long way to help productivity without it feeling like a factory job.
Very interesting and timely article. This is the missing link to help me prioritize my art over everyday distractions.
Thanks, Jason.