I've been thinking lately about how I might spend more time on my art. I'm not a professional artist in the traditionally accepted sense, in other words I'm self-taught and although I sell my work from time to time, I'm not dependent on painting for an income. I have the greatest admiration for anyone who manages to tread that path, by the way, and I would like to think my art is of a professional standard, at least some of the time, although others might disagree. There are two sides to this situation, of course. It's wonderful to be unconstrained by deadlines for an exhibition or a commission, to choose what and when I paint without worrying too much about making a sale. But procrastination is all too easy, particularly if, like me, you have many other interests and family commitments. Three years ago I moved into a new home with a large garden in a rural setting, partly with the intention of being able to paint en plein air in a calm and relaxed atmosphere without some of the distractions of my previous home. I also hoped to be able to create a garden space that I could share with other like-minded friends. To some extent I have achieved this. When I first arrived, the garden was more or less a wilderness, just rough grass and a lot of comfrey and brambles. I have to keep reminding myself of this when the compulsion to sort out the garden gets in the way of actually sitting down and sketching or painting and the weeds are growing faster than I can deal with them. And, of course, wilderness offers opportunities for art, too. Setting aside a specific, regular time for painting is good, of course. I have joined a group of local artists who meet once a week for dedicated painting time, conversation and constructive criticism. There's an annual exhibition which is loads of fun because the work is shared, and I've also had some space in a nearby library, so there's an incentive to produce something worthwhile. Still, I feel the need to achieve a better balance between creative activities and other more prosaic areas of life, so here's my plan. Painting for a certain time every day is certainly a good idea if you're able, but I know that it won't work for me. It might happen for a few days but then something will get in the way and I'll be upset. So, I'm not going to beat myself up worrying about that. What I need to do is maximise the opportunities sketching and painting. Often if I'm out, looking after my grandchildren for example, or on a journey, I see something that inspires me but the opportunity is lost because I don't have my art bag with me. That shouldn't be an excuse, so I'm going to make sure that I have a small note book and some kind of mark-making tools in my bag wherever I go. Almost everyone has a mobile phone with a camera nowadays, and perhaps a tablet PC too, so I can use these to search out and capture images that will provide inspiration for back in the studio, or to improve my facility with digital art programs. Speaking of the digital world, how much time each day do I spend in on-screen entertainment every day? Not so much as a lot of folks, but still too much, I fear. So every time I consider putting my feet up with a movie, I'll consider what else I might be doing that would be more satisfying or aesthetically productive. Movie night is great, but not every night! It's my intention to add to this blog once a week and share how I'm getting on. Maybe someone out there would benefit from the insights I hope to gain, or has some of their own to share? So, bye for now and I hope to see you again soon! Happy painting from Rosemary