Organizing My Brain: Planning a Work Day That Makes Sense (To Me)

Being self-employed is great, but it certainly has risks. One of the biggest hurdles to overcome is planning a day of work. With most jobs we know what our day looks like: arrive at 9 a.m., have coffee, say "hi" to the boss, do our work, have lunch, do our work, go home at 5 p.m. However, being responsible for my own schedule, I risk going through the day doing nothing.

As an artist and writer, I am responsible for my work schedule. Being unique and quirky in my own way, I must find a way to schedule a work day that fits me, makes sense to me. We are different. What works for me may not work for you. The goal is to find a schedule that works for me and then stick to it.

As both a writer and artist, I have two jobs. I must paint, I must write. While both are creative endeavors that have much in common, they are also quite different. Painting and creating visual art is both physically and mentally draining. After a long session at the easel, I am physically tired and mentally drained. Writing, however, tends to make me mentally alert and drained without the physical pain. After writing for a few hours, I often feel the need to do something physically active, like riding my bike or taking a walk. After painting in the studio, all I want to do is rest.

I am faced with scheduling a work day that needs to address my uniqueness, the way that I like to work. For now, I am trying this: I am splitting my day into two parts. I reserve my mornings for writing and reading and research. After lunch I paint, draw, create in the studio.  I am finding that if I keep my two jobs separate, art and writing, I have a better chance of staying on track.

My writing workplace is often this coffee shop.
Today, the scene is pretty hectic, being Friday.

For the longest time I was approaching my work day like a day off. That is, I had no real plan or idea of what I was going to do that day. I would write when I felt like it, then paint. I might go through a day and not paint at all. I might go three days without writing and just paint. While this might be a fun way to work, it can be counterproductive. I have goals to reach and a business to run. I cannot afford to just work when I feel like it. I have two jobs, both very demanding and both requiring discipline. I have to paint and write each day, even if I don't feel like it. I have to remind myself that I have two jobs, not hobbies.

When deadlines call for more attention to a particular project, then I make adjustments. But I still need to pay attention to both jobs and not neglect one, because of the work required for the other. For example, I have an art fair on my calendar in two weeks. The temptation will be to focus on preparing for the fair and neglect my writing. But this is a problem. I might need to cut back on my writing schedule, but I must not neglect it. I still need to write, even if its just for a few minutes.

I have never liked working for someone else. Being self-employed is a choice I made and I know it has risks. Scheduling my work day is a continuous struggle. Switching gears between art and writing is not easy, but necessary. I have two jobs that both require my attention. Organizing my scattered brain is a constant problem, but I'm trying my best to make it work.