My Top Productivity Hacks

Let’s share what works

It's Summer in Australia, and I must confess, I've been soaking up the sun and enjoying those beach hours a little too much. But hey, life is all about balance, right?

While I may not have been as productive as I'd like, I've been working on some exciting story ideas and spending quality time with my pre-teen kids (who still like hanging out with me). Now, I'm back and re-charged, ready to make this my most productive season yet! In this newsletter, I'll share some strategies that I'm implementing to boost my productivity, and hopefully, they'll work for you too…

And I also have some exciting news -  ‘Our Australian Heart’ an anthology featuring my work is now available. Sale proceeds are to be donated to The Indigenous Literary Foundation. And I also had my work published on the cover of ‘The Beast’. It’s a local mag with a distribution of 60,000 that supports local artists.

So here are my productivity hacks

1. I have Inspiration at My Fingertips!

   1. I have created a list of things that I want to draw. My friend’s Jen Gubicza and Adam Ming gave me this idea. Jen has as a list of icons that she wants to draw and sometimes combines a few.

   2. I also love going to the Friday Doodle Club, run by my friends Jennifer Jamieson and Brenda Harris. Each Friday they give drawing prompts - 3 words. This week its “Fiesty, Winning, Cinnamon Roll”. The entries are always so creative.

2. I create a drawing schedule to ensure I have dedicated time for drawing. I love using a weekly planner with blocks of time laid out. It helps me visualize my schedule and allocate specific time slots for drawing. By setting aside this time, I'm able to make drawing a priority and ensure it doesn't get lost in the chaos of everyday life.

   We all have different times of the day when our creative energy is at its peak. For me, it's after a meal (I can’t draw when I’m hangry!).

3. I try to minimise distractions - For me, that means staying away from social media and silencing my phone during my drawing sessions.

4. Break down projects and set deadlines for milestones - I set deadlines for each milestone and stick to them. Even if things aren't "perfect," I move on to the next step. This helps me stay on track and ensures progress, even if it's incremental. Remember, progress is progress, no matter how small!

5. Optimizing my drawing tools - for me that’s Software (procreate) and Hardware (making sure my ipad has enough free storage space and is charged).

   I get so frustrated when I want to draw away from my desk and my battery is flat- I have now invested in power banks to eliminate any waiting time for my iPad to charge. If you work traditionally, it probably means having the right art supplies at the ready.

Now that you know my productivity hacks, I'd love to hear yours! Please share your own strategies in the comments below.

Two of my previous newsletters also have lots of useful tips to help you get back into the swing of things.

“How to get back to work after a break” and “Do you have a creative block?”

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News

• ‘Our Australian Heart’ an anthology featuring me work is now available. Sale proceeds are to be donated to The Indigenous Literary Foundation. I love the print quality and having my work featured along other wonderful illustrators. My copy is on my coffee table (it’s so beautiful). Here is a link to find out more.

  

• And I also had my work published on the cover of ‘The Beast’. It’s a local mag with a distribution of 60,000 - I’m honoured to be art of a community that supports local artists. You can read it online here and you can find out what I have to say about my favorite local spots. Hope you get to visit Bondi one day if you are far away, and for those local.

• And also a shout out to Adam Ming who was interviewed by Tom Froese on his podcast. Its 100% worth a listen - he offers invaluable insights for getting tnto the industry!

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Thanks for reading!

You can see more of my work on my website or instagram.

Also please check out the Illoguild Newsletter! It comes out next week and all the contributors will be tackling the question “What are your best productivity hacks?” - I cant wait to pick up more tips.