Mission Possible

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Mission Possible: July Filing

July 16, 2012 in Guest Blogging, Kate Renee, Local Artist Interview, Mission Possible, Organization, Tips | 1 comment

If you already have not made your way over to Local Artist Interviews to read my guest blog, then begin here.

I wrote a guest blog about how to become an organized artist! In the post, I wrote a basic month-to-month list on how an artist can easily work on becoming more organized throughout an entire year. For each month, I am writing a blog post on my blog site, The Suction Cup, to offer more guidance and tips on becoming more organized.

July is filing!

Its time to tackle the growing paper pile monster. I always try to keep as much paperwork and documents possible so I have an accurate paper trail, but that leads to a lot of papers to maintain. One of my favorite organizing books, One Year to an Organized Work Life by Regina Leeds, has a great method for trying to sort the paper pile up: eliminate, categorize, and organize. Begin with eliminating. Throw out the trash and get rid of everything that you no longer need. Ask yourself is it worth holding on too? Can you afford the space, time and money to file it and store it? Will you be needing this in the future or for reference? If you answer no, then toss it! Eliminating it will make you feel good. Once you have the papers that you must keep, sort them into large categories such as finance, exhibitions, goals, resumes, grants and more. Take care when going through materials you wish to keep nice and archive such as newspaper clippings, photos and prints of work.

Organizing is the last step. Some categories of paperwork and information are still extremely large after you have thrown out the unnecessary trash. At this point you need to sub sort these categories. Use envelopes to break grant proposals or exhibition submissions into years or by project. Feel free to stick smaller envelopes and folders inside your files or your containers for each art category you have. I have my “Past Exhibitions” folder in my filing cabinet broken down into numerous folders labeled by year. This helps keep everything neat, organized and easy to find. This also prevents your files and folder from bulging out of control.

Binders or Folders: Three ring binders are great for quick access. If you use the clear plastic sleeves, you can protect important paperwork from tearing or getting damaged. I tend to put materials I need and use frequently in binder and store other papers I may need later or for reference away in my filing cabinet. I keep my binders in my bookcase right next to my desk so I can grab them right away. Above is my inventory, workshop notes and blog archive stored in three ring binders.

Filing Cabinet: If you don’t already have a filing cabinet, consider their benefit to you. They do take up space but will safely house your paperwork. If you have a lot to save and file, its a good investment. If you have a small maintainable stack of papers, stick to something smaller or even buy one of those small plastic filing boxes or use one of those wire holders that will store loose hanging files. I use series of colored folders to help organize my filing cabinet. I have finance paperwork in green folders, exhibitions papers in blue folders and so on. This allows me to have multiple exhibition filing folders for various shows, years or projects I am working on.

Desk: Some desks are built with a drawer that holds hanging files, but consider using each drawer or shelf for different papers. Keep them neat by placing them in large manilla folders, or using a paper tray.

Bookcases: Use a bookcase or cabinet to hold your paperwork as well.

Don’t let lack of storage furniture impede your creative paper filing, I found my filing cabinet next to a dumpster. Completely free! Use old or extra furniture that would store your papers in a dry safe manner if you can. Who wants to spend a couple hundred dollars on a brand new filing cabinet when you can invest that money into your creative work?

Once you dedicate a lot of time and effort into managing your paperwork, keep up with it. Its easy to go back to old habits and begin to throw items, documents, notes and mail back on to your desk. Make sure before you are done in your studio or work space that you leave it clean. Clear off the papers and put them where they go, put it away or put it in the trash.

 

Goals for this month:

1. Locate or invest in some form of office organization method: folder, binders, drawers, boxes, filing cabinets, bookcases or more.

2. Start tackling your paper piles and begin by throwing out the trash, junk mail, and papers that you no longer need to keep or reference.

3. Take your remaining papers and sort them into large categories.

4. Take each individual category and decide how you need to store the information. Do you use and refer to these papers often?

5. Sub sort any large categories.

6. Reward your filing and sorting endeavor.

7. Do not forget to maintain your paperwork, clean up after yourself and keep your desk clear.

 

Mission Possible: June Spring Cleaning

May 28, 2012 in Guest Blogging, Kate Renee, Local Artist Interview, Mission Possible | No comments

If you already have not made your way over to Local Artist Interviews to read my guest blog, then begin here.

I wrote a guest blog about how to become an organized artist! In the post, I wrote a basic month-to-month list on how an artist can easily work on becoming more organized throughout an entire year. For each month, I am writing a blog post on my blog site, The Suction Cup, to offer more guidance and tips on becoming more organized.

June is spring cleaning!

Cleaning and Cleansers

This isnt about picking up your table tops and putting all your paints, pencils and reference books back in their drawer or shelf. This blog post is about the nitty gritty cleaning. Bust out the mop, broom and some surface cleaner and get those winter dust bunnies out! Just following St. Paul Art Crawl and Art-A-Whirl, you may have had hundreds of people walk through your studio space. While you may have cleaned up your work space and put all the clutter and kicknacks away, open studios still brings in a lot of dirt, dust, smells and fibers into your working space. Even working in an industrial arts building or workshop has a natural level of grime that settles in. This can damage your art in the long run if you don’t maintain the actual dirt that is in your studio.

After you put away all your materials, equipment, supplies and other items laying out in your studio, you can begin deep cleaning. Wipe down all of your surfaces and studio furniture. Scrape off extra paint, glue and art materials and get everything back to shape. I make sure to clean handles on drawers and filing cabinets, flat surfaces like desk, shelves and ledges which all collect germs, dirt, and dust. It may be smart to have some cleansers around to clean up messes and spills as they happen. I always kept some near by along side a few extra rolls of paper towels too.

Don’t forget to clean and glass and windows that are in your space too. Dirty windows stops the natural light that is coming in.

If you head on over to http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm, you can find some non-toxic mopping and cleaning formulas to mix and use safely in your studio. Being an artist exposes you to many chemicals, why risk adding more into your working space. Think safe and use non-toxic!

Mopping/Sweeping/Vacuuming

Spend a few dollars on buying an industrial mop bucket and cleaner, it makes the job easy and is a good investment for the long run. I found it easier to mop half of my studio at a time and move all of the furniture to the other half. Make sure each side of the studio is dry before moving the furniture back. Note, be careful if you have wood floors! Water and wood don’t mix well. You may need to get on your hands a knees with a damp sponge or vacuum very well if you have cracks or an uneven or dented floor. Vacuum around the baseboards and in the cracks to get at the dirt that a mop or a broom cant get too. While first instinct is to vacuum near the ground, use a vacuum with an extended arm to reach up near any ceiling moulding, vents and exposed pipes where dust sits above your head.

Remember to sweep before you mop, this will get all the large particles and pieces of dirt and trash off the ground. I try to sweep after I finish a large project and I mop once I notice that my shoes are tracking dirt. My floor in my studio was so dirty when I moved in, it took me three hours to clean it! Not even exaggerating. After mopping the floor I could see the yellow paint that was painted on the concrete that barely visible underneath all the dirt and grime. Its easy to track in dirt from outside, or from the rest of your building or other studios. So while you may have mopped 6 months ago, it may be time to mop again!

Pests

Sometimes deep cleaning will lead you to discover you have some uninvited studio mates! I was not to happy to find mice living with me in my studio after I was away on vacation for a week. Snacks and food attract the wrong kind of studio visitors. Any sort of dry food should be stored in a locked or sealed bin or container off the floor. Food WILL attract mice. Ironically, I found that the peanut butter on my mouse traps then lead to attracting ants! So while you may be battling one studio pest, you may be inviting another one in. Keeping your space clean will also help reduce the likelihood of rodents and bugs. Seal up any holes and cracks around doors, windows,and in the floor to plug those pests out. Invest in traps rather than toxic sprays and baits if possible. You don’t want to be spraying toxic chemicals around your art and in the space you are working at. If pests are not a problem, take the time and effort to keep it that way. If pests are a current issue, deal with it now!

Trash

Recycle any extra cardboard, plastic or glass material that you are holding on to and take out your trash! Hopefully you already do this on a weekly or bi-weekly routine. Old trash will attract pests and create a smelly studio!

Preventative Measures

If spring cleaning means a huge overhaul, take some protective measures to help you before you need to spring clean again. Lay down a rug or plastic flooring if you drop paint, clay or other materials on the floor. Or stick a rug at the entrance to your space to help prevent dirt from getting in. This will also make mopping easy next time you need to clean. Make a weekly or monthly cleaning chart, if you find yourself constantly battling to remain some sort of cleanliness and order in your space. I tend to clean after I finish a large project, which is usually a good transitioning point between pieces I am making. If you live in a cleaner studio space maybe you clean lightly every few months, but if your building or studio gets dirty fast, I recommend tackling it a bit each week.

 Goals for this month are:

1. Pick up the art materials, supplies and other items that are left out

2. Wipe down all surfaces with non-toxic cleaner

3. Sweep your studio

4. Vacuum the cracks, holes and dents in the floor, the baseboards, and window ledges. Don’t forget to vacuum vents and any exposed pipes where dust and mites will sit.

5. Mop the floor

6. Take out the trash and the recycling

7. Take any additional pest prevention or elimination measures

8. Make a simple monthly or weekly cleaning chart

9. Reward yourself for all that dirty spring cleaning!

In November, I will be returning to discuss Fall Cleaning and discuss removing extra or unnecessary materials from your studio!

Mission Possible: May Inventory

April 30, 2012 in Kate Renee, Mission Possible, Tips | No comments

If you already have not made your way over to Local Artist Interviews to read my guest blog, then begin here.

I wrote a guest blog about how to become an organized artist! In the post, I wrote a basic month-to-month list on how an artist can easily work on becoming more organized throughout an entire year. For each month, I am writing a blog post on my blog site, The Suction Cup, to offer more guidance and tips on becoming more organized.

May begins working towards creating an inventory.

Often seen as a tedious project, having an inventory is one way to stay extremely organized. After following a review for a grant, I discovered that the focus for many professionals is on the creation of new work rather than the documentation and preservation of the work that already exists. However, I argue the opposite, the benefits of taking the time to care for and manage your current work are worth the time and effort. The more time and details you incorporate into your inventory the better tool and resource it is for you. Creating systems and organizational tools like an inventory do take time, but will actually save time down the road when you need to find a specific exhibition date or the name or contact information for a juror. I broke the inventory process into three larger steps which will be blogged about again in August and in November. Follow this months inventory project and you will be on track for your mission organization.

Begin by moving all of your art into one location. Exclude art that is already on the wall or hanging in your home, and art that is out of your studio space due to an art opportunity, such as an exhibition. This can be a project in itself if you are very unorganized. Moving all of your art in one place will make this inventory process smoother and a bit quicker than jumping locations or guessing on information or details about certain works.

Step 1: Photographing Your Work

One of the main components of an inventory is a photograph of the art work. By moving all of your art in one location, you can power through photographing all the work that you already haven’t documented. Each work needs a photo. While documenting your art work can be a whole other blog post, make sure you have good lighting, a solid background and take photos at the highest possible resolution.

Step 2: Creating an Inventory Form

The second component of your inventory is the documentation information. This is the tedious task but will be most helpful to you in the long run. An inventory can have a variety of information and should be tailored to your needs as an artist. For me, the more information the better. Begin by creating a document where you can easily plug in your information. Break down your document into sections such as: basic information, past exhibitions, press and notes. Each work gets its own separate page alongside its photo. Some works of art will be multiple pages after you stick in all its info and others will be a bit blank. Here is what I have for each of my sections on my inventory page:

Basic Information: The top if the page I have the title of the work in large bold letters and include the image of the work near the top right corner so I can see the images as I flip through my inventory binder. I include the date when the work was completed, medium and materials that I used. I continue to list other basic information about the piece including: size, price, whether or not the work is framed, if any touchups or repairs are needed, where the work is currently located. If there is a copyright registration number I include that as well. Another topic I wish to include is whether or not I agreed to any permissions, for example if a literary magazine has permission to print the image, or if I signed any contracts that allows or restricts the use of the image or work itself.

Exhibition Information: For the exhibition information section, I begin with the title of the show. I also list what type of exhibition it is: solo, partner, group show or other. I include the dates of the show and opening, and the venue name and address. Be sure to have the name of the curator, juror, or other related or important names and contact information. Feel free to include the exhibition or venue website address, and the commission percentage. I like to have a section listed exhibition documents. This is where I list what additional pieces of information and documents I have filed away that relate to the show including exhibition agreements, acceptance letters and emails.

Press Information: In this section I list any press and promotions that the work of art has received. This section may not be necessary for artists who haven’t had a significant amount of press, but I prefer to list the information in MLA citation format. I also list any promotional materials that relate to the work of art such as printed postcards, calendars, and other materials that promote and use my image.

Additional Information: There is an endless possibility of information you can include on your inventory. You want to make sure that it is detailed enough to provide proper documentation about the piece, but not so much that its overwhelming and scary to refer to or update. Possible other information you can include on your inventory includes viewer comments, installation notes, artist statements specific to that piece, or opportunities that you submitted the work to but wasn’t accepted. Don’t forget to list if the piece has been purchased. Include the purchasers contact information and what the work sold for.

After you have created the basic inventory form, fill out a blank form for each work of art. Include all of the information, notes, and details for each work of art and don’t forget to include the photograph of the piece. Once you create a large body of work, trying to remember the dates and titles for all of your art can get a bit fizzy, so it it helpful to have the image to refer to.

Step 3: Creating Digital and Hard Copies

Always have a digital file  of your inventory backed up on a external hard drive and two hard copies printed off. One copy can be in your studio, to use and refer to while you are working. Its also very important that you have the other copy in a separate location so if an emergency happens and you need to have proof of your work, you will have a complete and updated inventory to assist you.

The key to inventory is taking it in small bites. If it helps to tackle this project in steps, consider working on certain series of works or in specific medias if you are have a variety of focuses. Need help taking that next step? Below is a short goal list to get working on tacking your inventory.

The goals for this month are:

1. Move all of your work that you are going to inventory into one space

2. Photograph all works that need documentation

3. Create a basic WordDoc inventory form with all of the information you wish to capture for each work of art. Organize the form by sections such as basic information, past exhibitions and more.

4. Fill out a blank form for every work of art and be sure to include the photo of the work.

5. Have a digital file and two hard copies printed off and organized in a three ring binder.

6. Stick a date on your calendar every six months to one year to take the time to update your inventory with your new art.

7. Reward yourself for all of your hard work!

 

Mission Possible: April Work Spaces

March 19, 2012 in Accomplishing goals, Guest Blogging, Kate Renee, Local Artist Interview, Mission Possible, Organization, Tips | No comments

If you already have not made your way over to Local Artist Interviews to read my guest blog, then begin here.

I wrote a guest blog about how to become an organized artist! In the post, I wrote a basic month-to-month list on how an artist can easily work on becoming more organized throughout an entire year. For each month, I am going to write a blog post on my blog site, The Suction Cup, to offer more guidance and tips on becoming more organized.

April focuses on your work spaces and designating a creative space and a business space. And since its nearing the end of the month of March, this gives you a head start on the organizing task for April!

Designating work spaces with specific functions offers clarity, focus, and organization. The basic spaces an artist should have is a creative space, to make their art, and a business space, to handle all the arts business aspects including paperwork. Storage and types of furniture in each space is an additional aspect which an artist needs to consider. Having designated areas offers a system for organization as specific materials, supplies, and paperwork goes to one of the two areas. This type of artistic organization should be broad because it is setting up a larger organizational system. Don’t worry about small details, think big picture!

Creative Space

Your creative space should have all of the tools, supplies, and materials needed to create a piece of art work. It may be an actual studio, a room or area in your house, a spot in your garage, or a table in your house. The creative space is where you make art and feel creative.

Creative Space Storage: Make sure you have ample storage for your tools or a space to place them when they are not in use. Put tools and materials that you use often close at hand and store other materials further away. I store my paintbrushes in a brush box which sits at the base of my easel, while my pastel fixative is in the back drawer of an art cart I have. Consider a tool box, plastic drawers, bins, and other containers to hold your supplies when you are not using them. Do this for a variety of reasons. This keeps other people from getting into sharp, dangerous or toxic materials. It provides a home for your supplies so you know where to put them when your done and where to find them when you need them. This also protects your expensive and delicate items and supplies from daily ware they would experience if they were left out. Keep items out and available that you use daily such as pens, pencils, paper towels, or an apron.

Creative Space Furniture: Your creative space should be conducive to creating any and all art work that you produce. It should be comfortable and inviting, and its layout should be placed in a way that supports art making. Do you have the proper furniture to create? A place to sit or stand? What about lighting? Decide what makes you comfortable and productive while working. Don’t be afraid to rearrange your creative space or move the furniture based on your work habits or specific projects.

Office Space

Your office space may or may not be in the same area or room as your creative space. As an artist myself, I have a filing cabinet and desk at my studio/creative space to work on some arts business tasks, but I leave the computer and other electronics out of my studio and at home in a separate office space. This helps designate what I do at the studio and increases my productivity. I can’t focused knowing an email just arrived or if I am expecting a message from someone. Determine the necessary separation you need between your creative and office space.

If you prefer to work with your creative space and office space combined, separate the space in two so your commission contracts, inventory, and archives (aka important paper work) doesn’t get art supplies on them.

Office Space Storage: What do you need in your office space? What are you planning on storing? I began to work from a series of organized binders that held my arts paperwork. Since then I have graduated to a filing cabinet as my needs changed and as the paperwork increased. Tackling paperwork is one of the most daunting organizational tasks, which is why it will be its own organization blog post. It may be in your best interests to go digital too! But it is extremely important to have a ‘paper trail’ so whether or not its a piece of paper or a saved digital file, you need storage for your office. For now, determine the storage you need in your office space and make sure its available to you when its time to organize that ever growing pile of paper! Don’t buy extra office supplies also. This takes up a lot of space! Have a few extra blank envelopes, paperclips around but you don’t need a whole Office Max sitting in your desk drawers.

Office Space Furniture: Regardless of what others say, I always recommend a desk for handling the arts business aspects of the arts profession. Don’t use your dining room table when your not hosting family dinners, get a desk or a table and make it your office. Only put business materials on this desk. Use this space to work, rather than to surf the web or send your friend the latest cat video on Youtube. Invest in good lighting and a comfortable chair, this makes boring arts tasks like inventory and archiving less painful, literally, when your sitting for long periods of time.

Need help taking that next step? Below is a short goal list to get working on tacking your space organization for April.

The goals for this month are:

1. Designate two separate work spaces: creative and office space. Are they located in the same work space or are they completely separate?

2. Move the proper items, tools, materials, furniture, and other items to either the creative space or the office space. What needs to be in each space for you to work? What needs to be removed to prevent distractions?

3. Consider methods of storage for the materials in each space. Purchase, update, and change previous storage methods as needed. Place your items in storage that can be put away.

4. Consider types of furniture in each space and update, rearrange, and purchase as needed to make each space conducive to its purpose.

5. Reward yourself! You just organized your work spaces!