Creative wellness is so, so important. If you’re not taking care of yourself, how can you expect to take care of your art? Sure, there are going to be times when you’re not able to find the perfect balance of work, art, and relaxation, but these tips will help you maximize your creative wellness and take care of yourself while you create.
Set realistic goals to maintain creative wellness
So many artists I know either set goals for themselves that are totally unrealistic and lead to them pulling all nighters or trying to cram in time to work on their art, which, as I’m sure you know, isn’t conducive to being your most creative self. Other artists have trouble with motivation, and find that their goals don’t push them or that they end up not fulfilling the promises they’ve made to themselves.
It can be a real challenge to set a goal for yourself that’s equally realistic and motivating, that will allow you to get your work done in a timely manner while not burning yourself out. The best goals, in my opinion, are a little uncomfortable–you have to work for it–but they don’t feel impossible. If you find yourself super stressed out all the time, that’s a sign that your goal is too ambitious, but if you find yourself procrastinating on your art (a thing you’re supposed to love!) then that’s a sign that maybe the goal isn’t rigorous enough.
When calculating a goal, I like to start with how many work sessions I can expect to get done per week. I work full time, so I tend to think I can work on my writing twice per week, plus two longer work sessions on weekends. Then, I think about how much I can comfortably get done during those work sessions. Say I can write 1,200 words on weekdays and 2,400 on weekend days. From there, It’s pretty easy to figure out how much I can comfortably get done per week, which will help me determine how much time I need to get 90k words written.
Notice that I said that you should be thinking about how much you can COMFORTABLY get done. I’m sure if I really pushed myself, I could do more. But the truth is, I never know how I’m going to feel. One week I might be sick, or have had a challenging day at work, or have not slept well the night before. If I’m counting on being maximally productive each day and then something comes up (and with long term projects, something always will) then I will easily fall behind and either get overly stressed or give up on my goal entirely, which is exactly what we’re trying to avoid. Creative wellness requires comfort, and if you get extra done some days, that’s amazing, but this system also allows you to not be perfectly productive all the time, because you’re a human, not a machine.
Plan breaks… and make sure they fill your cup
Breaks should be a part of your creative process.
I’m very type A, with a lot of Capricorn energy, so my instinct is to be go-go-go all the time. I’ve had to learn the hard way that breaks are not optional, but are rather part of the creative process. I’ve also learned that if I don’t pick a time to take a break, I’m going to burn out and then I’ll HAVE to take one, and it’s probably going to be at an inconvenient time.
I hate sitting still. Maybe it’s that type A-ness, or maybe it’s my ADHD. Either way, I don’t usually find it very rejuvenating to veg out on the couch and watch TV. If you do, that’s amazing, and you should plan breaks that involve a lot of that. For me, however, I need to be more active; my weekends are full of long walks and trips to the farmer’s market and yoga classes and breweries and ambitious baking projects. That’s what is going to make me feel rested and ready to work again on Monday. It’s probably different for you. Maybe you like The Office marathons or maybe you like to run literal marathons. Maybe your brain doesn’t work if you don’t go hiking or don’t get to swim in the ocean on a regular basis. There’s absolutely no moral value attached to what you like to do that makes you feel recharged. You just have to know yourself well enough to identify what exactly those things are. And then you have to do them.
Not only should you be planning breaks as part of your creative projects, you should be making sure that you’re actually filling your cup when you take them. Do whatever makes you feel rejuvenated and like your best self. Don’t make your breaks look the way you “think” they should, make them things that will actually fill your cup.
Make art for you
I’m guilty of trying to create for the market.
It’s so discouraging to make art that you love, just to be told that it’s not marketable, can’t be sold, or doesn’t have an audience. For some people, it’s enough to make them not want to make art anymore. But the truth is, making art for the market is draining, not a lot of fun, and results in worse art. You have to make art for you.
I know that’s easier said than done. We have bills to pay, and many of us dream of paying those bills with our art (or maybe already are!) I’m in the publishing industry, and it would be disingenuous for me to say that BIPOC authors and other marginalized creatives don’t have a harder time breaking in and making a living than white, cishet authors. I’m not saying that these barriers don’t exist, and I’m not saying that you’re wrong if you tweak your work to make it more profitable.
But if you are only working on a project because you think it will find an audience? If you’re not getting joy out of the process and feel like you’re creating for someone other than yourself? That’s when you’re at risk of burnout. That’s when you’re at risk of creating something with no soul, something that doesn’t resonate with you the way your art should.
If you have to make art for the market, for your employer, or anyone else that isn’t you, make sure you are also making art for yourself. Take the time to remember why you started this in the first place, why you love it so much. And whenever possible, make sure you’re injecting yourself into your art. Get your bag, but also make sure your signature and style are there. Make sure you’re making things you’re proud of and passionate about.
Do these creative wellness tips resonate with you? Try implementing them to live a more balanced artistic life. If you have other tips for creative wellness, drop them in the comments below!
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