The 10-Minute Artist Session

10-Minute Artist Lecture on ‘The Session’

You are NOT an artist. You’re a person who makes art.

You make art in sessions. During that time, you ARE an artist.

We’ll train for 10-minute sessions, but you can adjust accordingly.

So you are training to be an artist for 10 minutes. You are training to be a 10-Minute Artist.

The Session

To build a creative practice, the most important component is to create sessions, and specific times to focus and do the work.

Think of a comedian stepping on stage for 10 minutes, those 10 minutes can feel like an eternity. For those 10 minutes, they are so focused on every detail of their environment, and all the material in their head. They need to think on their feet and fill those 10 minutes with as much presence as humanly possible.

That’s what we want the creative session to feel like, an intense moment of delivering our art

The Scheduling

Schedule the 10-minute session like you would a doctor’s appointment.

You are going to show up, and nothing is going to get in your way. And like any appointment, you’re going to schedule some time before to help you get there. And sometime after.

Let’s make it 10 minutes before and 10 minutes after.

And let’s call them the Opening and the Closing¹

The Opening

This is a time for you to get into your work.

Set up your materials, turn off your phone, and make a checklist. Do it in exactly the same way every time training yourself to settle down and get into the zone. Make a coffee, and take some breaths.

You can turn the opening into a little ritual.

The Art

Set a timer and start.

My running coach says to focus on the effort. I would say focus on the intensity. Bring all your attention to bear upon your work.

Ignore everything else.

The Closing

Stop, when the timer goes off.

You are training to start and stop so that you can do it over and over again. Write a note to your future self about where you left off, and read it during your next opening. Think of stopping as a reward.

Feel good about your progress.

Assignment:

Schedule three 10-minute Artist Sessions in the coming month. And do them.

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I’m doing a couple of zoom events with friends both are free to attend live, if either of them interests you, I would love to see you there!

OCT 2nd

illoguild

Live on Critique Groups, A discussion with my critique group on how and why to form a critique group. Come listen in and join the Q&A at the end.

OCT 28

I’m Co-Hosting an

Introvert Drawing Club

with

Beth Spencer

and we’ll be drawing Foxes and Rabbits. Bring your drawing materials

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For paid subscribers, I’m writing a series, sharing my journey to making my dream job my day job, this is the latest in that series

I wanted to be a Cartoonist

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Book a meeting with Adam Ming

Schedule a meeting

Book meeting

1. I learned this concept from Josh Waitzkin’s book, “The Art of Learning”