Artists, Get Off Yer Butt!

As artists we often talk about how we flex our creative muscles, and we know that learning a new digital painting program is a good mental work out. We practice our chops to keep our drawing skills strong. When we want to strengthen them, we take a class or experiment with new and different techniques. Basically we dedicate ourselves to our creative fitness. But as artists, it's also necessary to keep our physical fitness in check too.

If you look through my house, you'll see an assortment of dumb bells, exercise dvds, and yoga mats. It may be that I'm one of those lucky people for whom working out is a something I really enjoy. I can't say it's always easy, and that sometimes I lack motivation. But I enjoy a good brisk walk, a day out mountain biking, an hour of Yoga, and of course, dance classes (no, not all in one day;). And I don't just do it to watch my weight, I do it because I want a body that can support the weight of my busy life as an artist.

So here's some things I recommend for working out, and how it's good for those of us who spend most of our day standing on our feet painting or bent over a drawing desk or computer. Ouch, my back hurts just thinking about it.

Ballet - Most dance studios offer adult beginning ballet classes. No, you won't be a room full of fairy-like five years olds in tutu's. Just adults! How is ballet helpful to an artist? It will give a real sense of what it feels like to move your muscles and limbs in ways you never imagined. Becoming more aware of how the body moves by experiencing it yourself through a dance class can immensely help your figure drawing. And it'll improve your flexibility too, which we start to lose as we age.


Cardio Kick Boxing- THIS is a challenging work out, folks, no lie! But it's great because it REALLY strengthens your legs. When you're standing for long hours at your drawing table, your easel, or perhaps standing on your feet all day painting kids faces at a birthday party, your legs will thank you for suffering through it! And if you happen to be an art teacher to grade school kids, it'll give you the endurance to keep up with them!

Yoga- If you want to develop your balance, your posture, AND learn some breathing techniques, this will do it. Yoga will teach you how to stay present and aware,and to breath through tough situations, which will help you stay cool and calm when a pushy client wants more changes to the art than what you had agreed on. And he wants them yesterday.

Hiking- Ahh, the great outdoors! There's nothing like being one with nature! Not only does nature inspire some serious creativity, it also gives you a chance to escape the fumes of your oil paints and the dust from your pastels (not to mention some much needed time AWAY from the computer). Your lungs will thank you.

Pilates - Pilates strengthens your core and lengthens your limbs. It not only improves your posture and how you carry yourself, it'll help you stand tall and confident when your'e meeting with clients.

Group Sports - Many artists spend a LOT of time working alone in their studios, which can get a little lonely day after day. And we also tend to spend an unhealthy amount of time in online communities, which though beneficial to networking, isn't quite as good for developing people skills in the real world. Playing softball or volleyball will not only keep you fit, it'll provide some much needed real-life social interaction with other people. You can Tweet about it later;)

Being an artist is physically demanding. We stand on our feet all day at our easels, or worse, we are seated all day at the drawing desk or in front of computers. For me, exercise has added to my life as an artist, and I would go so far as to say my art would probably suffer if I didn't have some kind of exercise routine, even if it's just going for a walk when the creative juices stop flowing as they sometimes do. I know that's it not easy to begin an exercise program of any kind if you've never done it before. Even if you start by taking a walk to the park, your body will thank you for it.

What kind of exercise do YOU do and how does it help your creativity? Let's talk about it and get each other motivated!