It’s easy to let your creative time slip to the back burner… or slip off the stove entirely. This surprisingly powerful tool will help you both make time for your photography AND make great forward progress on your projects.
Use timed focus periods for creative productivity
When I first announced on social media that I had quit my job to become a full-time photographer, one of the first comments I received was, “Good luck. You’ll shoot less than ever now.” It came from a colleague who had been a full-time photographer for a long time. Naturally, I brushed it off. I was fresh-faced and unbelievably stoked to leave behind the number one hindrance to my photography—my full-time job. Why would I heed a warning from someone with decades of experience, right? Shooting less than ever? That wasn’t going to happen to me!
Imagine my surprise when it did. Funny how input from people with experience tends to pan out, right? The more work I took on, the less time I actually held my camera. It wasn’t long before I was looking at piles of to-do lists, thinking, “Isn’t my job supposed to be photographer? Why do I feel like an administrative assistant?” I thought back to that comment and my initial reaction, and I knew something had to change.
In this article, I’ll outline a solution that worked for me and will help you make progress on your creative projects—whether it’s picking up your camera, curating your portfolio, updating your website, or finishing that photo story you’ve been working on. This strategy worked for me, and I’m convinced it will be useful for you too. Let’s dive in!
The Challenge of Finding Creative Time
Raise your hand if you’ve recently put your creative work on the back burner to handle all the other things that need to get done during the day—from your job to caring for your family to household chores. Yeah, I think we all have our hands raised. It’s common for photographers and creatives to struggle with making time for their creative endeavors and sticking to the schedule.
Even if you block out a day for your creative work, you’ve probably experienced letting other tasks slip into that time slot until your creative space is filled with all kinds of life obligations. In no time at all, you have months’ worth of images you haven’t even looked at, let alone edited. That photo story you wanted to work on? Still not much more than an outline. That idea for a calendar fundraiser for your favorite nonprofit? Suddenly it’s September, and you haven’t even figured out which images to use.
Trust me, you are not alone. I’ve been there too. It’s a daily struggle, but because I am a total productivity and systems nerd, I experimented with a bunch of strategies to ensure creative time gets its fair share of calendar space. Of those experiments, one strategy stood out as a clear winner: focus periods.
What Are Focus Periods?
A focus period is a block of time you set aside during your day to do one thing and one thing only. Your only job during this time is to accomplish that task. I usually set up one to three focus periods during the day, depending on the work I need to tackle and how badly I want something off my plate.
Setting Clear Goals
The first step is to set a clear goal for a single task that needs your full attention. Focus periods are not for tackling a bunch of to-do list items. They’re for larger tasks that need sustained focus to complete. This could be a whole task or a defined portion of a larger project.
For example, if it’s a whole task, your goal might be to spend two hours outside with your camera and take at least ten photographs you’re excited about. If you’re editing a portfolio for your website, your goal might be to get through the first round of edits. Whatever it is, be crystal clear about what “done” looks like for this period.
Setting a Timer
Set a timer for a realistic amount of time to accomplish your task. It could be 20 minutes, an hour, or two hours—just ensure it’s a realistic timeframe for what you want to achieve. For example, if you want to shoot and bring home ten images but your shooting style is slow and methodical, two hours might not be enough. You might need five hours. Conversely, if you’re a rapid-fire shooter, an hour might be plenty. Be clear and realistic about your working style and the task at hand.
Eliminating Distractions
Close off all distractions. Here’s where you truly commit to your task. During the focus period, you may work on your task, or you may not work on your task, but you’re not allowed to do anything else. You’re either working on your task or you’re not. When your options are to either hop to it or twiddle your thumbs, you’re more likely to get work done.
The Mindset Trick
When the timer goes off, you’re done. That task is checked off your list, and you move on. You might only achieve B+ level work, but it’s done. You have to end that focus period and move on. If your goal was to photograph for two hours and get ten images but you only have eight, oh well, you have eight to bring home. If your goal was to edit a new portfolio and you only got halfway through, that’s what you’ll look at next time. This creates a sense of urgency and pressure to focus because you only have a set amount of time to complete the task.
Common Problems and Solutions
Getting Distracted
One common problem is getting distracted during your focus period by other tasks. If you realize you’re off track, just get back on track without beating yourself up. One way to notice when you’re getting off track is to set up your timer with interval alerts. If your focus period is an hour, set interval alerts every 15 minutes to remind yourself to stay on task.
Urgent Tasks Popping Up
Another problem is feeling like something urgent has come up and you need to bail on your focus period. Your workload will probably never be less than what it is now. So, commit to your focus period as the most important task during that time slot. Stay focused on it and trust that you’ll handle other tasks better when you’ve made progress on your creative work.
Tasks Running Late
A third problem is tasks from earlier in the day running late, cutting into your focus period. If other tasks run late, stop them mid-stride if needed, complete your focus period work, and then return to the earlier tasks. Commit to your focus period as the priority and keep your commitment to your creativity.
The Power of Commitment
No single tool is a magic solution, but if you implement focus periods into your day and set yourself up for success, you will accomplish more creative work. This means more time doing what you love, whether it’s shooting, editing, or organizing your portfolio. Focus periods also work for other tasks, freeing up more time for your photography.
Try focus periods and see how they work for you. Implement them with discipline and on an ongoing basis. They require commitment, but the strategy truly works. You’ll find success and make progress on your creative projects.
Remember, your creative work is important. By dedicating focused time to it, you nurture your creativity and improve all aspects of your life. So, grab your camera, set your focus periods, and make time for the creative work you love.
