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Anxiety and Art: Your Thoughts

Does this happen to anyone else?

I have a problem when it comes to art. That is, I've had some formal training, some self-taught, but also alot of anxiety when it comes to "getting things just right." Call it anxiety-perfectionism-chaos. This anxiety usually results in some pieces coming out well, and others turning out...where I know I could do alot better (case in point, the shirt on my Halloween Fossa sketch). Or others where I'm too stressed or worried to start, or where I end up "overdoing" it.

This tends to result in more simplistic pieces. Simplistic pieces cause less stress.

I've also found that it helps if I can break down the process into well, a process. This isn't the same as "painting by rote" but it is getting a handle on the rules and the underlying "why", for example. I know the anxiousness and want for perfection will not go away, but better holds on the underlying rules and mechanics go a long way towards kicking it in the rear. It helps reduce the chaos that tends to gather from looking at the sheer, happy possibility of a blank piece of paper. ;)

My question for you is, does anyone else have this issue/tendency, and how have you dealt with it? How has it effected what you draw, or don't?

I enjoy art. I enjoy creating it, even when I'm stressed. However, this anxiety-perfectionism-chaos is a real barrier. It isn't a general personality trait, but just seems to crop up here for whichever reason.

I tend to have that issue, though the way it manifests is that I'll get so worried something's off (anatomy, perspective, etc.) that I end up not finishing the image. Or if I set out to do something simple in the first place (perhaps due to time limits), but end up piling on too many details to complete the image in time. Scrapped again.

I can't say I have any real method to dealing with this, just to take my time. Sometimes I'll stuff away unfinished pieces for months (or years), pull them out, and immediately spot what was bothering me about it in the first place. For more detailed pieces, it just takes a lot of pre-planning and preparing to make it turn out the way I want it to. Never cut corners (example, if I'm painting a zebra I map out every exact stripe and it's width in the preliminary, instead of adjusting it on the fly while I'm coloring).

I think if you just roll with the anxiety/perfectionism, you could use it to your advantage.. but anywho, I'd like to see other people's takes on this topic.

I have issues with anxiety and art too. It gets so bad that it can actually keep me up at night, but my anxiety stems more from a need to get things onto paper than for them to be perfect. However, I do get anxious over imperfection too. I haven't found too many good ways of dealing with it, but redoing an image after it has gotten a critique from other people helps a bit. It also helps me to have time that I call "drawing without consequence" - sort of like a sketch dump. I just doodle whatever comes to mind without thinking about making it look good. It feels almost like a release. I usually through the sketches away as they are always crappy, but it still relaxes me some to do it. I think anxiety is a big problem in a lot of people's lives (I know it is in mine), but the only way that I have found to reduce it is through some type of mental catharsis.

Anxiety? Sure. Mine tends to manifest itself as art-angst though. That's what I call my art-related emo outbursts, anyway.

It usually just goes away on its own after a while. Like all emo outbursts.

I have anxiety all the time! I always think I should do better and I have this aching desire to learn as much as I can. Sometimes I try to be stoic and hide it, but when I'm in a good mood it shows as I become open about how I feel about my art and abilities. The comfort I have is that I will keep learning and growing as an artist. I always feel guilty I don't draw enough. I should keep a sketch book and start drawing everything I see.

An interesting side-effect of this anxiety is an ability to "hyper-focus." I can hyperfocus, almost at will, on some things, but art gets complicated by this anxiety-chaos.

Kitsumi, alot of the things you described are things I experience! It's frustrating! I don't like the anxiety, but I get the feeling that the ability to hyper-focus is tied to it...and that I DO like. :)

So...general questions, to everyone:

Why do you think that your anxiety crops up with or during art, and not at other times, or just more so during art?

Coffee Fossa said: An interesting side-effect of this anxiety is an ability to "hyper-focus." I can hyperfocus, almost at will, on some things, but art gets complicated by this anxiety-chaos.

Kitsumi, alot of the things you described are things I experience! It's frustrating! I don't like the anxiety, but I get the feeling that the ability to hyper-focus is tied to it...and that I DO like. :)

So...general questions, to everyone:

Why do you think that your anxiety crops up with or during art, and not at other times, or just more so during art?

Wow, you sound very much like me in this regard! I get the most anxious before I start, mostly because I am aware that I am going to hyperfocus and be dead to the world for many, many hours, and might even be oblivious to other things (like eating) until I'm done or until I can't keep my eyes open anymore.

I think I am most anxious about losing my social side to my art because of that.

Once I start working though, I really enjoy the process.

blue_moon22 said: I have anxiety all the time! I always think I should do better and I have this aching desire to learn as much as I can. Sometimes I try to be stoic and hide it, but when I'm in a good mood it shows as I become open about how I feel about my art and abilities. The comfort I have is that I will keep learning and growing as an artist. I always feel guilty I don't draw enough. I should keep a sketch book and start drawing everything I see.

I feel the same as you, Blue Moon. But to add my own flavor - I've found that some of my best art comes out of me when I'm totally relaxed and don't care so much. In other words - doodles. And silly fun pictures. When I'm too focused on anatomy they usually come out stiff and unnatural.

Oh and when I'm taking figure drawing classes my stuff is always tons better (of course), but then it regresses again once the class is over. At least it seems to. I always feel like things would be so much easier if I had a little posable muscle man...like with rubber muscles that stretch and contract. Those wooden dummy figures are junk. They can't even do a fetal pose. My Spiderman action figure does better.

Coffee Fossa said: An interesting side-effect of this anxiety is an ability to "hyper-focus." I can hyperfocus, almost at will, on some things, but art gets complicated by this anxiety-chaos.

The other kids called it 'being in the zone'. I seem to be able to do it with art and video games.

Coffee Fossa said:
Why do you think that your anxiety crops up with or during art, and not at other times, or just more so during art?

Sadly, a lot of fandom artist's critiques run through my head. =| These are artists I respect wholeheartedly (for their grasp on anatomy, color, lighting.. the three which I have the most difficult times with when it comes to my art). Call me crazy, but I can imagine x,y, and z in my head pointing out every single fault to my drawing. And thus is a large part of my anxiety. Anybody would feel anxious if someone was overseeing them as they worked. ;P Also, having a better grasp of drawing knowledge now than I did say 4 years ago, I'm less likely to just let loose and have fun with my artwork without fussing over historical/mythical accuracy/anatomy/perspective, etc.

Ignorance is bliss they say.

And yes, critiques and to want improvement in one's artwork are important necessities to an artist.. but sometimes this can wait until after said artwork is finished. First the artwork, then the critique, then the improvement in the following piece. Overall I just need to increase my art production, which leads to improvement.

I have a ton of anxiety about my art. Most of it relates to my fears about how other people were perceive my art. I know that I'm a really bad artist despite how long I've been working hard, and I know that I don't have talent, but when I show my art to other people, I'm worried that they think I don't know this, and they'll be thinking about how bad I am in their heads. I worry because I'm getting older and people far younger than me are so much better and are talented, and I always get this feeling like... I'm never going to catch up to anyone, and my pace is too slow. Maybe that's different anxiety from all of yours, but it's the kind I get for art. Although I'd say it's more like shame, too. I get really ashamed to have people look at my art because I'm sure they're analyzing everything that's wrong with it that I couldn't get right.

I tend to be way too much of a perfectionist. But my professor gave us a great exercise to help us all loosen up and not worry about mistakes.

We mounted our surfaces to the wall and stood behind a line of tape a good six feet away. The only way to reach our surfaces was by attaching our paintbrushes to a long wooden dowel. This position demanded loose, rough strokes and we had to learn to live with our mistakes. The results were often beautiful.

It was actually pretty fun too. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Battie said: I tend to be way too much of a perfectionist. But my professor gave us a great exercise to help us all loosen up and not worry about mistakes.

We mounted our surfaces to the wall and stood behind a line of tape a good six feet away. The only way to reach our surfaces was by attaching our paintbrushes to a long wooden dowel. This position demanded loose, rough strokes and we had to learn to live with our mistakes. The results were often beautiful.

It was actually pretty fun too. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Seconded! My figure drawing teacher did the same thing but with a long chalk holder with a conte crayon put in it.

I get this quite often, which is why I listen to music. But another way to soften the self-criticism is to just remember that these are suggestions from people who probably want to help more than hinder. But for those who weren't very soft in their critiques, maybe it's better not to take those critiques in mind and stay positive.

On this note, recently I felt that sometimes I needed to rely on that childhood confidence I once had. Like everybody else, I remember the people who told me I couldn't draw this or that, or I sucked. The confidence you had as a kid would retort, "So what? Big deal. I can always do better and no I don't suck."

When you grow up, you lose that faith you have in yourself and can become a living doormat for other people's opinions.

That's why while sometimes I would like to have others support my work or ideas or be famous I've begun to value inner confidence more. That and it's also much more productive :)

Kitsumi said:
Sadly, a lot of fandom artist's critiques run through my head. =| These are artists I respect wholeheartedly (for their grasp on anatomy, color, lighting.. the three which I have the most difficult times with when it comes to my art). Call me crazy, but I can imagine x,y, and z in my head pointing out every single fault to my drawing. And thus is a large part of my anxiety. Anybody would feel anxious if someone was overseeing them as they worked. ;P Also, having a better grasp of drawing knowledge now than I did say 4 years ago, I'm less likely to just let loose and have fun with my artwork without fussing over historical/mythical accuracy/anatomy/perspective, etc.

Ignorance is bliss they say.

And yes, critiques and to want improvement in one's artwork are important necessities to an artist.. but sometimes this can wait until after said artwork is finished. First the artwork, then the critique, then the improvement in the following piece. Overall I just need to increase my art production, which leads to improvement.

blue_moon22 said:But another way to soften the self-criticism is to just remember that these are suggestions from real people. Many who probably don't realize the negative impact they had on you.

The thing is, these people have never critiqued my artwork XP (to my knowledge anyway). Another victim of artistic psychoses I am. :P

But yes, I'll agree with the being positive comment.. Oftentimes the works I have difficulty seeing through completion are ones that didn't really have my full attention/love in the first place. Example being my horses painting linked in the other thread- I love equines, I loved the medium, and thus spawned the patience and dedication to seeing it through. I think that's one way for an artist to 'cut loose'.. Pick your absolute favorite (and familiar) subject and have fun with it to ward off that anxiety.

I edited my post a few times btw. I was trying to write what I was thinking but being almost 2am it's not coming out.

But I do sometimes imagine myself being lectured by an art teacher and I just have to imagine putting a sock in it.

Kitsumi said:

blue_moon22 said:But another way to soften the self-criticism is to just remember that these are suggestions from real people. Many who probably don't realize the negative impact they had on you.

The thing is, these people have never critiqued my artwork XP (to my knowledge anyway). Another victim of artistic psychoses I am. :P

But yes, I'll agree with the being positive comment.. Oftentimes the works I have difficulty seeing through completion are ones that didn't really have my full attention/love in the first place. Example being my horses painting linked in the other thread- I love equines, I loved the medium, and thus spawned the patience and dedication to seeing it through. I think that's one way for an artist to 'cut loose'.. Pick your absolute favorite (and familiar) subject and have fun with it to ward off that anxiety.

I get art anxiety a lot.

Some of it stems from self-doubt about my art, some of it from the demand for hyper-perfectionism from armchair critiquers on the internet. (I got really tired of the last group. I'm not a fan of unsolocitied critiques.).

Lately I've been getting better, but I haven't been satisfied with a lot of what I've been drawing, and somewhere along the lines I forgot how to draw certain things, or I've been dissatisfied with my art in general. I've taken to drawing things cute, ad short, and simple. But I'll also do detail and lovely things.

I think some of it comes from me knowing where I need to fix my art, but not having the drive right now to do it because I am having way too much fun drawing little tiny portraits of Lord of the Rings characters.

*edit* Doing 'How to Draw' art is also making me feel awesome. but yeah, I get the secret feeling that whenever I post something, the hyenas of the fandom are cackling at me behind my back about how 'The arm is off' or some other silly thing.

Sometimes I will ask for help, mainly with perspective and the like, but for the mostpart, I slog through it on my own. I'm stubborn that way.

Oh, art anxiety. The one issue I just can't seem to overcome.

My perfectionism when painting is so bad that I will often not finish a piece. Absolutely horrible thing to do, I know, but I just get so caught up in "does this look right?" I get critiques from many people, but for some reason I keep thinking something is wrong even if they insist that it's not. And then I'll re-work it and re-work it until I'm so burned out I just give up. I've tried loosely painting to get rid of this, but I still can't push myself farther than a sketch.

I think when I go to college I'll learn that I can't focus on the little details so much because I won't have time, and that will probably be the one small push that I need to break me of my habit.

I have the same problem, Redfeather. My closet is filled with them, and when I moved, I left some of them behind. I think the "not finishing" is a universal thing--I try to look at them as "potential backgrounds" for other pieces. IE, some lines and color are there, and if used carefully they can enrich the piece going atop them. :)

I really appreciate the suggestion to listen to music. I will try that and see how it goes. Hrm...ArtSpots radio, anyone? ;)

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts on this. Amara, I don't know how you do it!

I have coloring anxiety. I love the process of sketching and inking, but for some reason, fear grips me when I move to color. Like I'm going to completely ruin the piece and have to start over from scratch. It always turns out just fine (except these two pics that I was trying a new technique on that completely BOMBED), but I'm always terrified for some reason.

I'm also having some serious anxiety about this painting that I've got drawn out on illustration board. I haven't done a painting since my year of art school, 6 years ago. ^^; I just can't seem to bring myself to lay paint to board...

I'm considering getting a few cheap paint-by-numbers pics to practice handling a brush again and work up some confidence. So I'm not ruining something totally original. *JUST now came up with that idea*