5 Habits For Anxious Artists
5 Habits for Artists
Anxiety can hit hard. Here's a few extra ways to deal with it before you start your next project...
I have heard over the years from many people including my mentors about “rituals” or Habits that get us into the mood to create. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson calls it his “anchor” and without doing his ritual (in his case it’s working out in the morning) he feels like he is sinking. Without having these rituals, I just get up, go to work, get home, go to bed. Because I have this thing called Anxiety and I am prone to Depression, I need these habits to focus my attention. Otherwise, I get all up in my own mind and stress out that I’m not a real functional human being.
So, I’ve been trying to be more aware of the rituals that make it so I’m in the mood to create. Here’s a few things I have found that help me.
I cannot turn on the TV. I realize this first thing is less of an action and more of an inaction… but it is such a relevant one for me. Because once that TV is on before I’ve started working, I will not pay attention to my work. I’ll be hooked on whatever show I’m watching and POOF… there goes a few hours of my life. This is my rule numero uno…
Get dressed. Seriously. We have all heard that artists or people that work from home can just roll out of bed in their PJs and just make fantastic art. Oooh no, no, no. It is a mindset. If I have it set in my mind that I am staying in my pajamas all day, then it feels like a lazy day and nothing gets done. I get up and get completely dressed like I am going outside or meeting someone for lunch. That flips the switch and tells me that it is time to work.
I need to have something to drink nearby. Water, tea, or coffee. Maybe I’ll even make a coffee run just to get some fresh air, order my beverage to go, get back to my studio and settle in to work. I may or may not drink a lot when I’m working, but I will take sips every once in awhile as a micro break. It’s like a gentle little refresh.
I turn on some mellow music. If I am listening to music, that occupies enough of a part of my brain so that I can let the art flow through. Depending on which stage the art is in, is what determines what music I listen to. Something soft and mellow without words is for the initial idea phase. Drafting stage is when I listen to more upbeat music with words. When I get to the rendering stage, then I can start to watch/listen to TV. But lately I have found I really like podcasts. My main one right now is “The Hilarious World of Depression.” It is sooo good! I highly recommend it. Also… if you have music recommendations or podcast recommendations… I’m all ears!
And… just go. Just start something. Don’t even think about it. These can be called the “warm ups.” But it is just putting my pencil on a piece of paper and literally scribbling. It is the equivalent to dipping my toe in the water. Something to get into the slipstream and flow with whatever is going to happen that day. I guess I can say this is like the start of a meditation. There is no better way to go about it than to just take a breath and start.
There we go. When anyone gets to see my works, these are the rituals that typically come before they can be made. These are the rituals that soothe the Anxiety enough to focus on making something special. And these are the rituals I need to remember next time I am having a hard time creating, haha!