A doodle I just finished that I started about three weeks ago while visiting friends in NYC, and some self isolation thoughts… getting art done has been super tough recently with my wild schedule. As most artists experience, art making is a very emotionally invested process which is hard to tap into when you spend so much of your energy at work and/or on life matters.
During college and for some time after, this similar occurrence happened where I often ran a cycle of not having the energy to complete my art projects to my liking (due to poorly managed depression) and consequently I would feel guilty about it, which triggered my anxiety and it affected my ability to make and show my work. As a result I often wasn’t reaching my full potential in productivity.
In the past few months I’ve been on a forced art hiatus due to my busy schedule. Old me would be ashamed and feel like I’ve failed as an artist. Current me is proud of all the work I’ve made in the last year. I am also very happy that I’m learning and growing a lot at my jobs, sleeping enough most nights, improving my eating habits, working out consistently, meditating more, and I am regularly going to therapy!
Honor yourself and your work (be it visual arts, music, writing, collecting bottle caps, or what have you!) and welcome the moments when you may have to scale back for whatever reason that is. What matters is that you don’t let it dim your shine whenever it’s your time to light up again ✨
esiedoodles #ballpointpendoodle #inkartwork #inkartist #surrealdrawing #surrealdrawings #gothart #gothartwork #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthsupport #managingmentalhealth #newyorkcity #nyc #artistsofinstagram #instaartwork https://www.instagram.com/p/B9u28t8lzYf/?igshid=1oqkwqd6h0jda