Too Tired to Make Art?

How to be gentle but firm with yourself

Cameron Pass (5×7 Relief Print)

Last night I came home after work and found myself too tired to make art. I flopped down on my bed and lay there for an hour, staring glazed-eyed into Twitter and wondering what was wrong with me that I couldn’t make myself go into the studio.

Reading art blogs, it’s easy to get the idea that other artists are brimming with constant creativity and are whistling while they work long into the night. When I’m in a bit of a slump, I compare myself to their online personas, and start to worry that if I don’t play cruel taskmaster to myself, I will get lazy and unmotivated stop making art altogether.

Here’s how I tackled this beastly sequence of thoughts:

First, I was gentle. I acknowledged that I have some good reasons for being tired (two additional hours of exercise each day, a recently completed commission for the largest print I’ve made to date, recent technical challenges with some prints).

Then, I was firm. I reasoned that, despite being tired, I could take a small step in service of creativity. I stepped into the studio and committed to just staying there and keeping busy – anything qualified, as long as I could honestly say it would keep my art moving forward. I ended up using the time for administrative tasks – signing prints and cleaning, readying the studio for another burst of creative inspiration.

Finally, I was gentle again. I accepted that this was “enough work” for the day (this was the hardest part) and reminded myself that life and art is neither a marathon nor a sprint, but both, replete with injuries and triumphs and all of the other ups and downs inherent in any worthwhile endeavour.

The gentle-firm-gentle sandwich – it worked for me, and tasty, too. Maybe it can work for you!

Wishing you happiness in all your worthwhile endeavours.

Sophie