48 Hours in My Life

Back in August of 2011 I wrote a post that covered forty-eight hours of my life.  My life is very different now than it was back in 2011 and so I thought I'd share an updated forty-eight hours with you today.

10:29 am | Wake up and check e-mail, twitter, and instagram on my phone.  Bad habit, but I do it every day.

10:43 am | Contemplate staying in bed forever.

10:45 am | Open curtains, brush teeth, etc.

10:49 am | Studio Time: Use a gold marker to touch up the soap dispenser and then feel the need to play with the gold marker in my art journal.  

11 am | Breakfast

11:13 am | Computer Time: process payments, answer e-mails, etc.

11:22 am | A phone call = doodle time.  Back to the studio!

11:31 am | Shower.

12:03 pm | Set up photo tent and take photos.

12:31 pm | Studio Time: art journaling to tackle!

12:52 pm | Blow dry hair, get dressed, and put on makeup.

1:14 pm | Now that I have my face on, it's time for photoshoot #2 of the day: me with bags.  Set up tripod and backdrop and get going!

1:28 pm | Upload photos.  They don't look good. Too dark and many of them are blurry.  Remind myself that I must buy a remote for my camera at some point.  So much easier than having to use the timer and run back and forth.

1:33 pm | Photoshoot #3 of the day.

1:51 pm | Upload photos.  At least one or two good ones.  Time to edit the photos in Photoshop.

2:22pm | Lunch & HGTV.  That channel is like a drug.

3:38 pm | Once again, a phone call = art journaling time.  Back to the studio!

4:14pm | Computer Time: Write blog posts to go with all the photos.

5:30 pm | Leave for class.

6:00 pm | MoMA class: The Materials and Techniques of Abstract Expressionism.  It was an amazing class!  Great lectures -- one in the classroom and one in the galleries -- and then we stretched our own canvases!

9:00 pm | Class ends.  Start the very cold walk towards home.  Pick up dinner at the Halal cart on 53rd & 6th (it's really good and cheap -- there's always a line).

9:33 pm | Arrive home and eat dinner.

10:11pm | Computer Time: Continue to work on blog posts.

12:27 am | Personal Time: phone calls, reading, YouTube videos, etc.

2:15 am | Get into bed.

10:13 am | Wake up and check e-mail, twitter, and instagram on my phone.

10:23 am | Open curtains, brush teeth, etc.

10:36 am | Breakfast.  This is a pretty typical breakfast for me: 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt and lots of fruit, drizzled with a tbsp of maple syrup.  Oh, and of course, a big glass of water!

10:53 am | Phone call = doodling time.  Into the studio I go!

11:13 am | Studio Time: making Valentine's Day cards today!  Even the sewing machine gets involved!

1:30 pm | Important business call on speaker phone.  Need to pay attention, but gluing leftover pieces of deli paper into my art journal instead.

2:09 pm | Shower.

2:36 pm | Lunch.

3:04 pm | Set up the photo tent again.  Dream of having a space where I could have a permanent photo set up.  Take photos of the Valentine's Day cards.

3:36 pm | Computer Time: Upload photos, edit photos, and write blog post about them.

4:29 pm | Blow dry hair, put on makeup, try on a million outfits.  Eeek!  I'm going to an important event tonight and can't figure out what to wear.  I want to make a good first impression.

5:56 pm | Settle on an outfit.  Feel nervous that I've made the wrong choice.  

5:58 pm | Computer Time: wander through Pinterest, read blogs, etc.

6:45 pm | Head for the subway.  Wonder why I thought it was a good idea to wear a skirt when it's below freezing outside?  Also wonder why I wore a shoe with a heel?  

7:05 pm | Check in at the event.  Feel even more nervous.  

9:36 pm | I made a new friend tonight. She's funny and great and we trade business cards.  Time to head for the subway.  Brrrrrr.  It's cold outside!

10:22 pm | Arrive home.  Wonder if it's too late to eat dinner?  Decide that it's okay to eat something quick.  Make dinner and eat it.

11:04 pm | Studio Time: Work in my art journal and then decide it's time to carve a new stamp.

1:13 am | Computer Time: Answer e-mails, process payments, etc.

1:48 am | Personal Time: phone calls, reading, YouTube videos, etc.

3:45 am | Realize how late it is and go to bed.

Whew.  

Well, the first question is, is that typical?  The answer is: to a certain extent.  There's nothing typical in your life when you're freelance.  Each day holds its own agenda and challenges. 

My work life tends to operate in binge cycles.  This forty-eight hours happens to be in the midst of a blog project binge cycle.  I was really focused on getting projects done, photos taken, and posts written.  Other days I might be focused on updating my website -- and end up spending three days on the computer with no time in the studio.  Or I might have a deadline I'm racing to meet and be solely focused on getting that task done.

The biggest thing that I notice is that I used to be a serious work-a-holic.  Wake up and work and go to sleep. These days I'm managing to take the time to make healthy food and giving myself some personal time.  I'm seeking balance.  And that's a very good thing.  I definitely haven't gotten it quite right yet, but I feel like I'm on my way.  :)

How about you?  What does forty-eight hours in your life look like?

Thanks for stopping by!