A wonderful teacher of mine once described his weekly studio time as a date with his muse. He said she expected him to show up when he said he would be there, and if he failed to she would get mad and sullen and not very cooperative. If he did that often enough she would leave him for weeks on end. Then when he would be in the studio alone, bereft of ideas or inspiration.
So here is what he proposed: commit to studio time, be it two hours a week or 6 hours a day on weekends or daily for 8 hours, or whatever you can and want to set aside for your work. And if life gets in the way, a doctors appointment, or lunch with an old friend, or a chance to take a hike you have been dying to take, then make sure you make a deal with your muse. Say, "I can't be here today, but I promise I will make the time up to you this weekend, or work extra hours next week." And then stick to that promise. Remember: a date with your muse is really a commitment to yourself.
Do you have "tricks" to get you into the studio and working on a regular basis? Have you made a commitment to yourself to show up, even when inspiration is lacking? Sometimes do you start out slow and then warm up later in the day? Do you have techniques for getting yourself inspired?
