Career artists! I have a research question for you.

1. 67

   healinghands1668posted 10 years ago

   On the subject of health and well-being:
   
   What do you think is the biggest challenge someone in your career faces in terms of taking care of themselves and their health?

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      Dr Lambposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Finding the time.

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   2. 84

      Lyndsay Gamberposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I think it depends on what type of art you are involved in. For graphic artists or any type or artist that is at a desk and/or computer all the time I would say the biggest health challenge is back pain, loss of perfect eye sight, and constantly being attached to technology. It is sometimes hard to get out of a creative rut but on the upside the easiest way to feel refreshed and inspired is to walk away: go outside, do something fun, stretch, and breathe!

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2. 81

   Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years ago

   Career artists, more than anyone else, need exercise. They need to give their bodies oxygen and their minds/brains a rest. They need to get sunlight. They need to have friends. They need to ride bikes and have picnics. They need their weekends free. They need to refresh their love of colors, shapes, forms and designs. They need to enjoy their work and they need to realize that their work may be rejected. They need to love their work even if no one else does. And yet, they need to step away from attachment to their own work and learn what pleases others.

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3. 70

   rapposted 10 years ago

   Kathryn and Dr Lamb pretty much covered what I think too but I would add that this applies to most anyone as well as career artists.

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   1. 77

      Castlepalomaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Your health is the ABC of life, without it you have have very low energy or your dead.
      My art career is the center of my soul, balanced by desire, attitude, and focus, keep it all healthy

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4. 82

   snakeslaneposted 10 years ago

   I would say the biggest challenge is the almighty dollar. But if you're really brilliant, talented, genius and motivated, this particular obstacle could be overcome...

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   1. 77

      Castlepalomaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Without physical health you got nothing.
      
      After 4 decades of being a professional artist it easy to spot artist greatest downside.
      Legalistic and Business

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      1. 82

         snakeslaneposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I agree physical health is a plus, but what about the guy who was completely paralysed with a stroke, and still managed to write a novel by (get this) blinking his eyes to tell the story. I have to go look it up now, be back with the name of his book...
         Back! It's called The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, haven't read it.

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            Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            wow!

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               janesixposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               And of course, there's Stephen Hawking.

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            Castlepalomaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Without physical health you got nothing.
            -OK, health is not everything, just the most important.

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               Castlepalomaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               wreckless of me

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                  snakeslaneposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Back to the OP question:
                  "What do you think is the biggest challenge someone in your career faces in terms of taking care of themselves and their health?"
                  OP acknowledges health and well-being is essential, and asking what is the biggest challenge in terms of taking care of it.

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                  1. 77

                     Castlepalomaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                     Love

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                     1. 77

                        Castlepalomaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                        Most veteran artist I know love their work where most people in other fields do not and most likely love the world too. This is the greatest up side.
                        
                        Out of 12,000 sculptor only one can make a living from sculptor like my self. You could say, it would almost take a genius to be a professional veteran artist or at least a very lucky person.
                        
                        The artist greatest downside. of an artist career is the Legalistic and Business side. They are the lowest paid profession of any field in the nation.
                        
                        You wonder what dose this got to do with an artist career and his physical health? A lot, since poverty kills,  harms and unbalance more people than anything else.

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                        1. 81

                           Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                           ...so balance too.
                           Artists, like musicians, can get too far into their work. They get swept away and engulfed by the high tide of full-moon creativity.  During this period, they have odd hours … or stay up for days… during which time they are careless and/or indulgent in their diet.
                           Then, as the tide recedes and the moon disappears, they suffer depression. Manic depression is common with artists and musicians. They loose the sense of every day being a new day. They start to realize that every day is the same day, as Janis Joplin mentioned.
                           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLF_WNF3qp4
                           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZgk3s0aDaE

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                              Castlepalomaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                              You got it- balance
                              
                              All things in moderation such as the balance of the  intellectual, realationship, finance, spiritual and phyical.
                              Anyone one of these can become too low of energy, in which can effect your balance in life. Artist generally have twice the emontion, do twice the drugs, and have twice the divorces than the average professional person in their field. It's been more about financial problems for artist than any of the 5 parts that then lead to phyical problems

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   Sheila Wilsonposted 10 years ago

   My biggest ongoing issue that affects my health is finding balance.. as others have said. It seems like it would not be such a struggle to spend time exercising, eating properly, doing my Bible study and prayer, as well as spending time in my art studio and working on my poetry and writing. However, it's a constant struggle. I live in my head til I force myself to do other things. Like many other creative types, I'm also bipolar, so I have the mental health concerns as well which make balance both more crucial and more difficult to achieve.

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   1. 81

      Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      All these years I have been lamenting the fact that I became a mom instead of an artist. I am now able to pursue art and creativity, but I do so in small increments of time each day. I couldn't do that when I was younger. I had to finish my works. I couldn't stop... even if it took weeks.  I would dream about what I was painting.
      
      The years of being a mother grounded me and made me realize that art is not everything! That health, sleeping, smiling, talking to others, helping others, having children in my life, and just having tea in the sunshine is good. really good.

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      1. 77

         Castlepalomaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Even a religion is not everything lol
         
         Loving what you do, is the only way to master life

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         1. 81

            Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            I whole-heartedly concur.

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