You Can’t Pour From An Empty Cup

Self care is not a luxury, it is a necessity as an artist and business. In today’s episode we talk about what selfcare looks like as an artist, why it is important for your creative practice, and how you can prioritize it in your schedule.

Self Care As An Artist

Self care can often get the bad reputation of being a luxury and therefore not a necessity. Stereotypical self-care activities include taking a bath, painting your nails, or drinking wine with candles. It is seen as an expensive investment of time and money.

However, in reality, self care doesn’t have to be expensive. Self care is a simple verb.

Self care: the steps you take to preserve or improve your physical, spiritual, and mental health

Self care is not a luxury, it is a necessity as a business owner because you are protecting and nurturing your body and mind as an instrument. It is needed to nurture your creative energy so you need to take an active role in protecting your own well-being and happiness, especially during stressful times because no one else can do this for you.

Examples of Self Care:

Creative Expression

Taking time to experiment with new art materials, or techniques with no pressure (analog and digital sketchbooks are great for this!)

Nature

Exploring nature trails with hikes and walks with friends or alone with podcasts
Setting time aside to relax, preferably outdoors in a hammock with a book, or at least sitting in a spot looking out into nature
Swimming, floating, kayaking, snorkeling, or diving at a lake, river, or ocean

Introspection and Exploring New Ideas

Diving into a new topic (a book, YouTube niche, etc.) with no expectations
Taking time to introspect or meditate on what really matters - the actions that could improve lives (even in small tiny ways) and leave a positive and lasting legacy in the world
Spending time with friends to talk about the society we live in, the many facets of the “art world” and other intellectually-stimulating topics.

Movement and Nutrition

Structured Workouts at the gym (weightlifting or yoga)
“Play” workouts (such as weekly volleyball and basketball leagues) that get me outside, in the sun, and off the screen
Taking time to focus on my nutrition - Cooking, eating healthy, and trying a new recipe

Self-Care is not a luxury, it is a necessity as a business owner. But if you don’t prioritize it you can easily get burned out. As with anything, balance is key!

So, how do you get started? The best way to get started is to choose one self care activity and schedule it into your calendar. There will never be a “convenient” open block of time to prioritize yourself but if you schedule it into your calendar, just like any other task, you can ensure that it will happen and therefore get the benefits of it!

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