How to be productive in the downtime
Illoguild Question #14
It's summer time!! ☀️
Well, at least for those of you in the northern hemisphere.
It’s winter in Sydney, but believe it or not we've been blessed with some absolutely glorious beach days. Fun times all around!
Why am I talking about the seasons?
Because summer and winter often come with holiday periods, which means taking a break from our regular routines. And sometimes, that break also means taking a step back from our illustration practice.
Just because we're on a break doesn't mean we can't be productive.
Below are 20 things you can do.
How to be productive during downtime is the illoguild question for this month.
Members of the illoguild all answer the same question and share our own perspectives.
Im breaking downtime into:
A. When you don’t have an active project on the go.
B. When you are unable to illustrate - such as when travelling.
(I know I wouldn’t go anywhere without my ipad, but sometimes my drawing time is very limited).
If you don't have an active project:
1. Reach out to prospective clients or industry contacts. Check out Katie Stack's newsletter for some amazing insights. She even incorporated it into a 100-day project!
2. Get creative with "Draw this in your style" challenges. Psst, you can find more details in my earlier newsletter.
3. Take a class! You'll find plenty of local drawing classes near you, like life drawing sessions. And if you're looking for online options, there's an endless array of awesome classes on platforms like MATS, Skillshare, or Domestika. Trust me, it's a whole world of inspiration!
4. Pay a visit to your local bookstores. Get to know the staff and if you've got books on their shelves, offer to sign them and inquire about how you can help promote them. If you don't have a book out yet, no worries! You can still make valuable connections for the future.
5. Visit local libraries and introduce yourself to the friendly staff and event organizers. Building connections is always a great idea, especially when you're not necessarily looking for anything specific. If you already have a book, find out how you can get involved in activities and book readings.
6. Expand your network with local schools. Start by creating a simple list of your nearby schools and the contacts you'd need to reach out to in order to organize school visits or collaborations.
7. Dust off that pet project you've been itching to work on. Now's the perfect time to give it some love and attention.
8. Set your creativity free and have a blast experimenting with different subjects, new materials or techniques . Since you don't have a specific brief to follow, it's a golden opportunity to stretch yourself and just play (no- one is judging what you make).
9. Dive into the world of your favorite picture books and analyze what makes them so amazing.
10. Focus on creating portfolio pieces that align with the kind of work you'd love to be doing and fill any gaps you might have in your existing portfolio.
If you are unable to create art:
1. Capture inspiring moments by taking pictures and organizing them into an inspiration album. You never know when these sparks of creativity might come in handy.
2. Make a list of items you'd love to draw or subjects you're eager to explore.
3. Scroll through Instagram and curate a saved tab filled with inspiring artwork or objects that resonate with you.
4. Visit an art gallery or any local art. I actually love seeing the wall of murals at Bondi beach. They are really beautuful inspiring.
5. Pop into a local bookstore or library to see what gems are waiting for you on the shelves. You might stumble upon some unexpected local treasures that help you gain a new perspective.
6. Keep it simple with sketching. All you need is a pencil and some scrap paper to let your creativity flow. I normally capture my sketches by scanning them and saving them to my photos. This way I don’t have anything extra to carry around.
7. Grab some picture books on your phone through Kindle, iBooks, or your library app - its a fun way to pass time while lying poolside and you don’t have to carry anything heavy.
8. Take notes of anything and everything that inspires you. Jot it down to use as a guide later on.
9. Explore publications from different industries that feature illustrations. You never know what ideas for your next illustrations will come up. I love paging through new scientist - the illustrations are really spectacular.
Just chill!!!! Forget about illustrating or making anything for a while… I find this hard to do. This way when you return to your regular creative schedule you are refreshed and ready to tackle any challenges.
News
I received my advance copy of Mia’s Glamma. I absolutely love the print quality. It was so awesome to finally hold a copy in my hands after so many months of waiting. Visit my website to find out more about the book and how to purchase it.
The Sydney launch of Mia’s Glamma at Harry Hartog, Marrickville was a a huge success. We had friends from all over Sydney and my mother came dressed as Glamma.
The Brisbane launch of Mia’s Glamma was just as exciting with plenty of Glamma’s and Max (the dog who Maxie a character in the book is based on) came out to celebrate.
If you would like to see what I am working on or where I’ll be doing my next reading, follow me on instagram.
Please leave a comment and let me know what you like to do in your down time.
Thanks for reading and being part of this community 😊