| When I was young, our family had a large vegetable garden. Each morning during the summer, my siblings and I were expected to pull weeds. Before we could play, we had to get a certain number of rows done.
Despite my great dislike for weeding the garden when I was a kid, I now have a garden in my own back yard. Mine is much smaller than my parents'. But I have one because there is nothing better than fresh, home-grown vegetables - especially tomatoes.
Unfortunately, this summer I let the weeds get out of control. I have a lot of excuses for not staying on top of it, but it really comes down to lack of prioritization. The result of not weeding the garden is that I have a much smaller crop of veggies than I would otherwise have had.
The weeds overtook many of the crops when they were still young and small. Some vegetable plants died, others were stunted. My onions did quite well for a long while, but a weedy vine began to tangle itself around the stalks and choked out many of them. As a result, I had to harvest them when they were still fairly small.
The lesson learned is that spending only a few minutes each day would have kept the weeds in check. I would have had a more bounteous harvest. In short, my garden would have been much more productive. I did have a couple weeding blitzes during the summer, but that does not undo the damage that could have been avoided by spending a few minutes daily.
In your art business, there are many weeds that are preventing you from being your most productive. Spending time on a regular basis to keep them in check will do far more than a less frequent weeding blitz.
The weeds in my garden come in many different shapes and sizes. So too is it with the weeds in your business. But, what are these creative weeds? What do they look like?
They might include:
Disorganization - do I really need to explain this one? If you have these weeds, you are well aware.
Uncertainty - not having clear goals or plans in your business
Fear or Doubt - fear for both the business side and the creation side of your career
Wearing too many Hats - delegate or hire out some of the tasks on your to-do list wherever possible
I'm sure that there are many more weeds, but this is a good list to start with.
I want to share one other thing about my vegetable garden. A few years ago we planted mint. What a mistake that was. It spreads worse than any weed we have. I should have planted it in a pot or other container. But in my garden boxes the plant has become a huge nuisance. Although I do want mint in small quantities (I like mint, it is a good herb), it must be contained. If it gets out of hand, it will take over the garden, killing any hope of a good harvest with the rest of the veggies. Though slightly different than the other weeds (it has a good use, weeds don't), the result is just as bad, if not worse.
Social media is like mint. In small quantities, and well contained, it is a good thing. But it can so easily get out of control and eat away all of your productivity. Keep your social media time separate from your studio time. Don't let them mingle together or social media will choke out your creative time.
Look at your own creative garden. What weeds are infesting it? Are you spending a few minutes on a very regular basis to keep them in check? Or do you let it get out of hand and then have a weeding blitz once or twice a year? Daily weeding is much more effective - so I've heard.
Best Wishes,
Keith Bond
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