March 2008
From time to time, everyone feels a little down about
life/painting. For some people, though, that feeling
doesn’t go away. They feel like what they do no
longer matters, that their life/paintings have hit a
dead-end and that the have somehow failed. In short,
they have artist’s burn out.
Burnout can strike anyone in any hobby or career, but
it is preventable. Here are a few tips to help you
avoid burning out:
-
Challenge yourself with new goals. If you feel
you have reached all your goals, then what’s
motivating you to keep pushing forward? The surest
way to burn yourself
out is to stop reaching for new goals.
-
Keep learning new skills. If you feel you’ve reached
a dead-end as an artist, take a u-turn. If you’ve
been painting landscapes, take a class/workshop in
seascapes, portraits, etc. Keep acquiring new skills
to broaden
your knowledge and challenge yourself intellectually.
-
Seek new opportunities in the community. Join an
Art Association, volunteer to share your talents at
the
Boys and Girls club and/or schools. Show your paintings in
an Art show or County Fair! Paint with friends and
share ideas together.
-
Get involved with a cause to help the young or elderly.
Share your painting experiences with a non-profit
group by volunteering in your spare time. This may
help overcome
the feeling that what you do doesn’t matter.
-
Become a mentor. Take a younger underprivileged
person under your wing. Mentoring can help you realize
how
much you really do have to offer the art world. Watching
your
protégé’s excitement as he or
she learns new skills might help you remember what
it was
you loved about your painting experiences when you
first started and could help reignite that feeling
within you.
-
Create a support system for yourself. Friends and
loved ones are important components to maintaining
a healthy,
balanced life. Just having someone you can talk
to about painting-related concerns can be therapeutic.
Remember,
some of the best ideas come from the most unexpected
sources.
________Art
Quote_______
“Even if it’s a little thing, do something
for those who have need of help, something for which
you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.” …Albert
Schweitzer
