3 Ways to stay sane as an Artist & Art Teacher: Part 1

       Today let's talk about that work-life balance, or in the case of an artist and art teacher, that work-work-life balance. Fourth quarter craziness? Check. Struggle to make art work while juggling the business and marketing ends? Yup.

All Hail the Sketchbook.​
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​     As a teacher, post-it notes are my best friend for keeping track of all the small things to do; as an artist, a sketchbook can be a really under-appreciated tool for sanity as well.

​       I rarely make fully developed drawings in sketchbook, but I take it everywhere and collect ideas. Notes on colors, lighting effects, quick sketches of buildings and architectural details, and other bits and pieces happen much more often than whole ideas.

 ​      I seem to accumulate sketchbooks like dust bunnies, but have found that my go-to, artist-on-the-go sketchbook is a greeting card-sized, soft bound, unruled book with a band to hold the cover. It fits anywhere but is still big enough for little drawings. Spiral bound books tear up everything, and hard bound journals tend to come apart at the spine. ​

       I hope this helps! Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing more tips to make that balance and time management a little easier without drastic lifestyle changes. Stay tuned for tips 2 and 3, and sign up for my monthly newsletter to keep in touch!