Arty Business Ep.10: Healthy Artist Body, Mind, + Creativity

 Hey-oh buddies and Patrons, and a big ol' welcome to another episode of the Arty Business series, where I share some of the helpful things I've learned in the process of building my own Arty Business. This 10th article will be the last in the series, giving us some time to discuss more art and process-centered topics. I thought the perfect way to wrap up this series was to discuss nourishing your physical, mental, and creative health.

Arty folks are in an unusual spot when it comes to health. We have all the physical dangers of a sedentary and computer-based-tippy-tappy-keyboard job, with the added craziness that is repetitive tiny muscle movements in our hand/wrists/arms/shoulders.  Not only are we often self-employed, self-directed, overworked, and underpaid, often working alone, but on top of all that, we still have to find the creative juices to make something that resonates with other people. 

It's easy to forget that, for artists, our bodies, minds, and creativity are our most essential tools. Just like you need to clean your brushes and charge your Apple pencil, you need to nourish your own health to flourish for the long haul. 

As with most aspects of Arty Business, establishing healthy habits will always be a continually renewing process. Taking good care of yourself includes not tearing yourself down when you have a bad day, week, month or year. The following are some of the most useful habits I've found in my continual efforts to keep myself healthy as a freelance, work-from-home artist.

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 H  E  A  L  T  H  Y    B  O  D  Y

+ IMPORTANT! Everything in this article is obviously very important, but I have way too many amazing artist friends who have had to stop working for literal months due to drawing injuries to NOT make a big deal about it. It is essential that you prioritize taking care of your hands, wrists, arms, shoulders, and neck.

The next few topics are some of the things I've seen discussed online, recommendations from friends, or things that I do myself to try and keep my drawing tools functioning pain-free thus far. But of course, I am not a doctor, so don't take any of this as a replacement for professional help.

Please do further research on the topic, and see a doctor ASAP if you are having any issues or pain. 

+ Stretch! Stretching regularly is one of my most essential tools for wrist and arm health. It feels silly at first, but it really does make a huge difference to set a timer to remind you to stretch every 30 minutes while you're making art or on the computer. Follow along with a wrist and hand stretch guide. I also like to regularly stretch my shoulders and neck, with a few shoulder rolls and gentle neck circles.

+ Posture! Alright, most of us know we need to work on better posture. Artists are especially prone to both slouching over keyboards/laptops AND hunching over to look closer at a drawing. This can damage all kinds of things in the long run, including your neck, shoulder, and lower back muscles. The thing that has finally helped me noticeably improve my posture has been regular at-home yoga practice, where the instructor continually reminds you: "head over heart, heart over pelvis." The mindfulness and core engagement from yoga have a lasting impact on my posture, even off the mat.  I'm currently in the phase where slouching still feels instinctual, but more painful than sitting up straight, and that feels like an exciting improvement. The same effect can come from working out at the gym, taking dance classes, or simply from intentionally building the habit. Whatever works best for you!

+ Exercise! Okay, we all know we're supposed to exercise. But the benefits really can extend to so many aspects of being a healthy, happy artist. Strengthening your core and back muscles will improve your posture. Done correctly and carefully, push-ups or downward dogs can strengthen your wrists, lessening injuries in the future. Cardio can help lessen anxiety and increase focus. Even just taking a walk, doing yoga in your living room, dancing to music, jumping up and down for five minutes, get yourself moving every day and feel the goodness.

+ Sleep! I went to art school, I've done the all-nighters thing. I've had friends telling me they should scientifically be dead from lack of sleep. In high school, I would stay up all night AIMing my boyfriend and sleep through half my classes during the day (sorry, Mom!) But now, sleep is truly my best friend. I am skilled at sleeping, and I value it so much. If you have insomnia, or your sleep schedule has been pushed askew for a long time then you probably already know this. But to everyone else, please give yourself the gift of good sleeping habits.

My morning and daytime habits need some work, but my nighttime routine is on POINT. My pro-sleeping tactics are: 

• In bed by midnight at the latest, even on weekends.
• No screens in the bedroom, including TV, phone, iPad. I literally keep my phone in the living room. I have a digital alarm clock.
• Fan for white noise (I live in an apartment in the city.)
• Read a book until I fall asleep. If it's too interesting, switch to a book I've already read.
• Up by 8 AM, even on weekends.

H E A L T H Y   M I N D 

+ IMPORTANT! Mental health is just as important as physical health! None of these tips are necessarily a replacement for seeing a doctor or therapist. Talk to your doctor or find a therapist ASAP if your mental health is negatively impacting your daily life, and they can work with you on providing effective, long-lasting solutions.

+ Community!  Being a freelance artist can feel isolating, especially if you are very extroverted and work from home. But there are lots of things you can do to feel connected to a larger art and illustration community:

• Visit or sell at conventions! Chat with the other artists, meet up with visiting friends for meals, ask them how things are going! Maybe offer your couch/air mattress to friends traveling for the convention.
• Connect online! Message other artists, ask questions.  Don't be afraid to ask others for help.  Comment on posts. Highlight/shoutout their work!
• Livestream! Give live streaming on Instagram, Twitch or Youtube a try! Livestream while you work on a drawing and chat with other awesome Arty People.
• Host a meetup! Organize a drink and draw or art club in your town, or go to one that's already happening!
• Work in a coffee shop! Just working in public can help you feel more connected to your local community. Or you can invite a friend to chat or work with you!
• Work in a studio! Rent a studio with a fellow artist, or seek out coworking spaces!

+ Boundaries! Work on creating firm boundaries between business work, creative work, and your life. It's hard enough to maintain a work-life balance when you have set hours that you go into the office 5 days a week, let alone working from your living room any hours you feel like it. The two biggest boundaries I'm working on maintaining are two firm days off a week, and not going on social media outside of work hours. It's easy to tell yourself that scrolling on social media, checking your email, checking for new reviews on Etsy first thing after you wake up isn't work, but in this line of work, it SURE IS!

Another boundary that I'm thankful I set for myself when I first started my business was creating a separate bank account for Ragonia. All business payments go in and out of that account, I regularly pay myself from that account, and it gives me incredible peace of mind to know exactly how much money I have vs. how much my business has. Life and work, separated.

+ Stop comparing!  Easier said than done, but try to limit comparison between yourself and other artists. It's a worthy reminder that social media and portfolios specifically highlight successes and none of the failures. It doesn't show the amount of time and experience and frustration it took to get the artist there or their insecurities. Be gentle with yourself.

I always delete my social media apps when I have a project to work on. If there's someone who makes you feel insecure for any reason, even if it's only because you think their work is amazing, stop following them. No shame! Take care of yourself first!

+ Get centered! Hot damn does the world demand our attention these days! It can become so easy to be overwhelmed with the amount of outside information that washes over us, and all the things we need to do. Getting centered in any way you can is so important. Journaling, yoga, meditation, gardening, walking... Any quiet personal activity that connects you with yourself and the present moment, will help maintain peace and clarity. It'll also help you fully appreciate the lovely moments that come in your life and career, that otherwise might pass by while you're worrying about the future. 

+ Be your own best boss! My wonderful illustrator artist friend and Patron, Lucy Kagan, offered very helpful advice on my last post, sharing: 

"Sometimes it might help in times of burnout to think of yourself as your own employee. You would accept when they were having a hard time giving their all, give them vacation when they clearly need it, and allow them to recharge to be their best self. You would never expect them to work on a weekend just because they didn't have as productive of a day during the week, and you would want to trouble-shoot that midweek burnout by making sure their schedule is balanced. It's so much easier to treat another person logically and supportively than yourself sometimes! "

H E A L T H Y   C R E A T I V I T Y

+ Push through! Sometimes, creativity isn't some magic thing that you have to wait to strike you before you can start making art. Sometimes you really just have to sit at your desk, pull out your tools, and start making something. Start with what you know and work through the bad ideas until you reach the good. A degree of discipline is absolutely necessary for creativity. Honestly, I very rarely wake up in the morning feeling jazzed and excited to draw. But once I push through and start creating I feel infinitely more jazzed. 

+ ... Or step back! On the other side of the coin, it's important to notice when you're pushing yourself too hard for too long. You may feel burnt out, in a rut, overwhelmed, completely disinterested. The solution isn't always to push through. Try taking walks during the day, do some yoga, go to bed early, take the weekend off, exercise, see some friends... Planning time for travel, exercising, visiting family, bubble baths, video games, whatever recharges and restores you, is just as essential to your career as hard work. Pay attention to what you need, be kind to yourself.

+ Get some other hobbies! Your interests and experiences inform your art, so get you some interests and experiences! You already have them, just give yourself permission to pursue them as passionately as you pursue art. It truly will help make your art richer and more uniquely you. And don't feel pressure to monetize your hobby, making your life more enjoyable is value enough. I'm finally giving myself daily time this year to play my guitar, video games, Dungeons & Dragons with friends, and I can feel my cup filling back up with each passing week. 

+ Play! Give yourself the gift of freedom, experimentation, fun, and play. Get a little weird, try a new material, make something ugly on purpose.  Keep a sketchbook that you don't show anyone. Buy some cheap, crappy materials and do something random. If I'm feeling really stuck, one of my favorite things to do is to literally just scribble wildly. I don't try to make it pretty or cool, and it unlocks the perfectionism that was paralyzing me.  

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 R E S O U R C E S

• Yoga with Adriene  - Endless free yoga videos, all skill levels, 5-60 minutes, amazing
• Stretch Routine for Artists and Animators - Video by Crowne Prince on Youtube
• Artists and Repetitive Strain Injury - Blog post by Making a Mark
• Yoga Poses for Artist Pain - Blog post by Artwork Archive
• POPSUGAR Fitness - Free workout videos! Love the dance cardio

• Psychology Today Therapist Finder - Find a nearby in-network therapist with very specific search functions.
• Headspace - Excellent app for guided meditations, the paid version is lovely IMO. Also GREAT sleep content.
• How do I stay motivated? - Frannerd Youtube Video
• Staying Motivated and Happy - Being Boss podcast episode

• Creative Peptalk Ep. 207 - Defeat Burnout & Get Stoked Out of Your Mind about Making Stuff Again!
• In Search of Inspiration and Motivation - Frannerd Youtube Video
• Inspiration and Creativity - Frannerd Youtube Video

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Filling my cup in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, May 2018.

 I hope you find some of these methods helpful in the present and future. I'm writing in this in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak in Seattle, a particularly unsettling time for so many in my city and throughout the world. It can feel selfish to focus on our own physical, mental, and creative health during such fear and uncertainty, but I think it's of the utmost importance. When we care for ourselves, we can better care for others.

Friends, I and the rest of my patrons would love to hear from you and connect through the comments. Share your favorite personal healing habits and resources. Feel free to use the comments as a space to share your difficulties as well, I'm sure we'd all be happy to lend a word of advice or supportive response. You have all been a great support for me during hard times, I want to welcome the support for each other as well.

Above all else, now and always, be gentle with yourself, and remember that you're not alone. 

You are strong, you are resilient, and you are part of a beautiful community. Thank you for being here.

xoxo,

Ragon