My take on it is…

Being impressed with too much

It’s being BURDENED with a real GORILLA of a problem, which is…

Presented with TOO many choices.

“Drowning in data”

(gulp)

Psst… they told me that things would get EASIER with the arrival of the Internet.

Most of us have never felt so OVERWHELMED.

Tsk

Tsk

Tsk

If you are an artist baffled as to where you should start because you have been exposed to SO MANY options to REALLY get the ball rolling, I have a few tips for you.

So let’s get on top of this problem with some…

Information Overload Management

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1.    What is important?

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When you have finished reading this email, get UP and walk outside and decide what MATTERS the most to you.

I discovered some time ago that the best way to get on TOP OF information overload is to decide WHAT you want, and then begin to work your tail off.

And don’t look back.

Don’t consider the options anymore.

You’ll feel so much more POWER, ENERGY and PASSION for being an artist.

(Yep, you will)

2nd Thing you have to do is…

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2.    Map The Day

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Before you let yourself get SOAKED and washed away with every TOM, DICK and Harry trying to get your attention, and waste a lot of your most precious resource which is…

TIME

Then decide HOW you are going to spend your time rather than let someone else decide that for you.

Not sure how too?

Have a look at the things you wrote down from principal one.

I refer to the “what is important?” list.

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3.    BLOCK distractions.

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When you are on the computer working, turn off Facebook instant messenger.

Turn off the MSN messenger

Turn off skype.

Stay out of the forums

And get some work done.

It really is as simple as that.

I DARE you to only read a 3 emails a day.

I DARE you to only ANSWER 3 emails a day.

Pssst… you don’t gotta read them. You don’t gotta answer them.

They CAN wait.

Honest.

Remember:  Feel the POWER of control

(wink)

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4.    Tell The Crew

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Do not be afraid to set boundaries.

You have to tell your family (friends) this is how it is…

“I gotta work, I work between these times, and I would GREATLY appreciate that we come to some arrangement so that I can make it happen, because I just have to make it happen”

I set those rules LONG ago

I wasn’t rude about it.

My crew appreciate it

They have seen the results I have made because of it.

They know I have to do what I do.

When you are just starting out, your family and friends may not be able to completely appreciate this request because in their mind you aint as famous as Mick Jagger.

So they be tempted to ask…

Okay, then why do you need all this “special time” then Miss Madonna?

Because you CANNOT progress unless you ESTABLISH boundaries to USE your TIME to contribute MASSIVE ENERGY into your creative calling.

And when you are not working, give your family and friends ALL the time you can.

Fair deal?

Yep, I think so.

The thing is, mastering information overload can be made really easy if you follow those steps.

The one thing that is going to see you produce results better than anything else is being able to MASTER your time.

Master Your PRIORITY = MASTER your TIME.

If you are looking to focus on just one avenue of selling your art, then keep your eye out because I am right in the middle of having my first art-marketing book published.

Wow

Exciting

I agree with you.

My book, “Get Your Art Out There” is due for release in the coming weeks.

So if you would like to know more, I will have an update real soon.

Till next time,

        

In other words I don’t rely on the history of art to push me forward with inspiration. I don’t spend 2 hours flicking through artist memoirs or wandering around the local museum. Call me an ignoramus, but that’s just how it is with me.

It kind of bugs me a bit when some artists suggest to other artists the long way around seeking inspiration in order to get some work done.

I may sound like a bit of a spoilsport, but only people pretending to be an artist sit around, search and spent hours wandering through their local library or gallery trying to seek inspiration.

The active artist, the disciplined artist does not worry about it. They don’t get up and say, “Gosh, where will I get my inspiration from today.” He or she knows that they just have to rock up. They just have to clock in.

They just have to get their tail into the studio at 9am sharp or 8pm sharp – whatever the schedule is.

Waiting for inspiration is like sitting around waiting for the perfect partner to knock on the door. It’s just not going to happen unless you leave the house and interact with people.

In other words, do whatever it is that you need to do in order to get the result you ultimately want. In the case of the artist, they just have to start working at 9am (or 8pm) whether it be scribbling, writing and planning – they just have to be in attendance and in front of the canvas,  so to speak.

This often requires you to work with a headache, with a toothache, without inspiration, after a bad exhibit, after a dispute with the phone company or hearing some bad news.

Yeah it’s hard, really hard some days. But it’s the only way to actively produce some solid results as an artist.

Are you still waiting for inspiration? Don’t wait, be proactive. Just try doing some work, you’ll often find it right there.

Power to you and your art!

        

But now, when I quiz folk on how they use their time each day, I normally discover that they don’t actually have a problem finding time at all. They simply have a problem prioritising their time. I made this very mistake also (I make lots of mistakes, I don’t mind admitting it).

I don’t say it to brag, but I often start my day at 4am. So I am often putting in an 18-hour day. It’s beyond my physical capabilities to do this every single day. I wish I could, because there is always something I need (want) to do… always. But I start at this time to get a head start. If I don’t get up at this time, which does happen through being exhausted, I get disappointed and feel pushed for time. I often end my day around 9pm, or later if I can manage it.

Is this all work? No. I have a family that requires my time during the day also. But it is mainly all working.

I was taught some years ago that it is an entrepreneur’s duty to find time… no matter what. This made sense to me instantly. In order to take on the responsibility of steering a career, you must work outside the boundaries of conventional time. In other words, you have to find time to get what you really want. It was Donald Trump who once said something along the lines of: “You can build a business or you can make excuses, but you can’t do both”.

I have discovered that email is one of the biggest time wasting activities you can get yourself trapped in. I, like many, use to check my email constantly. If I was having a quick break from painting or talking on the phone… I’d check my email. But the worst part was that I found myself responding to these emails during my “real” working time – which of course is producing artwork.

Lucky for me, I soon realised I wasn’t the only one with this problem. When I got to talk with other artists and people operating a business via the Internet, I quickly discovered that many people suffered from “email addiction”.

So in order to battle this addiction, I had to find out why I was unconsciously checking my email so much. I discovered I had this need for contact with people. There is this element of wanting to feel significant. I likened it to a little kid eagerly running to the letterbox each hour of the day every day – enthusiastically waiting for his or Christmas card from grandma. The little boy or girl wants to feel significant. He or she wants proof that someone is thinking of them – is providing the attention they desire.

I discovered that my actions were purely motivated by this need to feel significant. Sure, I was often responding to genuine inquiries, or trying to help a fellow artist find their way with their creative endeavour.  But deep down my need to check my email constantly was very much like the child running to letterbox to receive their prize of attention.

This is also half the problem with social media sites like twitter and facebook. There is a lot of time being wasted assessing our popularity instead of getting the real work done. In fact there is a great quote made in a video by Seth Godin – he mentions how the Internet is just one big cocktail party (click here to watch the video).

Another thing I started the implement is keeping track of what I actually achieved each day. I am not completely disciplined with this activity, but I am doing better than I thought I would. By doing this; it allows me find out where I am wasting time and where I can potentially utilize time to my advantage. I only spend 15 minutes doing this most days of the week. It does actually help to get some perspective of how well or not so well I use my time.

Yep, keeping a “time management” journal is as boring as bat crap. But for someone like me who has a tendency to “drift”, it does help.

I have also discovered that we don’t actually suffer from time management.  It’s actually a personal management problem we suffer from. We can’t actually manage time. Time will continue to tick away. So knowing this made me realise that it was up to me to get a bit more (um… much more) focused on personal management.

This could mean things like outsourcing some of the busy work that really eats at your time (email, general administration type of work). Getting a lot more healthier in order to last throughout a working day without getting too tired. Starting your day earlier is another.

When I first decided to start at 4am, my wife laughed out loud. In fact I kind of laughed too. I was somewhat of a hibernating bear when it came to sleeping. So the idea of starting very early in the morning naturally generated a few giggles.

But here’s thing… when you truly begin to eliminate all the lies you tell yourself, and truly begin to focus on what it is that you want, you won’t struggle so much with finding time. You will simply find more time to do things that need to be done or you will find ways or people to help you to get those things done.

If you are operating with passion, time won’t be so hard to find… I can assure you of that.