Deadlines, a bit like marmite – love or hate them? I don’t like them but they sure do give me an incentive to get work completed, so I can see the benefit of them.
I am part of a group called Adderbury Artists https://www.artweeks.org/p/helen-button that is taking part in Oxfordshire Art Week https://www.artweeks.org/ from the 13th – 21st May 2023 and last weekend I realised I only have 2 left to make any new ceramics if I want it included in the exhibition.
With pottery making can not be left to the last minute as the work needs time to dry out (impacted by weather conditions), trimming, firing, glazing and re firing. In good weather, in a rush, this can take me 2 weeks.
With that in mind I went out in the studio after my day job and made 8 bowls (this is quite unusual) but with the deadline looming I worked fast. This morning before my day job and finding the bowls dry enough to be trimmed, I was able to do this task all before starting work at 8.30. The 8 bowls are now sat on my shelf drying out.
In my usual making process I would take double this amount of time!
My plan this evening is to repeat the same, but making another items, lets hope it can all run as smoothly as last night!
Does having deadlines help or hinder you? I’d be interested to find out how other artists manage their time when an exhibition is looming?
