We aren't jam or butter, we don't spread thin

I know a very nice young man who loves to help people.  He is also a very capable person and able to work in quite a few fields but, he offers to help a lot.  He offered to help an older lady with her car stereo, told a farmer he would get hay in the barn, told his lady he would be there for dinner….. pretty soon he was leaving parts everywhere, the hay wasn’t finished by him and the only one getting his attention was the young lady he was seeing.  The elder had to have her vehicle patched together so it could be taken to an automotive shop.  The farmer’s crew ended up working an extra couple of days and his dinner got cold (his lady was simply happy to see him).

Being an artist can be like that.  You get all of these opportunities and chances to do wonderful things and soon your calendar is so full you can’t see straight.  You find yourself with two days to get from the bottom of the country to the top and you are driving! to help myself keep track, I gave myself 3 to 4 separate calendars in varying forms.  There is the one on the fridge that makes sure that my husband knows where I am, the one on my phone that sends me alarms so I am not late, and the one in my office that shows the entire year.

Now given the recent pandemic; my year calendar has gotten a little sparse, but I have found that I am still overbooking.  That is why I have the visuals where I can see them.  There is nothing like being able to look at the month on an appliance to see how complicated your life might be getting.  It also makes it helpful to glance at when someone or an organization calls you to see when and if you can help.

Always remember, there are a select few who shine under great stress; the rest are treated by psychologists and physicians for blood pressure.  When I don’t pay attention and get overbooked, I can become short tempered and frustrated.  The organizations that I volunteer for don’t get the best of me and my business gets shorted as well.  What ever it takes to keep you aware of your schedule, pay attention.  You won’t produce the best art when you are agitated and upset, plus you need the time to create.

Delegate and remember to decline a few invitations, say no.  It is okay.  It will mean when you can say yes, you will be at your best for everyone.