Just what is innovation?  Is it originality? Is it modernization?  Is it doing more with less?  Being imaginative?

With the New Year has come the mother of all hangovers, a recession.  Think of it as the penalty of for the excess of the last few years.  A whole lot of allegedly smart people spent a lot of time and a lot of effort to get us into this mess.  Ironically, it is going to take all of us normal people to get a grip on our own lives and take responsibility for ourselves to fix this mess.

So, just what does all this mean for us, the writers, artists, musicians, and other creative types.  It means we get back to our starving artists roots and create, adapt, and innovate. 

One innovation I would like to put forward is that of project planning.  I know that planning is somewhat of an alien idea in the creative sector, but without some idea of what you are trying to do for yourself you will find yourself floundering.  In tough economic times, it is crucial that you not waste time, resources, and effort.  It is hard enough to make a living artistically, now it may seem nearly impossible.

Making each piece that I work on into a project and trying to apply the basic rules of project management helps keep things in perspective.  There are three basic concepts common to all projects:

Time
Money
Quality

If I asked you which was the most important, you would most likely tell me that they were all equally important.  The answer seems so obvious you will probably give me a funny look to boot.  Sadly, equality among the basic concepts is a recipe for at best mediocrity and at worst the complete failure of your project. 

The terrible truth is that there is nothing equal about them.  Only one of the concepts can rule any project.  The other two just have to fall in line.

Think about it.  When was the last time you had all the funds you needed for a project?  I am guessing never.  All projects large and small have a budget.  You may not plan to have a budget, or have even thought that there was a budget.  I assure you, your life has a budget.

Obviously, there is always plenty time.  Well, lets say that your lease is up and you have to close your studio in ten days, so much for money and quality.  You have to get your stuff out or it hits the streets.  The costs and quality of the move have become secondary to the time you have left to get your stuff moved.  Here come the friends, pickup trucks, and trash bags to the rescue.

Certainly, we can still control the quality of what we do.  Quality is dependant on the time you have to do the project and the resources available to get it done.  If you have a deadline, you work will be the best you can do given the time you have.  Keep in mind, when you are making money artistically, time literally is money.  You can't sell or get paid for a work until it is done.

So how does this help out an artist?  Just keep in mind that all of your artistic endeavors are actually business projects subject to the cruel concepts of time, money, and quality.  Accepting these factors into your work may allow you to create for yourself just enough of an edge to succeed.