It’s time to become aware of the words that go through your head when you’re drawing… and to CHOOSE to speak to yourself kindly.
It really does make a difference!
Transcript
This is episode 3 of the Art Fit Podcast. Hello, I’m Anna Battle, Shiny Happy Artist and your host of the Art Fit Podcast. Now, just as physical fitness is good for your body, Art Fitness is good for your mind. And you don’t need to be an Olympics level professional artist to benefit from Art Fitness. But what is the point? How do you actually do it? How do you fit it all in? Well, I’m on a mission to help you get Art Fit.
This podcast is brought to you by my Shiny Happy Art Club. I send you a brand new high quality guided Paint Along each month, in acrylic and watercolour, as part of a lovely group of art friends from around the world. So, you can become a Shiny Happy Artist and get Art Fit.
Now today, I am going to revisit some of these Anna-isms. And if you are already a student of mine, you will have heard it before, but I really, really, really think it’s worth listening to again, and this won’t take too long. So please, just let me sit in your ears for a little bit longer. But it is about positive self-talk. Now, staying positive is so important. And the way you talk to yourself, you do have a choice, whether it’s going to be positive or negative. And this will affect the way you make art. Now, because if you go in with a negative mindset and you’re speaking to yourself in a negative way, there is no way you’ll succeed at drawing but look, you will succeed in bringing yourself and everyone else down around you. And who needs that? So, I really implore you to speak to yourself like you would speak to someone that you love.
I often say, sort of, speak to yourself like you’d speak to your favourite child. And I have four kids, and I know that sort of varies day-to-day. So, just be kind to yourself. Think about, if you’re thinking negative thoughts, where did they come from? Was it just some random teacher that said something, earlier in your school years, that you couldn’t do it? Was it someone just being unthoughtful that, and unkind, but maybe they didn’t even realise they were doing it; that sort of, put the kibosh on what you think you’re able to do? And look, we’ve all had that experience; it’s just choosing which way you want to move forward. And can I just encourage you, as you’re learning on this journey of Art Fitness, to think of think and speak to yourself really positively. So, also think, who do you admire? How would they speak to themselves? Act, as if you were inhabiting their body or their mind, while you’re drawing or painting, because this can really encourage you to do well.
Now, I will tell you a story about a lady who came to my classes, years ago. and it was actually the first one for the year; it was, I think, it was February and I’d been doing these Paint Along classes in my studio at the front of my house, for a little while now, at that time. And she came in and, oh my goodness! She was huffing and puffing. She didn’t like any of the suggestions that I made. And probably, we’ve all had days like this, but she really, really couldn’t keep it in. she was like, “Oh! I hate this. Oh, I don’t like this.” Like, the marks just weren’t coming out well. And it got worse, as it went on because she really wasn’t giving herself any opportunity to succeed, because of all the negativity in the room. And she did bring the whole room down, around her. It was really hard.
And as an aside, I had a reporter in the room that night. And she was writing about what I did, and it was to her credit; she was able to sort of absorb it and rise above it because she was thinking quite positively herself. But, oh my goodness! I had to have a chat to this lady, at the end, and she explained that she had a hard job. She just needed to have an outlet, and she really struggled with going from the mindset she had at work, into what she was going to make with the art. And the thing is, after we’d had a chat about it, she ended up coming back quite a few times and brought friends as well. And she used it as an outlet that she, but she did keep quiet from that point on. Even if she was thinking it, at least she wasn’t saying it. And mind you, once she got to the end of, probably 4 or 5 sessions with me, she was feeling a lot more positive. She was much more relaxed, when she walked into the room. And, my goodness! She could have reached there a lot sooner, if she just allowed herself to relax.
And sometimes, what’s going on around you, does make it difficult to get into the mindset for art. But if you’re not feeling it, it is probably a good time to step away and get your head in the game. Again, you want to have that positive self-talk sitting there, behind your eyes, so that you know that you can do this. There is learning to be had, and every drawing is another drawing closer to one that you really, really love. And whether this is it or it’s not it, I can’t tell you at the beginning of the drawing, but it’s worth going into it with that positive attitude and knowing that you’re going to be encouraging yourself every step of the way, so that you’re more likely to get a really good result at the end.
So, keep that top of mind; catch your negative thoughts before they become negative actions, and ride that wave of positivity. I believe, you could do it. I’ve seen so many people walk into the room, thinking that they can’t even draw a stick figure. But with a bit of guidance, with a bit of following instructions, they have surprised themselves like you wouldn’t believe, at the end of the day. So, keep yourself talk positive on your way to becoming Art Fit, and everyone around you will be happy, not only you; it’s something that you’re doing for the world, really. Good to have some more positive thoughts out there. So, keep that in mind as you’re going forward, and I’ll talk to you again, soon.
So, you want to get Art Fit? We’ll find out when the doors to the Shiny Happy Art Club open next. There are 24 online Paint Alongs to choose from when you join, so you’ll definitely find something you love. And now, there are also $15 and $25 subscription options. So, go to www.shinyhappyart.com to pop your name on the waiting list. I look forward to painting with you in the Shiny Happy Art Club. And until then, I’ll be back in your ears with the next episode of the Art Fit Podcast.
