Habit Hacking: How I trick my brain to make more art!

Part 3 of 5 of : FIVE ways to fit art into your daily routine

“The trick to stying consistent that works for me: Doing the same thing every week at the same time, at the same place. -Zsofi Lang

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I so relate to this note by

Zsofi Lang

Like her, I do have a routine that involves taking my little girl to the gym amongst other things. Recently I signed up for a gym near a playhouse we take her to often. She would follow me into the gym and I would follow her into the playhouse while I would work on my illustration projects as she played.

Leveraging Existing Routines and Relationships

Integrating my creative practice into our existing routine has made it much more seamless to incorporate.

By tying my illustration work to the time I spend with my daughter at the gym and playhouse, I'm able to maximize my limited free time and turn it into a bonding experience. Her presence also provides accountability and inspiration -

I know she's observing me work, which motivates me to maintain my artistic habit.

The Power of Habit Replacement

When I decided I wanted to become an illustrator, I knew I needed to replace an undesirable habit - my gaming affinity.

I literally put my PlayStation in a bag and dropped it off at a thrift store, removing the temptation entirely. Then I redirected that urge to play toward illustrating instead. The act of physically swapping out the old habit for the new one was a powerful psychological shift that helped solidify the change.

Replacing habits is easier than starting from scratch.

Reimagining Your Environment

I even went a step further and repurposed the space I used to game in as my new illustration workspace.

Modifying my physical environment in this way has reinforced the new habit - I've created an intentional, dedicated space that's primed for creativity. The ready access to my supplies and the psychological association with this area being for my art practice makes it easier to maintain my illustrating routine.

Changing your space changes your habits.

Overall, integrating my artistic pursuit into my existing routines, replacing unhelpful habits, and optimizing my environment have been key strategies for consistently fitting art into my daily life, even with the added responsibilities of parenthood. I hope these insights are useful as you continue cultivating your own creative practice.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

🎄 ← Christmas Treat!

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What are your habit hacking tips?

How have you engineered a positive habit? What are some habits you want to create?

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TenMinuteArtist Prompt:

Draw your new habit

Before I illustrates a single book or had a kid I drew both in the same picture, I drew myself walking in the bookshop with my kid pointing out my books.

I do that all the time now, in real life.

Drawing = visualizing = creating

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PS: There is still time (depending when you read this) to sign up for a free session of art gym.

We will be reflecting on the year and looking ahead using nothing but simple pictures and shapes. Find out more and get all the details here

Join the FREE year end Art Gym Celebration!

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Ten Minute Artists,is a Page-a-day guide that offers fun prompts, encouragement, and thoughtful perspective for every stage of the creative journey to help new and experienced creators alike build a Personal Daily Art Practice in 10 minute increments.

Award winning illustrator Adam Ming draws lessons from creative legends, industry experts, and his own experience of rapidly breaking into international publishing from a third world country.

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