CREATING A HEALTHY BALANCE
“To sustain the same attitude long enough to pull off a piece that takes months and months to do gets tiresome, which means that I can’t worry about how I feel when I paint. I have to go into the studio and paint whether I feel like it or not.”
Chuck Close
Do you ever feel just a tad bit selfish for being an artist? What? Selfish? Oh, you know, spending all that time painting on your own instead of cooking dinner for your spouse, helping your kids with their homework, or walking the dog.
Well, you may be surprised to hear this. I think, as an artist, you have to be a little selfish.
Creating takes time. Becoming a better artist takes time. Painting a really good painting takes time.
Painting is hard work and you need to honor yourself and your commitment to being an artist by giving yourself time. Time to create.
Yes, painting is a selfish activity, however, it doesn’t have to be a negative thing. It can actually be avery positive thing. As an artist, one of your responsibilities is to share your gifts with the world. You also need to nurture your happiness. There needs to be a healthy balance between your creative time and your other commitments as a productive member of society, and as a wife, husband, mother, father, brother, sister, son, or daughter.
Creating on a regular basis actually allows me to maintain balance in many other areas of my life. The more time I spend painting, the happier I am, the more positive my attitude is, and the more eager I am to help others and give them the time they need. It’s a win-win.
If you feel creatively selfish, one thing you can do is to set up a regular painting schedule that works for you, and share it with your family and friends. Ask them to please honor your painting time and assure them that you will respond by giving them plenty of your time when they need you. And then you need to honor your creative time by sticking to your painting schedule, and then honor your commitments to others by giving them the time they need. Simple, yes? And do-able.
It’s OK to be a bit selfish with your creative time as long as you maintain a healthy balance with the rest of your life.
Best,
David
