A Glimpse into My Day: Balancing Art and Routine

A typical day in my life is anything but typical, thanks to a job that allows me to jump between various projects. 

Let's dive into my Monday schedule, where art, creativity, and a bit of admin fill my hours.

Morning Walkies 

My Monday kicks off with an early morning dog walk. It's not just any walk; it's the "let's get dirty and chase some critters" kind of walk with Betty 'mad donut' Haseler on the loose. 

After our walk, and extensively cleaning Betty... I use the excuse of being warmed up and walking, to drop by a local cafe after Betty has fallen fast asleep for her morning nap.

If you're interested in my favourite Cafes... then Oscar's and Art and Soul are my go tos for lovely coffee, comfy seats and a lovely weekday atmosphere to get some work done!

9:30 a.m. Café Session 

By 9:30 a.m., I'm cozied up in a café with my laptop, sipping on some coffee. 

This is my time to catch up on the weekend's artistic adventures on platforms like Skillshare and SketchLoose. I also browse through YouTube comments when time permits.

I aim to reply to everything - in fact, I promise to reply to everything on SketchLoose and SkillShare, I hope to reply to every email, and then I do as much as I can on the rest of my social media.

A project by Marianne on SketchLoose.co.uk - I get a lot of inspiration from reviewing these projects and seeing how people interpret and adapt my waffling into really fun and fascinating sketches!

To give you an idea, this morning I had 15 emails, 12 instagram messages, around 17 SkillShare projects and over 50 messages on SketchLoose... it's definitely a full time job!

12:00 p.m. Juggling Art and More 

Being an artist, my work varies, so I often switch between projects. I'm still in the cafe at this time, but to keep my brain fresh I'll jump between admin, emails and the rest of it - and all the other things on that always there to do list.

I might sketch a bit, manage my Etsy store, or work on improving my YouTube channel's search engine optimisation. 

The variety keeps my creative juices flowing.

Today's fun project involves planning a workshop for a local business's corporate getaway, as well as looking at getting two more dates in the diary for Workshops at Art and Soul.

13:00 Homebound and Gym Session 

After my caffeine-fuelled creative morning (this is actually a bit of a lie... I tend to have decaff hehe), it's time to head home, but not without a quick gym session. 

Staying active helps balance the hours spent at my desk and in my studio, and is definitely something I need to do to feel content at home.

I'm also an avid runner, though currently just getting back into it after a stress fracture last year.

14:30 It's time to Create!

With my tasks mostly completed, I indulge in some painting. 

I balance my painting styles, dedicating half of my time to quick and accessible content creation for tutorials and guides. And half of my time creating for myself. 

Today is an unstructured day for my personal art. 

A posca pen and promarker sketch - not featured on tutorials, but helping me to develop these techniques and think of new ways to expand my repertoire.

I experiment with new techniques, like using POSCA pens to add layers to my watercolours. 

Sometimes, it's a hit; other times, not so much. But experimentation is part of the artistic journey.

I always stand when working at my computer or painting. It keeps me energised and prevents me from feeling like a couch potato. It also means I can jump between painting, filming, emailing, editing and all that this lifestyle entails quickly and with the agility of a mountain goat (I like to think)... But through some long days I can start to feel a bit restless and in need of a seat :)

Wrapping Up the Day - Around 18:00

My legs are starting to feel tired, a signal that it's time to wrap things up for the day. 

But wait, there's a reminder in my diary: "Must send Christmas cards." 

I've been very fortunate over the weekend to have sold over 20 sets of my Christmas cards from Etsy... that means a long evening of packing, printing, and double checking before dropping them off in the post office post 'walkies' tomorrow.

I'm also running a sale on my Etsy at the moment - 25% off all my paintings to make some room room in my little studio. This is fun, and it's great to get a few extra sales, but it can make me busy and take me away from actually creating.

Time to Relax - 20:00

Now to settle down... probably with some TV. 

In our house we watch 'Taskmaster' and 'Bake Off'. And sometimes 'Masterchef the Professionals'.

With Tash and I having busy schedules, we tend to be a few weeks behind - so I think this week we're watching bread week on 'Bake Off'!

And that's it...

Creating art is a labor of love, and while it's amazing to have people appreciate it, there's a lot of work involved, from crafting the items to packaging and mailing, to recording and editing (that's a whole other day in itself!), and of course managing the business side of things as well.

In the world of art, the profit margin might not always be impressive, but for me, it's the passion, the love for what I do, and the joy of sharing it with others that truly matters. 

That does mean long days - but I don't have to do them. I choose to. And in truth, there are some days (or weeks) where I'm exhausted and all I do is sit around 'researching' (watching YouTube) and trying to get inspired.

If you're in it solely for the money, you might be in the wrong trade. Art is about the journey and the creativity that fuels it.

So, even on those long, admin-filled Mondays, I wouldn't trade it for anything else.