How to Find Balance as an Artist
Everyone is looking for that sweet spot that allows you to create, but stay stable and secure in your life.
A strong theme that comes up a lot in my interviews with artists is balance. Everyone is looking for that sweet spot that allows you to create, but stay stable and secure in your life. Twice now artists on my podcast have used the analogy of a three legged stool to explain the legs necessary to find balance. For my purposes I am going to use the words art, finances, and relationships as essential pillars to stay balanced as an artist.
Art
At one point or another artists learn that if they want to continue to be creative they are going to need to rest. Your imagination and talent aren’t endless. Working on a canvas is just as important as staring blankly at the ceiling and daydreaming.
That is why you want to create an art practice. If you know your own limits and skills then you can prevent yourself from burning out. Here are some questions you should ask yourself.
What does it take for me to make the art I want to make?
What goals do I want to set for myself and my art practice?
What are common blockers preventing me from creating art?
How am I going to put time aside to work on my art?
It’s safe to say that most artists would like to do nothing more than stay in a studio and work endlessly on their art. However, responsibilities like work, and taking care of yourself are all part of the bigger picture. You and your art benefit from stepping away and thinking of other things even just for a little while.
Finance
Artists know the value of a steady income. When money is predictable you can prepare for the future. You can sign a lease without worrying about your bank balance. You can plan for the next market or gallery showing. However, you can’t count on people buying your art consistently. The biggest blocker preventing artists from going “full time” is the unpredictable income. Some artists teach, others have a well paying job with health benefits, and others take shifts at a bar inconsistently.
Our society wasn’t designed with artists in mind. We are surrounded by a culture that says you only deserve an income if you work your ass off, and if you don’t have an income it means you must be a lazy person.
This structure leads to artists making compromises and sacrifices. Their art will start catering to the sellers. Artists get desperate and start undervaluing their art. Then the authenticity that made the art special in the first place starts fading away.
Money directly affects the kind of art that gets produced. That is why finding a balance between your art practice and your finances is so important. It gives you the freedom to make authentic art. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself.
Am I making the art I want to make, or the art I think will sell? (There isn’t a wrong answer, but you should know your answer)
What sources of income do I have?
Is my lack of income affecting my art practice?
What kind of compromise am I willing to make for my art? This can be a money deficit, time away from another hobby etc.
Relationships
To put this into really simple terms, you are what you eat. That is to say, the people around you make you who you are and your art the way it is. You will not get anywhere unless you have a solid art community. This is how you learn where, what, and how to sell your art. You can share resources and teach each other things that are mutually beneficial.
Your relationship with the non-art people in your life is also very important. Your friends, family, and chosen family are the ones who will cheer you on because they love you. They are the ones who will help you move a big art project into a truck. The ones who will share your art, and be there when things are good and bad.
There is also the relationship you have with yourself. If you are hard on yourself and you find that you don’t talk to yourself in a kind way that will affect your art. Ask yourself these questions.
Who are the people who I can go to and feel safe?
Is there anyone who I need to set boundaries with?
Who can I go to for art help?
When I talk to myself am I nice to myself?
Art, finances, and relationships, are the three pillars of balance I keep hearing about again and again. The new year is a great time to check in and see where you can find a little more balance in your life and art practice.
Here are two books that might help find that balance.
Burnout by Emily Nagoski, PhD, Amelia Nagoski, DMA
The Artist Way by Julia Cameron