Art Anxiety
Art for many is way to relieve stress. But for others it can be the cause of their anxiety. Anxiety has many causes and manifests in different ways. One of the most obvious examples is self doubt; the lack of belief in yourself and your art. Instead of finishing an art work and progressing forward, the struggle gets more difficult. A little amount of fear is healthy. Asking yourself, if you can do this, humbles you and keeps you focused on doing your best. When all you hear are thoughts such as, I am a bad artist or I cannot do this or what if I ruin my artwork, that can stop all your progress. For some people it can lead to catastrophising which can be debilitating, especially the thoughts that deal with something that hasn’t happened yet, such as the fear of failing in art school or what if the artwork is not good enough, or what if I ruin an artwork or what if I am unable to complete a commission. The advice from PsychologyToday and Sane.org is to first and foremost, tell yourself that you are safe. Then ask yourself has it happened yet? That is why you are safe because the fear isn’t real. If you ruin an artwork, you can make another one; that is why people respect traditional art. A mistake can make it impossible to continue. If you are anxious to the point of catastrophising and feeling paralysed by it, meditation and therapy can help. It forces you into the present. Tell yourself you can cope with this task, especially if you have a commission, which someone believes in you. By that point you have finished an artwork, how else would you have earned a commission otherwise? If you ruin an artwork, start another one. Mistakes are a good thing because you learn by trial and error. It should be expected and encouraged. In the long run it makes you better. By going through this process, of having to redo an artwork or make a new version, it will give you confidence that you can deal with this. You will have a finished artwork, something you can put in your portfolio. If you finish the artwork and it is not up to your standards, you can redo it in future. For now, you have something that you can show people and know this is how far you have progressed. Artists, will look back at their older artworks, while comparing them to their newer works and this gives them confidence to see their evolution as an artist. You learn a great deal through the struggle of finishing an artwork. It leads you to another artwork and before you know it, you have a portfolio of artworks that you are replacing with former works.
The Fear Of Not Completing Something
There are other things that can cause an person to feel anxiety that is the fear of what if I cannot finish this project, especially if it is based on fear of not being able to draw something. Watch tutorials, see other examples of what you are trying to draw or make. Sometimes the brain refuses to see it. In the end it is all lines and shapes. Do some studies and sketches, you will start to see how to do what you need to draw. That extra practice may in the end lead to you becoming fantastic at drawing or making a specific thing. Illustrators or movie directors, because art is art in the end, have found jobs based on the fact that they show an expertise in a specific subject in their body of work. By finishing what you started, your skills are improving either way. You are learning more things and you are overcoming your fears.
Dealing With Self Doubt By Improving Your Skills
If you have self doubt, but not a fear, the truth about art is that everyone has a different opinion about what constitutes good art. If you think your art is horrible, you need to ask yourself, what do you mean by horrible? This is easily fixable by working on your fundamental art skills. People may not believe this art work is good, but skill is easily recognizable by most people. On Photo sharing platforms, it is noticeable that people appreciate your effort in the manner of likes and comments. This is my observation, people take digital artworks for granted, because that risk of ruining your artwork is not present in digital art. There are many things that both traditional and digital have in common. The standard along with technology that allows for people to make wonderful looking digital artworks means that it is easier to have a polished artworks. So the expectation for what people deem to be a good artwork is higher. You will see people receive a nice amount of likes for a traditional artwork, it may be because those imperfections show the difficulty and makes the effort more appreciated by people even if there are obvious issues with the artwork. No matter what, you have learnt a skill, no one can take that away from you. One thing that people forget about the positive aspect of social media is the fact that it allows you to be part of a community. Artists noticeably love being part of a community of artists, that they support and uplift. It is quite a positive and happy atmosphere. Don’t go on social media to chase likes, but go to find like minded people that may not only become your friends, but people that will give you confidence to accomplish things you didn’t think were possible.
A Quick Exercise For Dealing With Doubt
Anthony Jones aka RobotPencil, who is a concept artist, came up with this exercise. What you do is paint, film or make your art come to life for five minutes. Set a timer and when it goes off that is it, stop. Not only will it help you improve and become quicker, it will allow you to forget about your fears. Five minutes is very quick especially when you are focused on your task. If this is impossible and you are overwhelmed with anxiety, there are many resources and ways to get help, so you can manage your anxiety effectively. Don’t be afraid to say I need help and to seek it.
