#8 Painting Challenge: Can the 80/20 Rule (Pareto principle) Make You a Better Artist?

🎨 In this episode of Smerdon Toast, professional artists and 2025 Portrait Artist of the Year AU (PAOTY) contestants Anne Smerdon and Seabastion Toast put the 80/20 Rule to the test in the studio. Can focusing on the “vital 20%” improve your art practice, creativity, and productivity — or might the most important breakthroughs come from what seems like the “80% effort”?

The Pareto Principle suggests that 80% of results come from 20% of effort. But how does this apply to artists in the studio? Can painters and creatives really work smarter, not harder? We put the 80/20 Rule to the test in this art challenge, exploring:

✅ How the 80/20 Rule applies to painting, creativity, and studio practice

✅ Why most artistic progress comes from just 20% of effort (and what to focus on)

✅ Practical tips for artists to work smarter, not harder

✅ How painting challenges can sharpen focus and lead to unexpected insights

If you’re interested in painting challenges, art productivity hacks, creativity tips, or studio efficiency, this video is for you. Watch as we test the Pareto Principle in art, share what worked, what didn’t, and what we learned along the way.

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🌟 Subscribe to Smerdon Toast for more painting challenges, creative discussions, and tips for artists.

Find our art on:

 • www.annesmerdon.com

 • www.seabastiontoast.com

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