What is your best artist tip for "working smarter"?

[HC_Charlie]

I never really liked the old adage "...work smarter, not harder" LOL! For some reason, it always rang a bit cheap to me and sounded cliché.

But I recently made a small change in my production process (shared below) that seems to really be helping with production time and improving quality, so I thought I'd share and also ask all of the other Makers in this community if they have a small but mighty tip you'd consider sharing, that you'd consider "working smarter"...

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Calling all Artists/Makers in the group....please share some tips or tricks you've developed in your production process that may help others to think about what small changes they could make to work smarter, and increase their productivity or even decrease their costs.

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My personal "working smarter" tip:

I work in stained glass and solder, and I have always used the standard soldering iron tip that was included with my basic iron (3/16" wide). It always worked well for me, but I did know that other artists who work on large scale projects will use very large irons and tips to increase working temp, etc. So last week I was needing to replace my solder iron tip and decided to upgrade to a slightly larger tip (1/4"), thinking it might help me to get a smoother bead of solder on my work.

(Note: not my project pic, just for reference.)

 

WELL...not only did I get a smoother bead of solder, but the time spent on each of my items was slightly reduced (more even heat distribution). Not a lot but over the course of a full day of soldering, it seemed like I was so much more productive. I don't think I'd go back to a smaller iron tip unless I change the size of my core products. I'd love to hear from other Square Sellers in this Community if they have more "Working Smarter" artist tips...

[maxpete]

Thanks for this question @HC_Charlie! I'm very excited to read some of the answers here. 

Tagging a few members to get it started 🥁

@lisap1970, @Adair_BandM, @sarahbertochi, and @indiaink 

[WatsonZayd · Accepted solution]

set aside specific blocks of time to brainstorm ideas, another block for sketching, and another for finalizing your pieces. This reduces the mental switching between different types of tasks and allows you to stay in a focused flow.

[HC_Charlie]

@WatsonZaydgreat tip! I think the concept of "multitasking" is highly overrated, and I love your idea to schedule and stay focused on one idea/task...I agree this allows a creative mind to spend time ruminating and fully develop their ideas and processes.

[eblakerart]

I work with kiln-formed glass (fusing) which i draw out the design, pick the glass i want, cut out the glass, take to grinder, clean and then fit together.  I then have to prep the kiln accordingly.  

I have struggled to see which is more time efficient:
1)cut, grind, clean, assemble to complete one piece to assure that i have at least a completed item, then repeat...

or  

2) cut multiple pieces for multiple items, grind multiple, clean multiple, assemble multiple...

 It takes a bit longer to do #2 option - but it's the most satisfying for me, as I have more completed projects at the end of the day.

Hope this helps someone 🙂

[HC_Charlie]

@eblakerartI think my own process is closer to your #2...I tend to put together groups of items and complete the steps so I have more than just one completed at the end of the task. It might be more mentally satisfying (especially if you're studio is geared for production) to have multiple finished pieces at one time. It may seem like you spend more time doing it that way, but I think it may be more efficient and as you say satisfying. Thanks for the reply here!

[Candlestore]

We make candles at our store, but as my hobby I do wood working and have always looked at things if I am making 1, what can I do that can help me make more than 1 at a time.  Candle making was easy, just multiply the ingredients and make larger batches.  Found out it is actualy harder making smaller batches and weighing everything out than it is using larger weights.  Being off by a mg when measuring 5kg is less noticable than when being off by 1 mg when making a batch that needs 5mg for example.  The other thing I noticed was after making 1 candle I may have to wait about 10 minutes, but if I pour enogh candles and that takes 10 minutes from start to finish I can start adding my wicks right away instead of watching the wax cool for 10 minutes.   So made batches anywhere from 15 to 60 candles at a time, and in all reality the time to make 15 candles might be 1 hr where making 60 does not take 4 hours of time like you would think.  

The other thing with the wood working is to maybe make templates or jigs to be repeatable in the future.  Why measure something when a Jig or Template can easily make the same Item continually.  If after I made a few items and found out they sell well at the store.  I will write up my cut list and then make a jig to cut the pieces I need to size, I also cut enough at this point to make multiple items.  That way I can just keep getting the same lumber get enough cut for this size to make 10 or 20 of the same item before moving to the next pice to make.  I keep all the parts aside and keep doing this till I have all parts cut.  Then I stain the parts or paint them.  Then assmbely parts kind of like an assembly line.  By doing it this way, I am not cutting a piece then changing everything to cut another piece, all pieces are cut and stained or painted before assembly.  Then the assembly is done a few hours or the next day.  Now all 20 assembeled items look the same.  Only issue I run into is when people look and think I would rather have mixed paints or stains on the finished item.  Wheich then had me come out with a little cheaper versions that are unfinshed.  My first item may take 4 or 5 days measuring cutting, making changes and adjustments, but once I have these and a final Idea, I can set these jigs up and make alot of them in the 4 or 5 days instead of just one.  

With both of these ways it saves time, and as we know in making things Time is Money.

[HC_Charlie]

@Candlestoregreat ideas Keith, love the idea of using templates/jigs. I do something similar in that one of the parts I solder is always in the same place on each ornament, so I have a jig setup where I can line up my parts so the solder joint always falls in the same place. This sames a ton of time and headaches and keeps everything more consistent.