A Day in the Life of Meghann Rader
Meghann Rader
Ever wondered what it’s like to live a day in the life of one of my talented artists?
Well, here’s your chance to find out! I put a series of questions to my Canadian artist Meghann Rader.
How do you kickstart your day?
“My mornings usually start around 6:30 with a cup of coffee followed by a well balanced dance between my husband and I to get ourselves and our two children ready for the day. Packing lunches and bags and making sure everyone is clean and clothed before dropping them off at school and daycare. When I finally get back home to work I’m usually a little frazzled so I try to do something calming for a few minutes. Sometimes that’s making art, sometimes it’s eating the breakfast that I didn’t have time for earlier!”
Describe your working environment – what sights & sounds are there?
“I feel very grateful to finally have my own home office. I spent many years working from the corner of our tiny living room, so being able to have more room, leave my mess out if I want and shut the door is so nice! I usually like to have lots of quiet and a cup of coffee, tea or a big bottle of water beside me.”
What are the biggest challenges you face on a day to day basis?
“Time. My set work hours are 3 days a week for about 4-5 hours a day and then whatever else I can manage to squeeze in elsewhere. I have a lot of ideas and things I’d like to do and it can become overwhelming to think about it all. I get very scatterbrained when trying to work on multiple things at once and without a plan. I’m trying very hard to be more of a big picture planner, and follow a specific schedule rather than just work on what I feel like doing in the moment.”
What radio station/podcast/audiobooks do you listen to while you work?
“If I’m doing something that requires a lot of brain power like coming up with new ideas and concepts I have to have silence. I get distracted very easily and my mind will wander out of the creative zone. If it’s mindless work I usually listen to podcasts, however I find that whatever I’m listening to seems to imprint itself on the activity I’m doing so if I’m drawing or painting I usually like to listen to instrumental music that goes along with the theme of what I’m drawing otherwise every time I look back at that piece of artwork all I’ll be able to think about is the business podcast I was listening too!”
What makes you smile throughout the day?
“Breaking through a creative block. When something I’ve been struggling with finally comes together and I can see where it’s going, at that point it’s just smooth sailing and fun.”
What keeps you motivated throughout the day?
“When I’m not feeling motivated I’ll usually take a break and walk my dog, it gives me a chance to think differently about what I’m working on, maybe see things in a new light and come back with fresh ideas. When I need to stay focused on things that require my full attention I’ll try to work in time blocks with my phone out of reach.”
How do you wind down at the end of a long day?
“I’ve started exercising at the end of my work day. It gives me some me time and helps me get all of the stress out of my body so that I can leave the work day and the projects I’m working on behind me.”
What do you enjoy doing outside of work? What are your hobbies?
“I really love doing anything creative, usually that takes the form of small renovation projects to fix up the house. Before I had children I did a lot of sewing and I’d love to have time for that again. We also have a lot of wonderful trails and lakes in our town so getting out into nature as a family is one of our favourite things and is also great for creative inspiration.”
Meghann writes: “I love making art. Getting lost in the process of art making is one of my favourite places to be. It can be calming but also incredibly challenging and satisfying.”
Contact Jehane to explore commissioning Meghann Rader or any of our other internationally acclaimed artists.
