SOTS Vol. 5: April Dispatch

Keep up, keep up! Routines to keep you sane, events coming up at the gallery, and intentions for April

On Mondays (in this case - Tuesday!), I share reflections on the art world, galleries, artist spotlights, and lessons learned in art businesses in a newsletter called State of the Studio (SOTS for short!).

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Happy April! I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend and that, wherever you are, there are new signs of spring! I can feel all of Middleburg and the area in general waking up.

Did anyone else grow up with the phrase “April is in like a lion and out like a lamb”? I’ve always loved it! April does start a bit tumultuous beyond just the weather - the grind of socials feels real, launches and events that were far in the future start to quickly approach, and sales still feel slow. But by the end of April - sunshine abounds, sales are steady again, and a general sense of peace about what is coming for the rest of spring brings some of the good sort of excitement.

On April 7th (today), I feel the stormy sense of keeping up. Is social doing enough? How can I get the right art in front of the right collectors? How can my management clients feel even more seen, and how can we plan for them in the most strategic way? The juggling - it’s a lot!

Now more than ever, it feels important to get your people around you. Whether that’s other business owners, coaches, employees/contractors - the communal push through this time of year is real. Remember - just keep going because so many others won’t. And if you’re an art in need of support/auditing/advice - reach out! I’d love to hear from you.

This April I have a little challenge to myself! As the owner of two businesses, I don’t think routine has ever been more important. Not so that I can maximize every second, but so that my time can be the most balanced and I can maintain a sense of sanity.

I’m thinking a lot about how to marry being productive with being grounded. I’m actively honing in on a few practices for starting and ending my work day, every day, that help me stay on track and feel less frantic.

To start the day -

When I wake up in the morning, my phone is always Bricked from the night before. This is when I most use my Brick and it is life changing. Scrolling on social first thing is such a bad habit for me, and seems to throw off the rest of my morning. If I can avoid this, we’re starting well.

Within 30 minutes of getting up, I get outside. This sounds crunchy but the shift in starting with a calm mind and straight priorities is a game changer. Usually this means a walk, but some days I just stand outside with my tea for a minute or two.

After my walk, I write before I consume. Right now this looks like my artist pages (from The Artist’s Way) and daily devotional. I usually do this as I eat my breakfast. Create > consume.

Finally, I open my laptop. I set a 30 minute timer to tackle emails, which is a strategy that really helps me (I struggle a lot with staying on top of emails, but am specifically focusing on trying to get better and the timer is surprisingly effective!).

Before I dive into my commute, I post on social media or check that my scheduled post went live.

To end the day -

To finish off my day, I do much of the above in reverse. I engage on social media (10 minute timer), answer final emails (10 minute timer), and answer texts (30 minute timer).

I brain dump in Asana any tasks that are top of mind for the next day or that weren’t completed.

I get outside if I can, before Bricking my phone and calling it a night.

Most of this might seem really basic, but I find that it’s the most routine acts that are not only the most important, but also the most likely to take a hit when things get really busy.

A good challenge this month is to craft the morning and night steps that you KNOW make you feel your best and most productive. The above routines are my ideal, and sometimes only half of them actually happen. But it takes the mental load off to know what my plan is, even if I have to deviate slightly.

Looking ahead, I have a lot of excitement about the future of the gallery. This is mostly due to so many wonderful studio visits over the last six weeks. The artists are at the heart of our programming, and it’s rewarding to see the place where the ideation, challenge, and production of incredible art happens.

Our Katharine Heyl show opens on May 9th (mark your calendars!), and we have a few fun pop-ups happening in the next two months. Caroline Gray will be back in the gallery on April 30 - May 1st for a pre-Gold Cup pop-up, Riley Sheehey will be with us on May 2nd for a pre-Mother’s Day pop-up, and a mahjong day is in the works for June!

In the meantime, I’m going to Santa Fe for the first time next week and couldn’t be more excited. It’s been on my wishlist for years and I’m ready to be inspired with a totally different landscape. If you have Santa Fe recs, send them my way!

Talk soon!

Catherine

Let’s work together!

Did you hear that I just launched an artist resources shop on Etsy? Accessibly priced templates for your CV, artist statement, portfolio and gallery applications are now just a click away.

I am also taking on management projects and clients! If you have been putting off creating/overhauling your commission or inventory system, applying to galleries, creating a wholesale catalog, or simply need an efficient and targeted audit - reach out! I’d love to hear from you.

Interested in artist strategy? I offer strategy calls for a bite sized opportunity to get help quick and answer your burning questions! You’ll receive detailed notes after our call with action steps for what comes next.

Thank you for reading! If this post was helpful or interesting to you, I would love it if you liked or commented - it’s a joy to hear from you and it helps us reach more readers like you!

Questions for the Studio Group Chat, our advice column for artists? Leave your question in a comment below!

For more, follow along on Instagram with me and the gallery. To view available artwork and artist products, visit Castle Gallery here!