It’s the end of February and a lot of you are probably just gotten back into the swing of things after the NYC trade shows. Even if you haven’t gone to a trade show, there are often big events and massive efforts that will occur throughout your time as an artist. Because of the nature of these events, which often require a ton of creativity, ingenuity, organization, and travel, they can be thoroughly depleting (nevermind the even bigger effort if you’re an introvert!).
So, how does one regroup and get back their energy after such an event?
For JNA, after a trip, this is our ideal way to recharge, if we can manage it!:
First, follow through. Recently, my son broke his first board in karate. It was amazing to see these kids approach the boards all gung-ho only to have their hands slow down when it came to the board. Child after child, they tried, got nervous, got even more nervous, and the board didn’t break. Then they finally realized they truly had to act like they were aiming for the floor. When they got over all the emotions and fears about following through, BAM! The board broke. This is all a long way of explaining that finishing what you start when you go to a trade show or land a commission is of the utmost importance to make it a true success.
Going out and getting new contacts or meeting with publishers is great but it is almost useless if you don’t follow through. You may be tired. You may be feeling nervous that nothing good came out of the trip. After all the work you might be tempted to wait and follow-up “later”. However, if you really want to recharge your batteries and get back that energy, following through and making a plan is essential. It releases your brain from the mental burden of having left things undone and also ensures that you’ve done all you need to, to make the effort a success.
First, write a report for yourself on how it went. Whether it’s a trade show, a commission, or a visit to a book fair, this can be an excellent tool. Write down what worked, what didn’t, what strategies you might want to use next time or things you’d like to learn about for the future. This report is a great way to collect your thoughts and milk every experience for the information you may not have processed while you were in the thick of it. It is also the perfect tool to prepare for future experiences.
Next follow-up with clients. Even if it’s just a thank you email that postpones more action until after you’ve recovered. For example, "Dear Pedro, thank you so much for meeting with me in New York. I will be in touch soon with that pitch we talked about.” Then, schedule when you will send the pitch (or whatever it is). Or, if you are up for it, send the pitch with the email and the entire thing is off your plate for the time being.
Then, take a break. I can’t recommend enough making time for a break as part of the planning process before a big event or commission even really begins. Give yourself what time you need to follow through—maybe one or two days, then schedule your break, again giving yourself whatever time you need to feel recharged. Set the auto-respond on your email and take that break! I encourage you to make it a real break where you don’t check your email or even think about work. Do something that you enjoy and that feeds your soul!
That’s it! After the break is over, get back to work 🙂. Coming back to the daily grind will be much easier after this series of steps. You will feel more creative, more open to new jobs, and more ready to tackle the next big effort that comes your way.
If you’d like to share ways you recharge your batteries after a major event, we’d love to hear about it! Jennifer and I offer Advice for Artists in a variety of ways, reach out if we can be a help to you. – Cathy
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