Spending several hours in the studio trying to perfect your craft can take a toll on your health. Artists spend a long time ensuring that they satisfy their clients, and sometimes, it can be too demanding.  

If you want to be at your best as a visual artist, you need to be in the right state of mind, devoid of addiction.

Here’s a round-up of some health tips that visual artists can apply to prevent addiction from springing up

Be hydrated regularly

One of the ways for visual artists to avoid addiction is to remain hydrated at all times. It might be hard for you to keep up with hydration especially when there is a bust of creativity and you don’t want to be distracted.

However, getting enough water helps to energize and keep you focused in the long run.

When you take sufficient water, you will discover that you can continue for a long time without wearing out.

Taking enough water eliminates the need to take substances like drugs or alcohol which some artists depend on to enhance their performance or productivity.

Engage in physical exercise

Another way to prevent addiction from happening is to work out or be physically active.

You can dedicate some minutes of your time each day to stretching your muscles and practicing some workouts. This would be great in giving you a good posture, improving your mood, reducing tiredness or fatigue, etc.

Learn to take a break

Artists need to learn to prioritize taking a break. There are times when you might experience a creative block, and this is because you’ve not given yourself a healthy distraction. You can consider going on a vacation or taking time away from work to focus on other interests.

Sleep regularly

Working for long hours on end might look attractive because you tend to meet milestones or targets that way.

However, visual artists need to take out time to get enough sleep. This helps manage stress and ensures that you remain productive in the long run.

Addiction treatment transcends just purging or pumping out chemicals from the patient’s body system, it involves a series of behavioural modifications. These modifications can be achieved through Art Therapy.

Art therapy has been used from time immemorial to complement addiction recovery treatments. They serve to drive the psychological component of recovery by providing an emotional outlet and a means of self-expression for addicts.  it can help turn a negative experience into a positive one, utilizing self-expression and creativity.

Patients are often encouraged to express feelings or experiences that are too painful or shameful to articulate through visual art.  Visual art can be expressed through ink, paint, clay, or other media.

It is not necessary to have a background in the visual arts or artistic talent to participate; individuals only need to be open to the experience and to engage actively to benefit from these sessions.

Common visual art activities Recovery patients can take up include

• Painting
• Drawing
• Colouring
• Sculpting
• Scrapbooking
• Collages
• Photography
• Digital Art

Usually, the art therapist is there to validate their experience and help the patient reflect. Some questions they might ask about a completed work might include:

What were you thinking about while creating this piece?

Did you have any strong emotions?

Are there any words that you associate with this piece?

How does this piece relate to your healing?

Patient’s response to these questions is then used to evaluate progress of the patient and make further adjustments if necessary.

There is a general notion that drugs increase your creative capabilities. Granted, drugs and alcohol influence your mindset in ways that can springboard thoughts and ideas you wouldn’t normally have, they do not necessarily unlock some higher level of genius.

Some even suggest that substances unlock a part of consciousness that is normally suppressed. In fact, some of history’s greatest visual artists created well-known masterpieces under the influence of drugs and alcohol. While this is yet unproven, let’s look at likely symptoms that a visual artist is addicted.

First, who is a visual artist? A visual artist is one that creates art forms such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, photography, video, filmmaking and architecture.

Many artistic disciplines (performing arts, conceptual art, textile arts) involve aspects of the visual arts as well as arts of other types. Also included within the visual arts are the applied arts such as industrial design, graphic design, fashion design, interior design and decorative art.

Visual artists are illusionists capable of creating something that may evoke an emotional response or may stimulate the viewer’s intellect or both. It is totally understandable why people will assume they were under some influence. That is not to say however, that visual artists don’t get addicted. In fact, they are very vulnerable to addition whether drugs, alcohol, or their art itself.

Some of the tell-tale signs are typical of addicts but some signs distinguish them; these include

•  Showing reclusiveness
• Lack of interest or obsession with work
• Secretiveness
• Weight loss
• Blood shot eyes
• Mood changes

In recovery from addiction, it does not just boil down to the elimination of drugs and alcohol, or stopping addictive habits.

In conquering addiction, there is a need to thoroughly understand the root cause of the addiction. This would help the individual to combat the addiction with the necessary features in place.

The use of visual arts to treat addiction is referred to as art therapy and it is proficient in handling the psychological area of recovery. This paves way for an emotional entrance that enables the addict for proper expression.

The fact is, there are some encounters that are agonizing to relate, so it is best to use the medium of art to relay them across. And over the year, it has proved to be very proficient.

When art therapy is integrated with other recovery services like family counseling, group and individual therapy, it becomes effective in enhancing the emotional and spiritual requirements of the addict. This happens through creative and physical activities.

Now, one false notion people have about addiction treatment with visual arts is there is a need for arts expertise. However, the fact is, treating addiction with visual arts does not demand that you are inclined towards visual arts.

All that is needed is to follow the directives of the instructor and the therapy process begins smooth as ever.

During addiction treatment, the individual is expected to be very plain because it would aid the recovery speed. So, it is safe to say that the cooperation of the individual determines the possibility of the addiction treatment success.

So, with art therapy, the individual has the chance to relax and enjoy himself in the beauty of art therapy. The process of art therapy is a creative one because it enables a way to passage of depressions, emotions, worries and the likes.

Hence, even after the visual arts treatment process, it is still great to use the basic features such as drawing and painting to relate your feelings and emotions.  

Visual artists are individuals who are talented and special. The reason why they have the skills, is to add value to the lives of people around them. Visual artists are one of the oldest artisans on Earth and why some people are not aware of their essence, it is vital to the standard of a civilization.

Visual artists have the skill to view the world in a visual way, using features like colors, angles and visual levels.

Also, visual artists are individuals who have the investigation and thoughtful nature. It would even interest you to know that visual artists can even enter the metaphysical realm.

The only downside to the deterioration of a visual artists’ ability is mental health problems and addiction. And the fact is, they are more vulnerable than other professions because of the way they are wired.

The concept of creativity demands that the brain of the artist is wired properly and not modified by external factors like addiction.

So, provided the artist subjects himself to meditation for the purpose of coming up with inventive ideas, he would be great to go. His mind needs to be refreshed on a regular basis and not with the use of addictive substances but in a natural way.

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Visual artists are individuals who are very thoughtful and emotional. It is effortless for them to translate their emotions into drawing. The reason for this is, visual artists are tailored towards their profession due to their high state of sensitivity.

So, a visual artist would thrive if they utilize their talents and skills under natural forces. Also, visual artists think they can handle mental health problems by themselves. Hence, when some of them undergo stress, depression and the likes, it is usually difficult for them to handle it.

Visual artists who are addicted are advised to opt for treatment from an addiction treatment centre. It is best for an artist to receive help ASAP before it gets worse.

Visual artists are an exceptional and gifted group of people, who have certain skills that make the lives of everyone around them, better. One of the oldest professions on earth known to man, is Art, and while some people might not be able to pinpoint its importance, it is quintessential to our civilization.

Before one can be called a visual artist, it implies that such person has the capacity to see the world in a visual way, when it comes to angles, colours, and other visual levels. It also stands for someone who is thoughtful and investigational. The personality which an artist possesses, can lift them to metaphysical realms of existence.

However, these abilities can be impaired by addiction and mental disorders, and they are usually more susceptible than other professions. One of the basic reasons why visual artists are addicted, is because they are by default, experimental. Creativity entails that experimentation is in place, and it is a necessity to flourish, keeping the perspective of the artist inventive. Sadly, the personality of an artist tends to be one of the avenues through which addiction sets in.

Visual artists are known to get involved in addictive substances and actions, which they think aid them in the expansion of their minds and thinking, in order to keep their perspectives renewed. Nonetheless with time, having to control the use of these addictive substances and actions proves to be very difficult.

Another factor which further influences the issue of addiction among artists, is their emotional and thoughtful nature. This is because, as artists, they are wired to be inclined towards arts because of their sensitive state. Therefore, they tend to thrive in life if utilized well, and their excellence can be hindered if they do not manage themselves well.

Sensitivity which is combined with an unhealthy atmosphere, could cause mental and addiction disorder. Another reason why artists get addicted, is because they want to perfectly handle depression, anxiety, stress and anger.

If you happen to know any visual artist who is combatting addiction, you can assist them by recommending addiction treatment centre. There are some centres which are customized strictly for visual artists, and receiving treatment there would be highly beneficial.