THOUGHTS ON... Pacing Your Work
So I’ve been thinking about pacing a lot lately and wanted to share my approach to this and how personal work factors in.
But first I’ll define the three stages of any creative output as I see it: consumption, production, and presentation.
Before starting a project I usually do tons of research. Some of it will be relevant to the project and some of it won’t but that’s the name of the game. What I’ve learned is that without the proper research, I won’t have enough mental energy to get through the next stage…
This is the least social of the stages but it’s where the magic happens. As a quick aside, I think these all apply to any creative output (singing, dancing, acting, etc.) and that you only get out as much as you put it. Once you’re all done with this, you get to move on to…
For some, this is what it’s all about. For others it’s the scariest part but it HAS TO HAPPEN. Without presenting the fruits of your labour, what was the point of all that hard work consuming and producing?
THE STAGES APPLIED TO PACING YOUR WORK
I generally look at each project and figure out what stage I’m at. Sometimes stuff will flip back and forth but what’s most important is determining if one column is too heavily weighted
I’ll occasionally find myself at a point where most or all of my projects are at the same stage and this is what I try to avoid. Everyone will be different, but I find each stage poses unique problems when not in balance:
Too much consumption:
You have all of these great ideas but no outlet for the inspiration.
Too much production:
You’re making all of this awesome work but if no one is seeing it then you lose out on vital feedback or the joy of interacting with your audience/peers.
Too much presentation:
The attention is good but (as harsh as this sounds) it’s all temporary. If you’re not working on something new then it’ll be a huge gap before you get to share your work again.
Be aware of the cycling stages of your process so that you avoid getting stuck in an imbalanced situation.
THIS IS WHERE PERSONAL WORK COMES IN!
The very nature of personal work means you can schedule it to suit whatever you’re lacking! If you need to share something then do a quick project during a break and then you can share it that same day!
Or sometimes I find researching a new personal project will lead to unexpected solutions to client work and provide the inspiration needed to continue!
The benefits of recognizing these patterns are endless!
Conclusion
Basically what I’m trying to say is that balance is crucial and you have the ability to find it in your work. Take a step back, assess where you’re at with projects, determine what you need, and then enact a change to make it happen!
But that’s just my take. As always I far prefer a discussion and want to hear your thoughts. Whaddya think?
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