6.30am:   I’m up and plodding downstairs quietly for my ‘coffee of tranquility’ the treasured time while everyone else is still asleep and I can think two things together without interruption.  I check through my Instagram and Facebook feeds, see how everyone’s doing, check my emails and the news.   I have a brief philosophical debate with myself about the state of the world and then read tittle-tattle about celebs for five minutes which cures me of any self-righteousness.

7am:  Today I’m doing a social media post and it’s going to be about the blue tits nesting in my garden, I go through some camera shots of the birds I’ve taken with some wildlife CCTV we set up.  I choose the best ones - I love the aerodynamics and the incredible the shapes they make manoeuvring at such high speeds.  I edit the ones I’ve chosen, then collage some together in my Photoshop Express app.  I spend some time writing the text for the post - probably too long, but I try to make decent content where I can, something I’d like to read myself.

…said Instagram post!

7.30:   By now everyone’s up and there’s shouting above about someone stealing someone else’s stuff, my husband is upstairs and therefore responsible for dealing with it.  I savour the last few sips of my second coffee and then get stuck in to usher the kids down for breakfast and get ready for school.  Including the standard last minute dramas, we manage to leave the house with just enough time to fast-walk to school (plus a couple of little runs) and narrowly avoid the ‘queue of shame’ once again and make it through before the gates close.

9.00:   I return to a house that seems to sigh with relief at the peace and quiet within.  I put on the kettle and get some breakfast while I double check my social media accounts again, reply to a couple of comments and make a final check that no major world issues have occurred within an hour, then I put down the phone for a while and try and get in the zone.

9.30:  Around this time I go down to the studio, it isn’t far thankfully!  I saunter to the end of the garden in a couple of trips with a glass of water, laptop and lemon tea.  I have a quick tidy up and see what my jobs of the day are… today I see I have to do some admin (starting on an article for my newsletter) I have to prepare some artwork for delivery and check in with my schedule to make sure my next couple of weeks are organised.   With half term coming up there’s some juggling to do to keep some of my projects on the road.  My day often has less hands-on art making than you might expect, on reflection I realise it’s true of most jobs, there’s always preparation, admin, supplies and faffing - basically all the other stuff that’s essential to allowing you to do what you do.  

10.30:   I listen to a podcast (this time it was ArtJuice) while I plan, and then start on the article.  I receive a quick call from a friend and soon after a parcel turns up which sees me haring like a madman through the garden and house to the front door.  It’s a bit of a distraction but I use this break to grab a snack on the way back and then start on the artwork prep I wanted to do.

They’re pastel drawings and I’ve sprayed them a couple of times with sealer already, so today I’m signing them and packaging them up for delivery together.  Once I’m done I complete the pile and it feels good to get a job off of the never ending to do list! I plan my delivery for later in the week in my electronic diary.  I feel smug for 5 seconds.

12.00:  I take a break for lunch and read my book to get headspace from what I’ve been doing so far this morning (I’m reading and loving ‘Lorna Doone’ by R. D. Blackmore after a trip to beautiful Exmoor on holiday last year).  I have been known to pop to the pub to have lunch and sit outside and read or write something in that hallowed creative space.  A clean break from work always helps my concentration in the afternoons.

1.00:   I’m going for another change after lunch and I’ve decided I want to make some art this afternoon.  I saw some starlings on the walk back from school earlier and there’s an idea I’ve had about them for a while that I might try out.  I take out one of my prepped canvases (already blue having been painted over with left over paint from a previous session) and put a palette of paint out to suit my mood.  I use some colours regularly and I don’t stick to a strict artists palette rule.  I know my way around the colours I’m used to, so they are great go-to’s and give my work some continuity and a mood which I like.   

I have a table easel on my desk and I sit it up and prop up my iPad next to the canvas on it to see some starling photos I’ve captured before to help orient me.  I always let my imagination have a say in my paintings too though.  Rather than adding the fantastical, I find it often adds more authenticity, drawing from all the looking and noticing I’ve ever done, stored deep down in the archives somewhere, waiting for any strange or important reason to be recalled.  Starlings for me are all about connection and community, there’s a lot to draw on and explore so I’m not going to refine my themes too much today as I often do and just have an initial paint and see where it goes.  I always choose some music that fits with my mood and the work I’m thinking about.  It can take ages to find the right song but luckily today I’m not being too focused and just having a play, so as I’ve been enjoying a bit of Americana lately, Chris Stapleton’s album ‘Traveller’ gets the nod.  

This time is fairly intense but really enjoyable for me, I’m focused on the painting and consciously not too much else.  I’m using my ‘dry’ acrylic technique (not much water) which gives me thick very vibrant paint to apply in expressive, bold strokes.   Being playful and loose with the work means there’s no real expectation and I enjoy experimenting with effects and form.  After about an hour or so I end up with a couple of things taken forward.  The first is an owl scene painted previously that I’ve had a go at adapting as an idea sprung to mind, but it’s not quite worked, which is helpful - another option ruled out.  The second, the starlings canvas was more successful - it’s a start of something I’ve had in my mind for a while and looks like it’s got potential.  I’m happy to leave this now to sit for a while and I can take stock of it.  I might take some pictures so if I’m thinking about them out of the studio - I can have a quick glance on my phone.  

I’m not sure if this will end up being a finished piece but I am fairly strict with myself that only work that is good, original or interesting makes the cut.  If not, I will just paint over them.  Some of my friends are a little horrified that my process involves putting to sleep a fair amount of decent work, however, for me it’s a really positive move.  Being discerning and having high expectations in anything raises the bar and keeps things challenging and exciting, anything else might mean I stagnate or develop negative associations in the long run, even if it gives a quick boost of ego now.  By trusting that ‘future me’ won’t let any work go forward if it’s not great - is a weight off my mind and my creative brain thrives without that pressure.  It takes the worry away about ‘is it good enough?’ and gives me confidence that the things I share I’m going to feel good about and be proud of, regardless of what other peoples views might be.  

3.00:   It’s time to clear up and get ready to go, and after a quick check I haven’t missed any key messages, I’m off to collect the kids from school.  

I find it hard to shut off sometimes when I’m in the middle of something.    Some days I get longer in the studio but even if I had the whole day to paint, if I’m honest I feel I do my best work over a couple of hours and then I start to tail off and start making poorer judgements.  So I work with the ebb and flow now and rarely exceed that.  

As mystical as it sometimes seems, I see a lot of similarities between the artist’s performance and sports performance; preparation, mindset and ideas all invest in and prepare the individual to react in the moment, at the right time, to harness their inputs and create something special.    

My studio days are certainly a work in progress and some days are much more productive than others but I’m learning more all the time about what a good day looks like and it’s not necessarily all about outputs.  Also the challenges of being a creative who shares and sells your work directly often feels like different parts of you are clashing, a lot.  

My current plan is to try to keep an open mind and respond to the lessons I’m learning every day.  It is getting easier generally and things are becoming clearer, not just in the pursuit of my perfect ‘process’ but also how I might be a better balanced person and blast the learning from this journey out to all aspects of my life.   

Sounded quite professional that.

Someone book me a Ted talk. 

Thanks so much for reading my blog.    

Check out my social media @LuciaHardyArt (IG, FB) for notice of my next post or keep in touch with all my latest news, chat and blog posts via my bi-monthly Art Journal here.