This year, I'm holding nothing back in a series called 'Balancing Act' by sharing the behind the scenes insights into balancing commitments and creativity with tips to help you make time for your Art.

This is how I balanced September.

September Sprints and Strolls.

There are five main types of pace - a Leisurely Stroll, Default Walk, the Maintained Jog, Short Sprints and Rest Stage. Most of the time we leave out two.  

The daily grind of a Jog and Default Walk are our main paces. The marathon of our careers, of continual work, work, work that requires the exertion of sustained mental and/or physical labour, alongside our default pace we use for tasks on autopilot.   The next we choose is the Rest Stage. The relaxation of the sofa, the weekend lie-in, Netflix binges and the takeaway menu - anything that allows us to shut off the brain for a while to recover.

But what of the other two paces? When do we take a Leisurely Stroll through our day to stop and smell the roses of our work or enjoy the view?

And equally, when do we choose the Short Sprint? To see how much we can achieve when we push ourselves to work at our upper limits, not because we’re told to by the boss, a deadline or the client, but because want to see what we are capable of when we care to give our best.

This year, I’ve been trying to make more use of these other two paces. To take a Leisurely Stroll through my Art by having the white space to experiment and play, and to intentionally sprint a few times a week in focused power blocks.

What I've found is that the Short Sprints not only allow you to get out of your way and do the work that matters but they also end up facilitating the Leisurely Strolls.

By its nature, you can't sprint for long, but what could you achieve if you gave your best for an hour or afternoon of intensely focused work every so often?

3. 2. 1. GO!

Inside the Studio:

Week beginning 2nd: Took a trip to Derry to work on a public artwork for the Conference for International Suicide Awareness Prevention where our group created an amazing 100 tiled ceramic arch. Went to the launch of the Anna Cheyne Exhibition which displayed a new piece of my work and began the final 3 pieces for the show.

Week beginning 9th: Much of this week was spent Glazing, firing and delivering the artwork to Derry for the conference alongside working on the solo show.

Week beginning 16th: First day course at Conway Mill on Skin Tones was a success and the final Songbird Sculptural Ceramics course showed amazing results, Last week in the studio for making, firing and glazing work for the solo show followed by a demonstration with Artists at the Mill for Culture Day to promote our classes. A nice perk was a coffee trip out with mum.

Week beginning 23rd: Kilns opening, work getting framed and term-time classes starting. Final meeting and day spent drawing up an intergenerational Mural for a Hospital. If this week wasn’t a sprint, I don’t know what else could be. No days off and working at full capacity.

Week beginning 30th: Packaging, Installing and Launching Balancing Act Exhibition which was a massive success - I was blown away by the support from friends, family and clients. I’m still buzzing from it.

First session back with the Friday Friendly group for people living with early onset Dementia, first session with an intergenerational group to work on the hospital mural and an art session with children with diabetes for a public artwork. From my sprint last week, this week seemed like a jog - I even had time for a leisurely bubble bath before getting ready for the opening of Balancing Act

Next Month: October is full with teaching, projects and commissions. My own making will take a back seat but a focus moves to securing venues to tour Balancing Act in 2020 and working through my 20 before 20 list.

Balancing Act Quick Links:

If you’re just catching this series now, here’s what’s happened so far:

• January Tactic: Balance and Accountability

• January Review: White Space

• February Tactic: Define the Pace

• February Review: Wrestling Resistance

• March Tactic: Action Versus Reaction

• March Review: The Knock-on Effect

• April Tactic: Go Wide or Go Deep

• April Review: Honouring the Intrinsic

• May Tactic: Sow a Mustdo Seed

• May Review: Honour the Shipping Process

• June Tactic: The 3 letter word

• June Review: Mid-Year Check-In

• July Tactic: How to Say yes to your Art

• July Review: Fill The Leak

• August Tactic: What do Art and Yoga have in Common?

• August Review: Adjust the Volume.

• September Tactic: 20 before 20.

• September Review: Sprints and Strolls

• October Tactic: 8 Artist Body Systems:

• October Review: Working IN or ON your Art

• November Tactic: The Creative Rollercoaster.

• November Review: Check Your Diet

• December Tactic: Small Things, Repeated

• December Review: What’s Next?

What about you?

Let me know in the comments below how you found this month, what you’ve created, or what you’re struggling with and particularly what pace you feel like you’re moving in..

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