One of the biggest sources of stress for artists isn’t the monumental projects—it’s the little, repeating things we’re supposed to remember. Monthly bills. Following up with clients. Ordering more canvas before it runs out. When these tasks live only in our heads, they pile up into mental clutter that distracts us from the studio. The solution is simple but powerful: recurring tasks.
Why Recurring Tasks Matter
Recurring tasks act like a safety net. Instead of holding every responsibility in your memory, you create a system that remembers for you. That frees your mind for what it’s best at—creating.
Think of it this way: your brain is great at ideas, but terrible at storage. By putting repeatable obligations into a trusted system, you reduce the stress of “Did I pay that bill?” or “When did I last follow up with that collector?” Recurring tasks make sure the small but important things don’t get lost.
Examples of Recurring To-Dos for Artists
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Monthly bills: Rent, utilities, subscriptions. Put them on autopilot so you never scramble at the last minute.
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Client follow-up: A gentle check-in 2–3 weeks after delivering a piece, or seasonal notes to collectors.
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Studio routines: Sharpening tools, cleaning brushes, photographing new work, ordering supplies.
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Marketing habits: Scheduling a newsletter at the same time each month or refreshing your portfolio quarterly.
Each of these can easily be forgotten in the busyness of daily life. Set them once as recurring tasks, and they’ll surface exactly when you need them.
How to Set Them Up
If you like tech tools, apps like Todoist make this seamless. You can type a command as naturally as:
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“Pay water bill every month on the 3rd”
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“Email past clients every quarter on the 1st Monday”
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“Clean studio every Friday at 4 p.m.”
Todoist (and similar tools) will automatically bring these tasks back around, so you don’t have to reset them.
But you don’t need an app. A simple wall calendar or notebook can work just as well. Dedicate a page for monthly routines, and at the start of each week, copy the repeating items into your to-do list. The point isn’t the tool—it’s the habit of not trusting your memory for what will inevitably recur.
Future-Proofing with Automation
Recurring tasks are a stepping stone to bigger systems of automation. Automatic bill pay. Pre-scheduled newsletters. Regular supply orders. The more you can delegate to a system, the more creative space you gain.
We can’t eliminate all the demands of life and business, but we can make them less intrusive. Recurring tasks keep you moving forward without the background hum of “what am I forgetting?”