A Day in the Life of Aya Padrón
I’m delighted to introduce Aya Padrón, a talented indie artist from Portland, Maine. Sit back, grab a coffee and follow her through a day in her life.
Morning Routine
The day begins with my alarm beeping at about 7:20, but I typically don’t get out of bed until 8 or 8:30. In general, morning is the time of day when I’m least inspired, so I usually take things slow. Sometimes I’ll just sit and read for a little while–it’s a nice calm way to start the day. After a quiet period of waking up, it’s time to go to the gym. My partner works from home too, and since our days can sometimes be pretty sedentary, we’ve dedicated part of our morning schedule to exercise.
Office Hours
We generally skip breakfast, and have a coffee ritual instead. Sometimes, we’ll pick up a coffee on our way home from the gym. Other times, we’ll pack up our laptops and work at a coffee shop for a couple of hours. So, coffee in hand (or tea, since I’ve been cutting back on caffeine lately), I start up my computer and begin answering emails and revising my to-do list. Sometimes there’ll be a new project to work on or an order to fill, and I’ll get started on these right away.
If the weather is nice, I might grab a camera and head outside for a few hours to shoot some new photos. My city, Portland, Maine, has some nice green spaces that I’ve only just begun to explore. (Yesterday on a walk through the woods, I discovered a strange little tombstone dedicated to a French fur trapper who passed away in 1880.) Sometimes I’ll go on a longer excursion out of the city. There’s plenty of beauty and diversity in the local landscape: ocean shores, marshes, forests, fields, and mountains, all of it changing with the seasons. Small journeys like these are refreshing and inspiring.
On days like today (a cold, grey rain is melting away all of our snow), I’ll spend my time on indoor projects. I certainly love getting out and taking pictures, but for me half the fun of being a photographer is digitally post processing my images. I love pushing them toward the margins of realism, where they may become vaguely surreal, or dreamlike. I’ll curl up on my couch with a blanket and mug of tea, turn on NPR or an ambient music stream, and start working on photos from my archives. Thousands and thousands of images taken during the past few years are stored on my external drive, so I have an almost endless supply of material to work with.
LUNCH!
Around 1:00, we’ll take a break for lunch. After spending a couple of hours absorbed in quiet freelance pursuits, it’s nice to get away from the computers for a bit. We chat about our work as we prepare lunch, standing around the stovetop, eyeing our separate pans. His current specialty is fake-bacon BLTs; mine is kale with garlic and raisins. As we eat, we’ll watch an episode of The Simpsons. (We don’t have a television but often indulge in DVDs of our favorite TV shows!)
A Typical p.m.
If I need to run any errands or mail some order at the post office, I’ll make a trip out after lunch. I generally allot some time in the afternoon to promotion and research, and I also like to work on my website, catch up with my favorite bloggers, and browse the Internet for inspiration. Seeing the work of other artists motivates me to experiment with my photography and helps me keep up the momentum necessary for a freelance lifestyle. It’s always consoling to know that there are lots of other indie designers out there who, at any given moment, are struggling or thriving or seeking encouragement just like I am.
For dinner, my partner and I prepare our meals together and often sit back and watch another television episode on DVD, usually Arrested Development. After that, it’s back to work again.
On Monday and Tuesday evenings, I take classes in Spanish and ceramics. Although they aren’t directly related to my business, these classes can be quite stimulating. I find that they exercise my mind in a way that makes me more productive. When I don’t have class, I often spend my evenings listing new items in my shop, updating my blog, and posting recently finished images to Flickr. Sometimes I’ll be at my computer until 11:00 p.m., making the most of the creative energy I have in the evening. Because I end up spending a lot of time at home in front of my laptop, I usually take one or two nights a week off and go out, either to a pub or a new restaurant. Between 11:00 p.m. and midnight, it’s time to decompress before going to bed. I need a little bit of time to wind down at the end of the day, otherwise I’ll lie awake in bed thinking about what I have to do tomorrow.
What I Like Best About Being an Indie Artist
My favorite thing about being an indie artist is that I never know what the next day will bring. Unlike office jobs I’ve had in the past, my current lifestyle is full of surprises. One project will end, and something new and exciting will develop in its place.
It’s also wonderful to be part of such a creative and empowering community. There are so many indie crafters, artists, and designers out there who are making a living doing what they love. They are a constant reminder of what it’s possible to achieve when you have the ambition.
What I Like Least About Being an Indie Artist
Well, it can be difficult to let go of a steady paycheck…but, for me, some amount of financial insecurity is worth it in order to pursue what I love!
Thank you Aya - that was a great read and really inspiring.
To find out more about Aya visit her blog at http://www.underthesugar.com/blog.
To browse Aya’s online store go to http://petritent.etsy.com.
