Project Management for Artists: Work Smarter with Trello

As an illustrator or designer, art directors expect you to be talented, of course, but they also expect that you will deliver work on time and in an organized fashion. Being an artist who delivers work on time puts you one step ahead of artists who are equally talented but who constantly miss deadlines. 

Whether you’re a professional artist or you’re just starting out, it’s never too late to cultivate good organizational habits.

When you’re organized and all the pertinent information for your big project can be found in one place, your creative mind is free to do what it does best: create!

Let’s talk about how Trello can help you do just that.

I’m Stephanie Fizer Coleman and I illustrate children’s books, so in this class, I’m sharing how I use Trello to manage my book projects and regular to do lists, but the lessons learned in this class can apply to any person with any creative career. 

Even if you’re brand new in your field and don’t have a ton of projects, it’s a good idea to start building a solid organizational foundation now. When you book your first big project or find yourself working on a several projects at once for the first time, you’ll already be comfortable enough to manage those projects easily in Trello.

Before Trello I tried spreadsheets and I tried charts that I scribbled in a notebook and neither of those worked for me when I started balancing multiple projects. These days I use Trello to track all my project information from checklists and art director contact information to notes on revisions and lists of due dates.  It’s easy to get a quick overview of upcoming deadlines or to dive into a checklist for a specific book project. 

Using Trello for project management means I worry less about the details and focus on creating better art. And I think Trello can help you too!

In this class, you'll learn:

• How to create a Trello board
• How to create lists and cards
• How to add checklists and images
• How to duplicate and over cards
• How to set up weekly to-do lists and deadline trackers
• How to create a project board to track your progress on big projects

And in the bonus video, you'll see how I use Trello as a quick-and-easy social media content planner too.

Head on over to the next video and let’s get started!