The art of self-help (Pt. 1) - Improve your (art) productivity: A practical book review
When I am not painting or drawing, I love a good dose of self-help (sometimes self help) - perhaps once an embarrassing taboo but I wish many of my favourite books were published in my younger years (not that I would have read them then nor would I have acted on any advice at that time!). If I could have applied just 1% (an idea stolen from James Clear’s ‘Atomic Habits’) of the advice and wisdom contained in them all then I am quietly confident that I would have achieved much more and had more successes to celebrate at this point of my life. That is not to say that regrets or missed opportunities have left me unhappy with my lot - I am very grateful, happy and fulfilled!
Today, indulge me as I unpack my takeaways from Richard Thaler’s & Cass Sunstein’s ‘Nudge’ and how I apply them to my artistic practice.
‘Nudge’ is a self-help book written by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. The book explores the concept of behavioural economics (the study and theory to attempt to understand and explain human decision-making and behaviour) and what principles can be applied to improve decision-making and encourage positive choices (or the opposite) - I have tried applying their concepts to my art practice and work; and hope to share some of that with you.
Here are the most relevant ideas (the ones I think I have applied in my work and life with reasonable benefit and success) from ‘Nudge’, some of which I want to explore further:
Choice Architecture refers to the design of the decision-making environment, including the way choices are presented and organised, to influence people's decisions, behaviours and actions without restricting their freedom of choice. Obvious examples from the real world include the placement of products in supermarkets - if they are at eye level then you are more likely to see it and buy it!
Nudges are further or additional aspects of choice architecture that try to alter people’s behaviour, decisions or actions. They try to steer (or nudge) individuals to particular choices (not always in our interest) - consider happy hour at the pub! They aim to make the preferred option more salient, easier to choose, or more appealing while still allowing alternative options. Nudges can be subtle or very explicit and both approaches can have a significant impact on their success or otherwise.
Sludge on the other hand, refers to any feature of the choice architecture that makes it more difficult for people to make desired choices or navigate through a process. Sludge slows things down by creating unnecessary barriers, complexity, or delays that hinder decision-making, discourage certain behaviours or prevent action. Sludge can be excessive paperwork, complicated forms, long wait times, or confusing procedures, for example making an insurance claim!
Default Options also impact decision-making significantly. Since people tend to stick with the default choice, setting defaults strategically can have a substantial impact on outcomes.
Simplification is the idea that choices should be simplified to help individuals make decisions. By reducing complexity and simplifying processes, people can evaluate options more effectively and are therefore more likely to make a decision.
Much of this is economics and/or psychology - you could spot countless examples of each by just walking down the highstreet. For me, the important thing to take from the book is how we can better use choice architecture in our own lives and not be subjected to the choice architecture or attempts at manipulation from others. How can I create nudges in my own life that are positive, productive and focused on helping achieve my goals? And, how can I reduce the sludge with the same goals in mind? What default options can I have in my work and processes? And finally, how can I make things simple in terms of artistic decision-making?
I must admit that choice architecture, nudges and sludge all have obvious links for a working artist, whereas my application of default options and simplification is a little more liberally interpreted but I think it makes sense - it helps me anyway and that is the important thing.
Over the next few weeks, I will try to draw together some of these ideas into coherent blog posts about how they can be incorporated into your daily artistic practice.
Finally, if you want an example of ‘sludge’ - this post could be considered sludge because it is slowing my art practice and output down - if I am writing and researching this, I am not drawing or painting. So why am I writing it? Firstly, I am waiting for paint to dry. Secondly, I am looking after my toddler, which means I can’t be in the studio because it is too dangerous for him and more importantly he is too dangerous for it!