ADVANCE YOUR ART CAREER WITH MOTIVATIONAL BUNDLING
A career in the arts requires dedication, persistence, and resilience. Networking, promoting your work, practicing your craft and even dealing with creative blocks are all part of the journey.
What if there was a way to make some of the more challenging tasks more enjoyable and rewarding? Enter motivational bundling - a technique to find more joy and progress in your creative career.
STUDY: In 2014 Katherine Milkman had participants listen to tempting audiobooks (like The Hunger Games) only while exercising at the gym. After 7 weeks, it was found that this form of temptation bundling increased gym attendance by 51% compared to a control group. This provides some evidence to support the effectiveness of this technique.
What is Motivational Bundling?
Motivational bundling is a psychological technique where you pair an activity you find difficult, with another activity that brings you immediate joy or pleasure. The underlying idea is to increase motivation for the challenging task by linking it to something you inherently enjoy.
For instance, you may decide to only listen to your favorite podcast while organizing your PR images, thus creating a more enjoyable experience during a typically tedious task.
This technique is based on the principle of "temptation bundling," a concept introduced by Katherine Milkman, a professor at The Wharton School. By combining tasks that offer long-term benefits with activities that provide immediate rewards, you can encourage better, more productive habits.
COMMON TASKS ARTISTS USUALLY AVOID?
PR: social media management, maintaining websites, writing statements, applying to opportunities, maintaining outreach spreadsheets.
NETWORKING: Going to openings, studio visits, general outreach, maintaining relationships.
BIG PICTURE STUFF: Reviewing your promotional materials, reviewing your big game plan, documenting your successes, documenting your artwork
SALES: Pricing artwork, following up with interested buyers, negotiating sales, shipping artwork
RESEARCH: finding who to contact, doing professional development classes
HOW TO USE Motivational Bundling in Your CREATIVE Career
As an artist, there are several ways you can incorporate motivational bundling into your routine. Here are a few examples:
1. Practice and Pleasure: The key to mastering any art form is practice. However, constant repetition can sometimes feel laborious. With motivational bundling, you can make practice sessions more enjoyable. For instance, you could listen to your favorite music or podcast, or sip your favorite beverage while practicing. The association of enjoyment with practice could inspire you to dedicate more time to honing your skills.
2. Networking and Leisure: Networking is crucial in the art industry, but it can often feel like a chore. How about pairing it with something you love? For example, attending a networking event at a gallery opening feels ominous, but try going with a good friend or treating yourself to a nice meal after.
3. Promotion and Passion: Promoting your work is essential for gaining recognition. Many of us cringe at having to use social media. Try tackling this task first thing in the morning before you have your first sip of coffee. When you sit down to your coffee, this project will be the first think you do and your mind will link it to your enjoyable coffee treat.
Conclusion
Motivational bundling is a powerful tool that can make the journey towards an accomplished artistic career more enjoyable and less overwhelming. By aligning beneficial tasks with enjoyable activities, you can find the motivation to push through challenges, build beneficial habits, and ultimately reach new heights in your artistry. Remember, it's all about balancing discipline with pleasure to keep the spark alive in your artistic journey. Happy creating!