For the last year, I had to learn to live and work, using the minimal stock of my resources due to circumstances related to health. I hope my experience will be useful not only for people faced with disability, but also for a wide audience, because one way or another we all strive to optimize our work and reduce costs.

That's just my experience, so I do not pretend to the authorship of generic practices from all troubles.

Illustration from Redbook magazine
1. Provide only pre-paid service

This obvious advice applies to prepayment. I put an end to it this year to save my energy.

Illustration Andrea Wan
2. The amendment to workability

I know that in a normal rhythm I can make some thing for 3 days. However, I don't know if I am healthy these 3 days, so I say 4-5 days to the client.

Or when I'm healthy and have a free day, I can get prepared for a more difficult time like make bases for wreaths, cut and burn petals, order them in the organizer. Such practice allows you to take and implement the most urgent orders in short time because half of the work is already done.

Illustration, Anna Simmons
3. Energy-saving logistics

A person, limited in resources, should think three steps ahead. He can't spend N forces on one thing, and then another N force on another. I, if possible, try to dispose these forces to cover 2 tasks at once like combining work tasks with personal. Need beads with a specific colour? They are near the grocery store where I shop for a week.

Illustration By Ana Albero
4. A workplace for any occasion

On my working place, beyond the materials and tools needed for making my items, I always have:

a) additional instruments in case of inability to cope on my own;

b) medication and a bottle of water.

It's easy to do and really helpful.

Illustration, Melissa Castrillon
5. Learning and discovering new horizons

New skills can save your time and health. Look for new ways and master them.

Photo Melanie Gandyra
6. Correctly use your excellent condition

When feeling fine, sometimes it's tempting to sit down to work and create something monumental and bold. But this impulse of the soul may be short and not enough for a whole making process I decided to spend that time fixing ideas on paper with the greatest benefit. And later I can implement them step by step.

Illustration Sofia Bonati
7. Correctly use a very poor condition

I have a mantra that helped me in bad times:

"Pain is a resource".

It is a powerful experience that causes strong reactions, and the severity of the pain can be overworked and realized. Pain weakens the fears, criticisms and doubts that plague the tender soul of an artist during the creative process. When it hurts, you can do things that you will never do. Expressive, fragile, sad, ugly — any.

Implement the work the pain gives you, all runs faster. Longing, helplessness, emptiness, despair — all this can be seen as black holes, and as pulses. I, for instance, wrote this article :)

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