Art and Decisions....Decisions

      Recently, a comment by reader,Vic, inspired this idea for a post when she asked me " How do you decide what to work on today and how do you stay focused with so many possibilities to choose from?"  Great question!
I will answer it from an artists view point. Most artists that I know, are multifaceted and work in more than one medium. In my case, I write and illustrate storybooks,
 
 
 and paint posters and greeting cards

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and create Scherenschnitte
and paper-cutting (over 30 years)

 I also "scratch" eggs, and do various forms of needlework. Last year, I began re-creating my book characters in 3-d with mohair,needle-felting and stitchery.
 So how does one decide what to work on with so many enticing possibilities?
This is what I do:
I choose whichever art project I am most ENTHUSIASTIC about at the time.  Because I make my living with art, I must also decide how much time I can spend on any particular project. If,in the long run,  the project will not result in some kind income, I must limit the time I spend on it.

 When I work on a book for example, I KNOW the process will take at least 20 months, so enthusiasm AND DEDICATION is a must. I know that the books are profitable for us, so I don't mind the time it takes for completion.
 I have a book in the works at this time with 7 drawings  finished, that is a good start, but it is not my goal at this time to dive headfirst into another book. SO, I set these drawings aside  until I am ready to fully commit.

The common thread in everything I create is Hopalong Hollow. My books take place in Hopalong Hollow,

 

 My paper-gardens represent our gardens in Hopalong Hollow,

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 My little stuffed critters are inspired by  the characters from my books,

 

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and the eggs I etch were ALL hatched in Hopalong Hollow.

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(Thank you girls!)

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My  painted Scherenschnitte  represent all that I love here, in the Hollow, as well.

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 So, no matter what art I choose to pursue, it all leads to the same destination:

HOPALONG HOLLOW. That is my little world.

Since December, my concentration has been on increasing
 the population of the Hollow with my little Fuzzy folk. My goal is to have at least 30 of them, ranging in size from 6" to 20 ".

 Because I have no idea whether or not my stuffed critters will sell, I am limiting myself to 3 months of production time. and I'm participating in a Fiber show in April,  to test the waters. I am loving every minute of it, but always, in the back of my mind, is the question, " Should I be working on something else?" Many professional artists feel this way, there is always the nagging little voice that says.." Yes, this is great fun, but will it pay the bills?" So that is something I must consider as well.

"Will WE pay the bills???"

I  also know, that before Easter arrives, I will want a large supply of these eggs:

 So, in MARCH, I will set aside my wool and fabrics, get out my etching supplies and begin to "scratch" eggs. I like to work in quantity without sacrificing quality, so it's important to stay in the mindset of your project  because each endeavor requires a different set of skills . I will have around 50 eggs when I am done and that is all I will make for the  year.

When I do settle on a project, I have a goal  and a plan. Working in chapters,staying focused and excited about the art.  Next week I'll take you step by step on the creation of my Fuzzyfolk.

I hope this answered your question Vic. Perhaps  you readers will share your own methods of staying focused and sincere  about whatever is going on in your studio? I think it would be most interesting.