The Mighty Micro List & New Prints
Productivity hacks from a busy bee who likes to smell the flowers
Hoi Amsterdammers! I’m tabling at DRUK! this Sunday and Museum Market on December 8th. You’ll find details for these events and photos of my newest pretty shiny things at the bottom of this post.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been off-balance since the U.S. election. It can be hard to make personal tasks feel important in the wake of tectonic shifts. Much of my work is self-initiated, so if I don’t kick my own butt, no one else will.
Here’s my favorite productivity hack - micro-to-macro listmaking. This isn’t specific to comics or illustration, but I wouldn’t get things done if I didn’t have my lists. So I hope it’s helpful for you.
MICRO: The essential daily sticky note
Boy howdy, do I love sticky notes. Surprisingly, it’s not so much because of the adhesive quality but the limited canvas. Every workday, I spring out of bed with a million ideas about what I can do. Every morning, I squeeze an achievable list onto a 3x3-inch square.
I’m an early bird rather than a night owl (yes, I’m mixing animal metaphors, but it’s all the better to teach you with, my dear). So my top-ranking tasks of the day are also the first things I tackle. This is where time-sensitive and deep creative tasks go.
Otherwise, I’m free to add as many things as I want to my micro list. The small format keeps me honest and reasonably focused.
MACRO: Different formats for different tasks
So where does the fodder for the daily micro list come from? I have a few different sources.
I use the Reminders app on my phone to jot down tasks on the fly. I reference it when I’m looking to fill up my afternoons.
I print up calendar months when I have a long-term project that requires breaking down the workflow to reach a deadline.
Occasionally, when I need to get a few things done and I need a better overview, I also make a weekly list on half a sheet of paper.
What are your favorite productivity hacks? Share them in the comments.
Sales
DRUK! at Paradiso
When: Sunday, 24 November, 12.00-16.00
Where: Paradiso, Weteringschans 6-8, 1017 SG Amsterdam
Event webpage
Museum Market
Find my table opposite the MOCO Museum
When: Sunday, 8 December, 10.00-18.00
Where: Museumplein, Amsterdam
Event webpage
New Goods
Can’t make it to these events? You can always buy my products on my website (preferred) or on Etsy.
Bonus for substack readers!
The first customer to spend €20 or more at one of my in-person events gets the original busy bee sticky note drawing shown at the top of this post. Just say BUSY BEE and it’s yours. 🐝🌸
Boy howdy 😄 I'm happy to see someone else makes their daily to do list on a 3x3 post-it-note besides myself! And - I highly recommend Todoist (free app & web interface).