I love record keeping and data analysis, especially if it is of my own creative habits. Since 2011 I’ve been keeping a Studio Log in my art studio that records everything that I do while I’m at work.

The Studio Log tells you about time you’ve spend working, how you felt about it, what you want to work on next, and how often you are taking breaks. It’s a powerful reflective tool that that’s a minute out of your studio time to complete each session.

PSA: When I say ‘studio’ I mean any place you have where you create. If you a plein air artist working in the field, the studio log would be best left in your travel easel. Do you work on a desk in your bedroom? That’s your studio!

What you need for a good studio log:

A notebook and a pen

Super simple. Keep it by your door or on your desk and do the log right before you leave the studio for the day.

The studio log has a few guidelines that keep it simple and interesting:

Write the date and time at the beginning of each entry.
State what you’ve created. Optionally, how you felt about it.
Record how long you were in the studio space.
Declare what you will work on tomorrow.
The Studio Log is not a journal, keep it brief.

My first studio log book, from 2012-2017

Looking back on my Studio Log from years past is always interesting and revealing about my own habits. Sometimes I had high effort logs of what I was making, other days it was barely a sentence. It will remind you of how often you go to the studio and what your focus should be on.

Do you have a studio log? Tell me about it in the comments!

Host and artist Stephanie Scott breaks down the practicality of the art career with topics including: sustainable creative practices, social media skills, and the mindsets that keep it all together. New episodes every Tuesday!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniescott.art/

Website: http://www.stephaniescott.art/brushwork

Music by @winepot https://www.instagram.com/thewinepot/

Podcast Cover photo by Maryna Blumqvist https://instagram.com/picturemaryna