Try this: Stop doing something

How do we make time for art? In his book Getting Things Done, David Allen recommends we ask ourselves if we really have to be doing a task.

Consider delegating a task. Maybe you hire a maid every month to cut back on cleaning.

Put tasks on your someday/maybe list. One day you’ll learn to paint abstracts, for now you’re doing portraits.

Forget and lose tasks. You don’t like drawing with charcoal? You don’t have to do it.

I used to dabble in programming. I liked it and at the same time, I’d rather paint and sketch than look at code. Someday, maybe I’ll get back into it.

How has quitting made you a better artist?

Brian E. Young is a graphic designer and artist in Baltimore, MD.