Creating art and exercising…what’s the connection?
Creating art shares many similarities with exercising. It can serve as a mood lifter, a mental booster, and a physical outlet for energy. As with exercise, you can start out tired, but get warmed up and enjoy yourself by the end of a painting session. There’s probably a time of day when you’re at your best, and you probably already know what time of day that is.
Depending on your personality, creating art in front of others can be intimidating–just like exercising in front of others! If you’re confident in your skills (or just enjoying yourself immensely), it becomes less fear-inducing to have an audience.
If you exercise regularly, there is less time between sessions to build up anxiety. If you paint regularly, you’ll experience a similar phenomenon.
With both creating art and exercising, if you don’t push yourself and take on challenges, you’re likely going to hit a plateau and stagnate.
No matter how long it’s been since your last painting or exercising session, you’ll find that if you just jump in and do it, you can get right back into your routine if you stick with it.
I hadn’t painted with black paper in a while, but when I tried this piece it practically painted itself:
“Delicate Blossoms” 6 x 9 inch pastel on black paper
If it’s been a while since you’ve created some art, give yourself 20 minutes to work on some. Twenty minutes a day, a few days a week…wasn’t that in an exercise equipment commercial a few years back?
You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish in a few short sessions!