Self Care Strategies for the Artist

Here is a list of things that can help you stay resilient. The life of the artist can be verystressful, so make sure you incorporate some of these things below:1. eating regularly: little snacks in your bag eg. Nuts, fruit2. sleep: yes its hard, but try to get your 7-8 hours as often as possible, of courseexcluding bump ins!3. Two glasses only of wine…and a couple of alcohol free days.4. Exercising: walking, or finding the exercise that you love to do; walking fivetimes a week5. Quiet time: meditation; creative visualisation; dreaming on the clouds;6. Starting from where you are at I think is one of the most healthful and helpfulthings we can do for ourselves.7. Optimistic thinking the glass is half full; if you think it half empty be awarethat there is another way of looking at it…with awareness comes change.8. Finding what is greater than yourself and dedicating yourself to it: the spirit oftheatre; the spirit of community; and if you believe in God, then God.9. Seeing challenges rather than problems.10. Building on your own strengths as well as other people’s strengths.11. LAUGH12. Asking for help when needed.13. Artist Date: each week make sure you go on a date with yourself to a gallery,or park, or theatre: somewhere you are nurtured (this is a hint from JuliaCameron, and her “The Artists Way”14. Julia Cameron also suggests morning pages, but they could be any time pages(in the hand out I mention a drawing a day book. Twenty minutes of depictingeither in words or image what is happening for you right now. No editingallowed!15. ADD YOUR OWNWHEN THINGS GET TOUGH:QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF• Am I doing more than I should be doing in the time required• Am I starting where I’m at?• Do I have resources around me to support my actions (eg. Am I suffering froman illness, reduced support network, tired, grieving, etc.)HAVE AWARENESS:IF YOU ARE : tired, difficulty falling asleep, restless, drug dependence; feelinghelpless, inadequate, fragile, vulnerable; confused, difficulty in making decisions,memory blanks, difficulty concentrating; loss of meaning: TALK TO THOSE NEAREST TO YOU

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