A prioritizing tip for creatives with multiple projects on the go, even a business
Being exposed to less distractions is not going to happen anytime soon, and whether you have one creative interest or five, figuring out how to prioritize what work to focus on, is something many of us can use a little practice in.
In my creative coaching practice, I see many clients being challenged by their creative brains, that keeps coming up with ideas and interests. They are all wonderful and highly skilled women. I relate to my ladies because I’m just like them; a creative thinker, who marches to her own beat, or is it drum? You know what I mean. :)
I have helped many multi-passionate creatives and entrepreneurs organize their multiple interests, and prioritize what to focus on, but I still practice this for myself every day.
Deciding what to focus on is, and will be, a daily pratice.
So, I won’t tell you there’s a right way for you to focus on your work. What I’m laying out in this post, is a simple methodology that works for me, most of the time, and have worked for some clients too.
If it doesn’t feel right for you, that’s totally ok, the point is to find a way of working that works for you.
A prioritizing tip for multi creatives
I’m forever trying to simplify my life, the simpler the better for me. Simplicity is what most of my clients look for too, so for simplicity sake, this tip has 3 main categories of priorities.
Yourself and your wellbeing
“Nothing works if you don’t” - is true.
Having self-kindness, self-respect, self-love and compassion (all the self’s) be the driving force, and foundation, for creative and business work, is a far more effective motivation, than all the best intention and discipline in the world.
You creativity
Specialize in your creative process.
Life always happens, and creativity is quickly put in a “nice to have” box, but my tip is to take it out of that box, and into a “non-negotiable” box. Even if it’s 20 minutes a week.
Business
The 3rd focus category is work related to your business.
This may have the most work involved, and requires the most diverse set of skills, which is why we get so overwhelmed by entrepreneurship.
Next, I’ll explain more about why these particular categories can be useful.
Prioritizing yourself
Nothing is more important than your mental, emotional, and physical health, in my opinion.
I know setting goals is all the rage, and it’s good to have goals, but if your journey towards that goal is clouded by self-criticism and a heavy feeling, chances are you’re not going to reach the goal.
Also, why live that way?
Maybe you’re a gentle introvert, neuro divergent, or maybe you’re going through stuff in your life, which we all are, all the time.
Whatever way you can bring a feeling of safety, calm, and joy to the way you work, I promise you, you’ll find it easier. I have seen it many times, and studies back this up.
One way I prioritize myself, is to be as comfortable as I can when I do any creative and biz work. I like to have the feel of hygge. I am Danish after all. :) This can be writing in my bed where I’m comfy and warm, lighting candles in my office, wearing my favorite jumper.
If you make your creative time about joy, playfulness, coziness, hygge, alone time, self-care, it feels more attractive. Less like a chore, but something to look forward to.
As well as making my surroundings comfortable, I also try and notice my energy and mood. My journal is as important to me as brushing my teeth. It is my most trusted and important outlet for my mental wellbeing.
A quick note on having my lovely office. I’ve had my own office for 3 years, which was a lifelong dream of mine. Before this, we lived in a flat where I made my little creative corner in our bedroom, and sometimes at the dining table. Whatever tiny space I’ve had, I have made it cosy.
This is to say, it’s not about having a Mansion or a tiny flat, it’s about making what you have work for you.
How do you want to feel while you work?
Prioritizing your creativity
My wish for you, is to become a specialist in your own creative process.
The process of creating is personal. Your experience, your triggers, your humor, your energy ... the list goes on...is part of you, and you get to dive into this. You get to love and express YOU. You get to explore and play. You get to try stuff and fail. All of that.
That is definitely worth prioritizing 5-20 minutes a week for.
Also, creativity is work, it’s more doing than thinking, although it’s also thinking, and we gotta put the hours in, if we want to be any good.
So, in your week, have a look and see when you realistically can set some time aside, maybe just 10 minutes, to work on a project.
Lowering expectations is a particular favorite party trick of mine.
10 minutes is better than 4 hours you never do, because it’s never the right time. So you end up doing nothing, then feel bad..... you know how it goes!
If you start with 10 minutes and end up doing more, great!
You can play with setting 10 minutes aside for 2 projects each, or whatever works for you.
If you do 1 hour for one project, and 37 minutes for another, great! If you do 5 hours, great. Just keep in mind, that if you find you don’t do anything on any projects, turn the dial waayyy down to 5 minutes, or less.
This’ll make it easier for you to get started.
Your business priorities
This one is a little different, as business has so many tentacles, if you imagine your business being an Octopus - lol
I like to break business related work further down into different sections, depending on the stage and season of business I’m in.
Branding.
This is the business foundation work of asking questions like:
Why does this business exist? Who is it for, and why should they choose my business over another artist/dentist/photographer etc?
Branding is way more than the visuals, although the feeling you wish people to have when coming across your business, is super important too.
The point of having a clear brand that attract the right customers, is so you don’t have to do too much selling.
Marketing.
Where are your best customers going to find you?
Is it your website (recommended), Insta, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc?
Then it’s setting time aside to work on this.
It can be 30 minutes a week updating bits on your website, 10 minutes jotting down notes for a blog post/social media post, etc.
There is more that goes under the business umbrella, it depends on your business, so allocating specific times for specific jobs is useful.
Set yourself up for success!
There’s no point expecting and planning for 5 hours of creative work a week, when your life at the moment realistically will give you 2 hours.
Whether you have set days for your creative work, or whether you plot in time at the weekends, evenings, or early morning, you get to play with your deep creativity work in a way that is special to you.
The way I see it is like this; my creative and business work, is work I do during the week. My wellbeing and self-kindness is the vibe and attitude I bring to everything in my life - or try to.
Splitting your focus in many directions takes practice. Distraction is everywhere, and that’s ok, but your are important, your voice and work is important.
I find it works well to set a specific time aside.
This can look like Tuesday between 4-5 pm. Or saying, I have to find 30 minutes on Tuesday. Or Monday and Wednesday between 7 and 8 am.
You do what works in your week.
And sometimes, the kindest thing you can do for yourself, is to say “hey love, get off the phone and get back to work!” You know?
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