Hiatus
It has been a few months since I have created anything at all, and I am finally in a head space where I am beginning to feel the itch to paint and draw once again.
I wanted to share a bit about the mental state behind creativity. The last few months have been some of the most overwhelming in recent years. As residency came to a close, I found myself chronically exhausted and overwhelmed. Only those closest to me fully understand the toll the past few months have taken.
But I’m not here to write more about the taxing demands of medicine. What I wanted to write about is the connection between stress, creativity, and art as an outlet. Just as some people head to the gym at the end of the day to boost endorphins, it is easy to believe that grabbing a paintbrush works in much the same way. But for me… that is not the case.
When my mind is occupied, the stressors of the day begin to bleed into my artwork. Drawing and painting become aggravating as I think about the list of other tasks left “undone.” I become self-critical. I become resentful. I become frustrated.
“Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing.”
I remembered a quote I came across: “Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing.” This is precisely why such negative feelings arise during challenging periods. When other demands hang over my head like a heavy cloud, it is no wonder that it is challenging to enter into a meditative space. A few minutes at the end of the day is not enough. A day off that is filled with running errands, cleaning, and laundry is not enough. The creative mind needs rest. A creative mind needs time to just be.
Art is not a mode of bringing peace and calm… but rather, it is a direct reflection of peace and calm.
I am grateful that the tides have turned a bit, and I have a bit more time to enter this calming space once again. This mind certainly needs the rest.
