Stories. My studio sessions range from 2 hours to 12 hours per day, depending on the type of work I am doing and the available time. My goal is to spend all my flex time in the studio. I generally achieve 80% of this.
But here’s a thing I notice. Sure, I might get started by using some triggers and a tiny list, but with a day long studio session I need strategies to stay in the flow.
Writers and musicians will experience this strategy differently. But as a visual artist, there is a certain amount of mindless “making” in what I produce. During the tasks that occupy my hands but not my chattering mind, I need to keep the flow going. I have experimented with everything auditory- music, podcasts, television series, educational audio programs, foreign language learning. The thing that works best for me is long-form fiction audiobooks that have some thematic alignment with the work I am doing.
The long form story keeps me focused and amused at my work, and the thematic alignment provides delicious moments of synchronicity.
