How to Edit when...

We've all been in this situation. You have a shoot that needs to be edited, but have no motivation to do work on it. Maybe it wasn't a creative project or the lighting is weird or annoying to fix. Or perhaps you are just feeling mega lazy. But someone out there is twiddling their thumbs waiting for these photos and you're needing to muster up the energy to get 'em done. As an avid procrastinator, I've been in this scenario many times. Many, many times. And it can be done! It needs to get done. Here's my method to buckling down and editing.

1. SETTLE IN

It's going to be a long, tiring road. Know this before you get started and prepare accordingly. If I'm settling in to power through some photos, I prepare as if I'm about to go on a looong car ride.

The essentials :
- Plenty of coffee
- Water bottle
- A healthy snack
- Warm socks
- Cozy blanket

Then I'll clear my work area of clutter and turn my keyboard and mouse to accommodate my editing habits (one finger on the "P" key and one on the "Next" arrow when I'm choosing photos. I'll show you my editing workflow in a future post and you'll see what I mean). I'll even go to the bathroom before I sit down to start. Seriously. Let the road trip begin.

2. CREATE AN EDITING PLAYLIST
A few months ago I created a playlist that is strictly for editing. So once it starts playing I know it's time to get down to business! I have some upbeat songs mixed in with slow and steady songs. I am prettttty proud of this playlist, so here's a link to it and a screenshot of most of it, and maybe some songs will work for your playlist too.

https://open.spotify.com/user/12159267801/playlist/5gg9tYn2NzwyeI4EYEILSv

 3. PLAN A BREAK
You're setting yourself up for failure if you force yourself to work on a single task for an entire day or until completion. I usually start to fade about 2 hours in. So, since Nate and I eat lunch at around 2pm each day, I've made it a habit to start working at noon. That way, 2 hours in I'm having a lunch break. Then after lunch I'll get back to editing for another 2 hours. If you're on a roll don't stop yourself, but if you feel yourself lagging, take a break.




That's my general method for tackling projects. Obviously these specific things won't work for everyone. I think finding your own flow is super important. Figure out what time of day you're most productive, the environment that's most comfortable for you, and soon you'll have your own no-fail process.

-Ashley