Do You Feel Guilty for Making Art?

Do you feel guilty for making art? Many do for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you can relate.

• It’s a waste of time making art and/or taking classes.
• It’s a waste of money buying art supplies.
• You’re not making any income with your art.
• You’re wasting time on something you’re not really good at.
• It’s robbing your loved ones of quality time with you.

On the surface, they all sound like legitimate reasons to feel guilty for making art. But here’s the truth of the matter…

It’s not unusual to feel guilty for making art. Lots of people do. But there is another perspective that might change your mind. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 45531393 Copyright: bialasiewicz)

Making art, or being creative in any way, is both a valuable and healthy activity.

It’s certainly far more valuable than spending time on social media or binging the latest streaming program on Netflix.

Making art has been scientifically proven to reduce the stress hormone, cortisol. It helps the brain create new neural pathways, which in turn helps fight cognitive decline and memory loss. And…side note…reduced cortisol has also been proven to help people shed fat. Bonus!

The very act of making art even as simple as a doodle can instill a sense of exploration, adventure, and accomplishment.

That being said, it’s a great method of self-care.

All of us (hopefully) practice daily hygiene. Nobody feels guilty for that, do they? Many exercise and meditate daily. Many have a daily spiritual practice. None of those trigger feelings of guilt either.

Creating art can put you in a zone very similar to meditation. It’s not difficult to see how this can prevent exhaustion and burnout, or even a growing sense of resentment towards your family or anyone else you might feel is making you feel guilty for making art.

But with these benefits in mind, it might behoove you to take the safety advice you get on airplanes to heart. Making art is powerful self-care. It should in fact, be a priority. In an airplane emergency, you are instructed to put your own mask on before putting masks on your children.

Why?

It’s simple. If you pass out, how are you going to help your kids? Consider regular doses of making art like your oxygen mask. By creating regularly, you’re benefitting your own health and well-being, thus ensuring that you’ll be more available and present for your family. The alternative is offering them an exhausted, burnt out, resentful version of you and that’s hardly what anyone would consider quality time.

You get the same benefits from making art whether you’re a pro or not. (Photo Credit: 123RF.com Image ID: 153646749 Copyright: dragoscondrea)

The really great thing about making art is that you don’t even have to be “good” at art for the benefits to happen. So skill level shouldn’t hold you back at all.

You may need to have a chat with your family and ask for their support in respecting a set day or time that you want to spend making art. Explain why you need that time, what art means to you and how it can make you more available to them. You may have to set boundaries or have a Do Not Disturb sign on your door for an agreed upon amount of time. Or, maybe make it a family activity.

There is no need to feel guilty for making art.

Say yes to self-care.

Say yes to yourself.

.

.

.