Time is Your Blank Canvas to be an Optimized Artist
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One of the “best kept secrets” in Arkansas is the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. Started by the Walton family (of Walmart fame), it is a place I have spent many hours walking around amazed at the works of art through a variety of different periods in American history.
Because I get fixated on time (surprise!) I often wonder how long it took for the artist to complete their work. They start with a blank canvass and after a period, their work is complete. Do they paint with inspiration? Is it structured, working only so many hours a day? Do they set deadlines? When do they know it is finished?
While I feel there should be structure in how we approach and use our time (read my book and find out), I also think there is an art to the use of our time as well. In fact, there are examples of famous artists we can look at who, through their techniques, can help us be time artists ourselves.
Capturing the Fleeting Moments
Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Claude Monet was a French artist who is credited with founding the impressionist style of painting. He was known as a master of light and fleeting moments. Monet would set up his easel outdoors before dawn and record the subtle shifts in light and color as the day unfolded.
This dedication to capturing the essence of time translates into a powerful message for us: identify your goals, plan meticulously, and seize the fleeting moments that shape your ideal career or life.
Mastering the Disciplines
Leonardo da Vinci was a man of many talents. He was an engineer, architect, investor, and passionate about all thing’s science. Oh, by the way, he could paint. While his vast accomplishments might be crazy to the average person, da Vinci’s secret lay in his constant use of notebooks. He continuously documented his observations, inventions, and artistic ideas. This practice not only served as a record but helped him refine and improve his ideas.
Da Vinci treated time as a resource to be invested in exploration and learning, a valuable lesson for those seeking to create fulfilling careers that blend various passions.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Efficiency in Solitude
Source: Brooklyn Museum
I must admit, I do struggle with the concepts of modern art, my simple brain seems to gravitate to more traditional types. However, there is no denying the talent of one of the pioneers of modernism, Georgia O’Keeffe. She sought inspiration in the stark beauty of the New Mexico desert, living in relative isolation for decades. This deliberate choice allowed her to focus on her art, free from distractions.
O’Keeffe teaches us the importance of carving out dedicated time for creative pursuits (or for important projects and tasks). In a world filled with distractions, scheduling uninterrupted periods for focused work can be the key to unlocking your own unique artistic vision and use of time.
The Productivity of Passion
I have a hard time keeping up with all the artistic styles, so when Monet is considered impressionist and Vincent van Gogh is classified as a post-impressionist, I kind of scratch my head. I find that interesting because both artists lived around the same time.
Despite facing poverty and mental illness, he channeled his passion into a relentless pursuit of artistic expression. Van Gogh was focused on capturing the world around him with an intensity that translates onto the canvas in his bright colors and spinning brushstrokes.
Van Gogh’s story reminds us that even with limited time, immense dedication and passion can lead to incredible results.
Source: Daily Art Fix
Your Own Artistry
Whether you consider yourself an artist or not, you can be creative with the use of your time to transfer time to be more useful and productive. Like Monet, is it finding ways to be focused on any time of the day. Through detailed recording keeping and journaling ideas and activities, you can develop the da Vinci approach and find multiple ways to be productive. Focused work can occur in moments of quiet solitude as practiced by O’Keeffe. Van Gogh shows us that creativity and production can occur at any time, even later in life. Start filling the empty canvass of time with the art of your own life.
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David Buck is the author of the book The Time-Optimized Life, owner of Kairos Management Solutions, LLC, and founder of the Infinity Lifestyle Design program. David helps individuals, teams and businesses “in-career” create more time flexibility in their lives. In addition, assists individuals and couples craft a “post-career” lifestyle strategy to meaning and purpose. To learn more, contact him at dave@kmstime.com or visit Infinity Lifestyle Design.
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