The organized artist seems to be a contradiction in terms, to say the least. It’s often said that a working artist is a messy artist. This can be true in terms of projects in progress and supply use in studios and workspaces. However, lack of organization doesn’t have to occur in all areas of an artist’s life.
Take mail-art artists, for example. They’re juggling projects for work, personal projects and mail-art projects. They’re keeping their work projects organized because, most often, a deadline (self-imposed or otherwise) is typically looming on the horizon. The same tends to go for personal projects, as well, unless it’s a long-term situation.
Why not mail-art projects? Their importance carries the same weight due to the number of participants, as well as the deadlines being set by the originator. How can an art journal help organize a mail-art artist?
Let’s pick an art journal, and then break it up:
- Pick a spiral bound art journal that’s at least 8" x 10" or 9" x 12", so there will be plenty of room to work. It can lie flat, and pages can be torn out without guilt or book mangling.
- Make a list of all the mail art projects in progress, ones that have been started and ones that currently on hold on separate sheets.
- Section off the book into current, started and waiting, using dividers that can be glued in (another art project!), page flags or paperclips (whatever suits the need best).
- On the first page of each section, write the title of the section and art it up. Then list the projects that will be contained within that section.
- Within each section, write out the plans for each project, journal about its progress, make note of deadlines, make note of how long projects can be worked on and work on experiments for projects in wait.
Don’t be afraid to make a mess in these journals because their main purpose is keeping the mail-artist organized. Think outside the box when it comes to planning. Rather than cutting out ATCs to practice on, draw out ATC sized boxes on the journal pages and practice in there. The same can go for collage canvases (draw them out, practice within the square) and handmade postcards.
Soon, this will become a “working mail-artist’s” book that can prevent late mailings, artist’s block and the inability to keep track of what’s going on. Use of printouts from sites (communities, groups, newsletters, web sites, or however else the mail-art is being tracked) can be glued directly on the pages of this art journal and then get “arted up”.
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