Link to full poodcast: https://soundcloud.com/heelhang/the-artists-circle-self-care
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few moments, including you.” - Anne Lamott
Prompt:
We’ve recently discussed the various aspects of stress, being overwhelmed, and burnout. Part of the prevention and treatment of these things is self care. So for this week, I’d like to discuss what our individual self care priorities are.
My Answer:
I prioritize maintaining variety (balance), boundaries (with my time and the people in my life), and maintaining dedicated schedule and creative quiet.
Thoughts and Actions:
In today’s high-stress, fast-paced world that constantly demands the artist produce groundbreaking work, self-care has emerged as an essential aspect of maintaining balance and productivity. For artists, in particular, self-care is vital as creative work demands resilience, and emotional/physical well-being.
Making time for self-care is not just a choice; it’s a necessity.
Here are some aspects of self care that can be threaded into any artists daily schedule…
Establish a consistent routine. Including breaks, creative time, learning time, etc… I personally like framing much of this as “ritual” - including my morning coffee and contemplation time, journaling time, and an afternoon break to be in nature.
Prioritize Mental Health. Don’t just struggle though if something from another part of your life is overwhelming you, deal with it. And set up some practices that help you stay connected with a healthy mental state… positive affirmations, meditation, etc.
Maintain Physical Health. For us as physical performers, this is of the utmost importance. It’s not just conditioning and rest, it’s also variety and balance. And conditioning for things that are not your focus… think… doing cardio and weightlifting.
Nurture Social Connections. Collaboration is the answer to most questions. As artists, it’s sometimes hard to collaborate if we are engrossed in our own creative process or feeling vulnerable including others in something that is sensitive, messy, or unfinished.
Establish Boundaries and Balance. Boundaries are what helps us create balance and prevent burnout!
Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity. Perfectionism can be deadly to the artistic voice… while the desire of excellence often drives us to create extraordinary work, it can also lead to constant disappointment, self-doubt, and creative blocks.
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