Behind the scenes of my To-Do list

It’s 2017 and I’m currently enjoying what could be described as the mini-hibernation phase of MFA life. For me this means that I don’t set my alarm, I just wake up naturally at 6:30 am disappointed that my body didn’t get the memo. Winter break is when I get to spend my days working on my to-do list under a blanket while watching Netflix. See, all semester I’ve been adding things to what has become a pretty crazy long list. I always end up tricking myself by adding a few easy items just to get some momentum.

At the moment my to-do list is pretty business heavy between the management side of selling my work and keeping my business organized. I love figuring out the business side of things but it can be overwhelming at times while juggling school. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial streak and it’s been my dream to work for myself, so the challenge is worth it. There are so many resources, events, and meet-ups here in Chicago to help navigate running a business, I’m looking forward to taking advantage of them more next semester to help find a better balance between work and school.

One of the things that stands out about Columbia College Chicago is its open and supportive approach to creative entrepreneurship. Just before the New Year it was inspiring to read “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Entrepreneur: A Lifelong Endeavor” by Columbia’s president and chief executive officer Dr. Kwang-Wu Kim. It’s been great to see so many opportunities on campus that help develop the business and entrepreneurial side of creative life. There are even venues like ShopColumbia where students and alumni can sell their work to the public. Preparing me for life as a creative entrepreneur is one area where my undergraduate education strongly lacked. The fact that Columbia’s leadership is taking such a vocal and progressive role is really amazing.

Wise words from Columbia’s President and CEO Dr. Kwag-Wu Kim

And now, without further ado, here are a couple thrilling and exciting items from my winter break to-do list:

The ever-present Website Update

This is the number one item on my to-do list. I try and update the artwork on my website once every 3 months. It always feels like it’s going to take forever, but it’s usually a surprisingly quick process. I make sure all my most recent collages are updated in the galleries and then I tweak the design a bit. When I first put my site together I learned HTML and CSS to get the design how I wanted. Those days are over, there are so many amazing web hosts out there today that are so simple to use! So many people see my work on the internet it’s been really important to stay on top of the updates.

A New Card

I pass by Chicago Public Library’s impressive Harold Washington Library on my commute to campus everyday. After getting established as a new resident I figured it was time to get a library card. Chicago’s huge library system is easy to navigate online with free transfers and holds at your local branch. It’s one of those easy items on my list that took me less than 10 mins. Now if only I could read and watch Netflix at the same time…