Being An Artist Is Hard
Being an artist is hard. I think that's something anybody who's an artist knows, but it's not the work that's hard, not putting in the effort, not marketing yourself; it's the feelings of tiredness, exhaustion, or overwork. That’s hard. I guess what I’m trying to say is, the part of being an artist that’s the hardest is the mental health. I often find myself burning out because I'm doing so much, feeling somewhat depressed because I have all these expectations set up and I feel like I’m not delivering in the way I want to. My content is not getting the exposure that I want, and I am not sticking to the plan that I had initially. But I've come to realize that unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. So, that's something I’ve been trying to cope with a lot lately. Being an artist involves a lot of fluidity, rejection, and taking three steps forward, two steps back. But you've still got to recognize that progress is progress.
At the end of the day, with all the challenges, keeping my mental health in good shape is paramount. We all have those days where we don’t feel like creating, where we feel overwhelmed, and it's like we just want to go into the middle of the ocean and scream at the top of our lungs. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you can't be in a constant state of that because it’s not sustainable.
I know this article is a little different from what I usually do, but I want to touch on a couple of things that I think might help if you’re struggling with mental health issues as an artist. One thing I’ve been doing lately is taking breaks from my creativity. I used to sit at my computer for 12 hours editing a project, only to realize I hated it. This would make me question my abilities. So, I've started putting in the work but taking three days off from it, if I have the time. Then I come back to it with a fresh, better headspace, and I can see what I didn’t like, change it up, and create it to my liking.
Something else I've been trying to do is as simple as drinking more water and ensuring my overall health is in check. Often, when I find myself in a creative funk or feeling a bit down, it's correlated with being overworked, overstressed, and neglecting my health. So, some things I've been doing include drinking water, getting sunlight, going to the gym, and while I don't eat three times a day, I try to eat healthier food and be mindful of what I'm consuming. I’m trying to steer clear of energy drinks because, personally, I don’t think they're good for me. Sure, if I have a long session and need to stay awake, I might have one, but I'm trying to limit my intake.
Another thing that's been helping with my mental health is something everyone knows: sleep. It’s the backbone of everything. Good sleep works wonders, but oversleeping is a thing too. You have to find that sweet spot because oversleeping leads to unproductivity. As a creative, I know it’s hard to go to bed at a decent time sometimes. I might be up until 5 or 6 in the morning writing a script because I’m in the flow, but sleeping only three hours isn’t sustainable. It’s cool once in a while, but I can’t maintain that. My body needs time to repair and self-heal. So, it’s essential to treat yourself correctly.
When it comes to the mind, some things I’ve been doing lately include journaling and meditating. Sometimes, it's hard for me to express my inner emotions through my creativity, so journaling helps. I also have a mantra for when I get too caught up in my head: "You got this, calm down." I repeat it to myself a few times when I start feeling overwhelmed about life and creativity, and it usually helps.
Overall, as artists, we often overlook our mental health because it's hard. Being an independent artist means juggling work, personal life, and creative endeavors, which can be very stressful when we feel like we’re not making progress or hitting our goals. These are just some things you can do to help your overall mental state, increase your creativity, and steer away from negative burnout and thoughts.
As always, if you have anything to add or any other suggestions that I missed, please let me know. Send us a DM, email us, or comment on our weekly article posts. I appreciate everyone taking the time to read this, and please make sure to keep your mental health in check because that will be the key to your longevity in the music game.
