Let’s face it: saying that 2020 was a “bummer” would be a big understatement!
The pandemic has derailed every aspect of our lives. While all industries are suffering, creative professionals around the globe are having a particularly tough time adjusting to the “new normal.”
Collaborating in a studio is no longer an option. But, you can’t let your professional career come to a grinding halt. Whether you’re a musician, a recording engineer, or a graphic artist, you must find ways to stay productive while you work from home.
Here are some tips to do just that and how to work from home while using your home studio productively in these crazy times.
Contents
1. Treat Your Job Like a Job
This might sound insanely obvious, but finding the drive to work is harder than you think. As creative professionals, we’re used to having a bit more freedom than those who work a standard nine-to-five. Musicians and artists often work unorthodox hours that center around studio availability.
But that’s just it!
There’s always a defined separation between your work studio and your home. When you take the souped-up studio out of the equation, it’s tough to get motivated. Suddenly, you’re in an environment you usually relax in.
This is something that everyone who starts experiences when they work from home. So, how do you overcome it?
Establish a Routine
The first thing you need to do is establish a routine. Don’t treat this new normal as a vacation. It’s anything but! We do not know how long it will take for things to go back to how they were. Meanwhile, work from home is something we should all get more familiar with.
Starting by setting work hours can make all the difference. Wake up at the same time every day and create a schedule that’s close to what you’re used to. Follow the same routine you did pre-pandemic and treat your day as if you are headed to the studio.
You might be working at home, but you should always aim to have the same level of productivity there as you would in a professional space.
Create a To-Do List
You have goals when you hit the studio, right? So why not have some when you’re working at home, too?
At the start of every workday, you should have a list of defined goals you want to knock out. It doesn’t have to be super complex. Chances are, you’re going to have a lot of extra time on your hands even after you meet your goals.
Don’t let that time go to waste! Now is the best time to start experimenting and trying new things. But make sure that you’re dotting all the I’s and crossing all the T’s first!
Schedule Breaks
Here’s something that many home workers forget. You need to take breaks! Powering through several hours of work is not going to do you any favors. It’ll exhaust you mentally and physically.
Being in the right mind space is a must for creative work, so the last thing you want to do is burn through your fuel in one sitting.
Insert a few short breaks into your work schedule. Use that time to get out of the house and take a walk around the block (if it’s allowed). Even just sitting outside in the fresh air for 10 minutes can do a lot to recharge you creatively.
Salvador Dali, to get inspiration for his paintings, used to take short naps while holding a metal spoon within his fingers. The idea was to reach a state of deep relaxation and wake up as the spoon fell on the floor, with more energy and a dreamy state of mind. As an artist he will often work from home in his house in Cadaques, Spain. I guess he made up his own unique way to get things done.
Did you know that the average person spends 44 minutes a day on social media when they work from home?
In most cases, those minutes are spent procrastinating. Procrastinating on social media is one of the worst things you can do from a creative standpoint. It wears you out, blurry your mind and it is not what you are meant to be doing.
In fact, you are working from home so put the phone down, lock it away, and focus on your craft!
2. Define Your Home Studio
The key to being productive at home is to break the cycle of procrastination and comfort. You have to get into the swing of things and understand that just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you can slack off.
The easiest way to do that is to define your working space. This could be a dedicated home studio room or even just a corner desk somewhere. Whatever it is, treat the space as if you’re working normally.
If you’re interested in learning how to create a home studio that doesn’t only sound good but also makes you feel good, check out this guide from Quill Podcasting.
Set Clear Boundaries
This is a big one. Don’t make your home studio a multi-use space. Remember how we said that there was always a distinction between your place of work and relaxation pre-pandemic? Well, you need to try to recreate that to the best of your abilities at home.
Obviously, a dedicated room is going to be your best bet. Just close the door when you’re done for the day and you’re good to go!
But if you’re limited on space, you need to make sure that the area is reserved for work-related activities only. This will train your brain to treat it like your normal working environment. Plus, it can help create some boundaries for family. More on that later!
Keep Things Simple
This can be tough if you’re used to working in swanky studios. But, it’s important to keep your home studio as simple as possible. Don’t overdo it and get things that you don’t need.
In the same token, don’t feel like you have to get an enormous studio! Simple is best. Stick to the gear you need and leave the rest behind. You’ll be grateful later when you don’t have a million distractions around you!
Avoid Clutter
Less is more when it comes to home studio design. All the tchotchkes around your home are great when you’re kicking back after a long day of creating. But when you’re in the midst of an artistic breakthrough, clutter can be a real downer.
Clutter is distracting and will pull focus from the task at hand. It’s one of the biggest productivity killers. Keep your workspace clean and clutter-free at all times.
3. Invest in Your Work Space
While you should always keep things simple in your studio, that doesn’t mean you need to work on rudimentary gear. You’re used to having access to high-end equipment to work on. Suddenly, you’re left to your own devices. So how do you cope?
Buy some gear that’s catered to your new work environment!
This is especially important for musicians and studio professionals. Jamming out in a multi-million dollar studio is a thing of the past. For a lot of people in the music business, the transition to working in a home studio is not an easy one.
One of the biggest issues you’re going to encounter is monitoring. Things are going to sound a lot different in that spare bedroom than they do in a finely-tuned studio. Take some time to prepare your home studio and set up some good equipment.
Treat the room with acoustic panels to get rid of excess reflections and remove any noise-inducing gear. Also, go buy yourself a pair of good near-field monitors or studio headphones.
Whatever you choose, make sure you correlate what you see on your mixing meters with what you’re hearing. In this new working environment, meters are going to be your best friend! They’ll help you overcome the pitfalls of mixing at home, so don’t be afraid to use them!
That’s just for those who work in a home studio. No matter what industry you’re in, there’s going to be an adjustment period while you get used to the gear you’re working on. Do yourself a favor and invest in your craft.
At some point (hopefully not too far from now), you’re going to head back to a professional studio. The last thing you want is for your skills to suffer because you worked on substandard equipment at home. Work from home at the best of your possibilities.
4. Create Some Ground Rules
The reason so many people have a hard time when they work from home is that they fail to set ground rules.
We get it! If you have kids, pets, or a significant other at home, there are a million distractions that can pull you away from your work. As hard as it is to say no to an impromptu play session with your pooch, you need to.
Ground rules will set you up for success.
Make Your Studio Off-Limits
First things first, make sure that everyone in your home is on the same page about your studio. It should be off-limits. Set some ground rules about communicating with you.
If you’re in the middle of a recording session or video collaboration, the last thing you need is your kids barging in to ask for something. Let them know that your studio is your new office.
Consider setting up a sign or some other kind of visual indicator to let family members know that you shouldn’t be disturbed. A recording light is a good option!
Use your schedule to let everyone know when you’ll be working and when you’ll be available. Set these boundaries early on. Doing so will help prevent any hurt feelings and emotional reactions!
Act Professional
You wouldn’t prop up your feet on the console or start chugging a beer in a professional studio. Needless to say, you shouldn’t be doing that at home either!
Even if you’re working alone with no collaborators, try to keep things professional. It all circles back to creating that separation between your workplace and home. Treat your home studio as if you were in an office!
Which leads us to our next point…
Get Dressed
Leave the PJs in the bedroom!
Ever since the start of the pandemic, people have joked about how great it is working in your pajamas. But have you actually tried that for an extended period of time?
Staying in your PJs all day sounds fun, but it’s detrimental to your productivity. Getting dressed signals a shift in your day. It’s what separates your relaxing morning from your workday.
If you stay in your pajamas all day, you’ll eventually find it harder and harder to get up in the morning. Keep your routine untouched from pre-pandemic days. Start your morning with a cup of Joe, brush your teeth, and get dressed!
Oh…and don’t forget to shower! Your collaborators might not be able to smell you, but your family sure can!
5. Go Easy On Yourself
The last, but most important, a tip we can give you is to just be easy on yourself.
This new way of living and working from home is not easy for anyone. Your mental health should always be a priority. If you’re not adjusting well to working in your home studio, take a minute to reassess and see how you can improve.
Don’t stress out too much if you’re not inspired or motivated just yet. Just follow our tips and keep at it! Take some time to do the things you love and don’t dwell on the problems you’re having. As long as you keep trying, you’ll get to the point where working from home is no different than trekking to the studio.
Stay Positive
Keep your chin up, bucko! Don’t fall into the spiral of self-sabotage. Identify the things you’re doing well. The same goes for talking with others.
It’s important to remember that we’re all going through the same thing right now. If you’re having issues with creative partners or collaborators, take a moment to shift your perspective. While you may be thriving in your new work-from-home environment, others might not be so lucky.
Offer your support. Expect delays and try to be as understanding as possible.
This is especially true if you’re communicating digitally. Providing some constructive criticism through email or text doesn’t always translate. Always think about how your words are coming off. You don’t want to burn any creative bridges!
Pay Attention to Your Physical Health
When you’re cooped up in your home studio all day, it’s easy for your physical health to take a nosedive.
Schedule some time out of your day to exercise. Even if it’s only 15 or 20 minutes of walking around the neighborhood, it’s better than nothing!
Try to keep your diet clean as well. Ordering in every day is enticing, but do your best to stay healthy! Preparing yourself a tasty snack is a good way to take a long break. If we are learning to work from home, we may as well start cooking from home too.
Keep Communicating
Finally, keep the lines of communication open between you and your collaborators. You’re a part of a bigger creative chain. Everyone is trying to carry on and keep their career moving.
Don’t isolate yourself. Doing so is only going to harm you and the people you work with.
There are so many tools out there! You can use Zoom or Google Hangouts to complete recording sessions remotely. Or, you can join a group chat to share ideas and brainstorm about future projects.
Don’t cut yourself off from society. It isn’t healthy. You might not be able to see everyone you work with face-to-face, but there are plenty of ways to keep in touch and continue creating magic!
How lucky we are to have all this technology. Imagine a pandemic less than 20 years ago. It would have sucked for real!
Last before a Break!
Trying to work from home isn’t an ideal situation. But, it’s our new reality for the time being.
Just because social-distancing has put an end to in-person collaboration doesn’t mean that your creativity has to go to waste. Some amazing works of art have come out of tough times like these.
Keep at it and don’t rest on your laurels. Who knows? You could end up creating some of the best work of your career!
