How to Balance Art and Life

If you're an artist, struggling to make a living off of your art, it can be really, really hard to dedicate enough time to your art while not neglecting the other facets of your life.  I suppose that can happen with any field of interest that takes time, but I'm going to concentrate on art, because that's what I love.

For Karla and I, it has gotten really tough to dedicate the necessary time to promoting the site, creating new pieces, keeping a regular posting schedule on the blog and store... ugh!  It is a nightmare of a balancing act.  Between the little boy, my day job, cleaning, cooking, going out... we've only got a few hours each night to work on this stuff.  But you know what: we work on it!  That's the only way to get it balanced.  Do everything you need to do to make life livable and confortable.  Then, take your spare time and go at it!  If art is what you love, do it, practice it. 

I, personally, think it's better to branch out, as well.  Let's say you don't want to do any jewelry tonight.  Pick up a sketch pad and draw out your next cool design.  Grab some polymer clay and work with that for an evening, instead of crystals and wire.  It helps clear the mind and, a lot of times, provides inspiration that you wouldn't have gotten otherwise. 

Another source for inspiration, at least for me, is always being observant during my day job.  It's always funny the ideas that come to me as I watch someone walk down the sidewalk, or push a cart in the supermarket or whatever! 

I think that art should permeate life.  Art is inspired by life and it imitates life.  Embrace it, think about it and you may be surprised what you come up with.

Inspirations

So, I've been trying to think of something that I love to inspire a piece of jewelry.  I'd like to make something with some kind of wire-wrapping and a semi-precious stone.  However, it needs to be different.  Something that makes you think.  Something that carries a message.  Isn't that what Art is supposed to do? 

Perhaps if I make a list of questions, it would help:

• What image does my situation in life bring to mind right now?
• What color do I feel?
• Do I feel fluid or solid?
• Do I feel free or bound?

Now it's time to get out the sketch book and think...