Get a creative routine (even a very small one). One of the wonderful things about being an art student is that you largely have a creative routine imposed on you. You have submission dates for projects, tutorials to attend, your final show to work towards. Basically you're being an artist with someone holding your hand and showing you the way.
Once your formal education is over it's all to easy to find yourself sitting in your studio (if you're lucky enough to have one) and wondering what to do next. If you've been prolific as a student you may well have a body of work already and you can spend your time applying for shows, entering competitions, or applying for grants. All those things are important for fledgling artists of course, but please don't lose sight of what is at the core of being an artist; making new work!
If you're not constantly making new work you're not really an artist, and the only sustainable way to keep making work is to develop a creative routine. A creative routine may sound a little dull and perhaps a bit of a contradiction. Can creative and routine really go together? Surely us creative types should just go where the muse takes us and create as an when inspiration, well, inspires. No, on the contrary, I think creativity thrives on routine. Turn up at the page everyday and draw, paint or write something and eventually you'll have a finished piece of work and then another, and another. What's exciting (and good news for anyone scared of routine), is that this regular working doesn't have to be a huge commitment. It's amazing how much you can achieve with small daily steps.
Twenty minutes a dayOver on my blog I recently launched the Twenty Minutes a Day Challenge. I've asked my readers to publicly commit to one creative project and agree to work on it for twenty minutes at least three or four times a week. Maybe that doesn't sound much, but why not give it a try and see just how much you can achieve. In time routines become habits and habits turn into a way of life.
Resources Working with what works for you
By Racheal Anilyse, Creative Director Underground Art School
There is no secret key to a creative routine. Some days are easier than others...life is unpredictable. Having a general guideline helps. Holding down a part time job is a great motivator, because you already know your pre-set hours for when your available to work on your art (opposed to someone with an absolutely free schedule). Time is within a boundary, and it cuts through creative avoidance. A good rule of thumb is to have a 90 minute to 2 hour block of time available to create. It takes at least a good half an hour to focus before getting into the real form of creating (that's why classes are so long). When you think about it, 90 minutes a day is not a drastic amount of time. You can afford it. If you have a free schedule and are finding it difficult to focus, find an activity to schedule art around (for example joining a writers group or figure drawing group gives you something to work towards).
If you are in school (or out of school), start to observe HOW you work. What time of day are you most motivated? What types of projects motivate you? How long does it take you to set up? Do you need a lot of time for preliminary process? What does your environment need to be like? The answers to these questions will help you create your own schedule when you don't have a professor there to watch over your shoulder. If you've realized you need someone to do that, then find an art buddy. Be each other's teacher.
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Michael Nobbs is a full time artist, blogger and tea drinker. He publishes The Beany, an illustrated journal of his life and writes, tweets and podcasts about drawing and trying to keep things simple.
