When Art Making Overwhelms: Steps to Help Us Keep Moving in spite of Ourselves

Because there is one thing that all artist have in common and that is Art-Making Anxiety.

Growing up I knew what anxiety looked like. Its when waves of overwhelming feelings take over and a panic attack ensues. Right? Well, not wrong but also not entirely right either.

I was first diagnosed with an anxiety disorder when I was in my mid-twenties, and I thought it was wrong. I didn't have panic attacks and I didn't have overwhelming emotional states that left me raw and over-stimulated. I didn't have racing thoughts and while I am an introvert, I didn't get racing heart beats when I am in groups or meeting new people. What my therapist knew then, but didn't entirely explain to me, was that anxiety comes in all shapes and sizes.

Without getting into my specific situation too much, when my body is getting anxiously overwhelmed (I don't always recognize when I am feeling overwhelmed), I tend to avoid the thing that is making me overwhelmed and I get angry. Most of the time, I do this without entirely realizing it.

Art is something I want to do everyday, all day. Art is also something my brain wants me to avoid everyday, all day. Why this happens, is well... complicated.

HOWEVER!!!

Over this past year I have cobbled together a system that has helped me move past my own brain and helps me make art when my brain doesn't want to. Today I am going to share with you my process, in hopes that maybe it will help you, and if you need to, come up with your own process.

My Daily Schedule

I have so many alarms! So many alarms.

In the mornings I feel like I have exactly a billion and half of things to get done. Between getting my girls out the door, working out, and picking up the house, I sometimes allow myself to take too much time or tell myself I need to get something else done and then I will start painting. Do I allow this to be an overwhelm avoidance tactic? Yes, yes I do.

My goal is to "art" 5 hours a day. Usually I am sitting down to paint before 10:00, but on the days I am avoiding it, 10:00 is the goal. My 10:00 alarm helps me to go and sit down and get her done. It reminds me to stop what I am doing and do what I am suppose to be doing.

Does this take self control? It does. Am I perfect at obeying my alarm goals? No, but then it wouldn't be a goal would it?

My Two-Part Planning System

Over 2025, in order to help me not get overwhelmed by the shear volume of paintings I had to complete or to not get smothered by nervous feelings over a new idea, I created a two part system for myself that comprises of my planner and my sketch book. The two combined allow me to break down my art process into strategic steps. Does this curtail the "artistic process" from allowing "true inspiration" to come through? Yeah no. Any working artist has a process that they follow. Otherwise you just wouldn't be able to produce enough to keep yourself feed.

My Planner

I use the Laura Denise Planner, Nancy.

Are all of Laura Denise's planners expensive? Yes. I went years thinking about buying one. The price really held me off, as it felt like a lot for something I might not use. So I would purchase other, cheaper options and then inconsistently use them.

Last year I finally gave in to my curiosity and purchased the Nancy Small. You can take a quiz to help you pick out your ideal planner. Mine shows me the entire month while also allowing me to plan my week at the same time.

Did it change me over night? No. Did I still have spaces of inconsistent planner usage? Yes. Did it help me plan my commissions more accurately? Yes. Did it help me keep to my deadlines because I could more easily see what was coming up and what I needed to complete? Yes.

My husband gifted me the Nancy Large this year for my birthday. Was I crazy excited about it? I sure was. It being a present also helped the cost feel more manageable. Initially I thought it much too large, but as I have already started using it to plan out the coming year, I love it.

My Work Book - aka a Moleskin Sketch Book

My sketch book is more than just my sketches, it is also a workbook for keeping track of my

painting process.

I create sections for each painting that I am working on, and mark it with a magnetic book mark. The first page of each section is the initial sketch of my idea (sometimes actually made in my work book, but usually torn from whatever book or paper I had on hand when an idea strikes), followed by a title page of sorts, and then ends with a step by step written process that I fill out at the end of each day.

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My Title Page is always evolving as you can see from my title page template. On this page I keep track of:

• Title

• Warm and Cool Color Palette

• Total Hours

• Original Price

• Print Price

• Primary Warm and Primary Cool Color

• Mass tones

• Background colors

I finish out my title page with any thoughts that I have when the painting is finished and then the dates painted.

My Process Section can get pretty messy as you can see. On these pages I write what I finished each day, if a new color was introduced, how many hours I worked on that step, and the date.

The steps of my process that I am keeping track of are:

1. Sketch

   1. Never pretty, but always a good starting point.

2. Digital Mock-up

   1. Usually done in both Procreate and in a Photoshop copycat, that is amazing, called Affinity Photo 2. Aka an actually affordable, one time payment option for all of us who don't want to pay the insane price for the Abode suit.

   2. Rarely ends up looking like my sketch.

3. Under Drawing

   1. Usually done in Procreate and then printed to the size I need.

4. Under Drawing Transfer

   1. After printing out my drawing, I use pthalo blue to coat the back side of my image and then using my print out as a carbon copy page, I transfer my image onto an ampersand gesso board.

   2. I usually do these three steps in bulk and/or have these steps on going as I paint. This way I always have multiple paintings moving through my process steps.

5. Under Painting

   1. First I decide on the color temperature of my shadows and highlights.

   2. I pick out the mass tone of each object and paint that color in the temperature I have selected for my shadows.

   3. I then buff out my underpainting using a mop brush.

6. Background

   1. I paint in the background color, which usually changes.

7. First Layer Overpainting

   1. I paint all of my deep shadows

8. Second Layer Overpainting

   1. I paint all of my midtones, all the while adjusting my deep shadows.

9. Third Layer Overpainting

   1. I paint all my highlights.

   2. Usually step 8, 9 and 10 kind of blend into each other.

10. Detail Layer

    1. I adjust any details or highlights that need additional attention.

11. Final Background

12. Dry and Varnish

    1. I let my paintings dry and then use Gamblin Gloss or Satin Finish Varnish.

I also print out of the above steps and tape it to the wall next to my desk. I have a paper for each commission, gallery piece, and now each 52 Weeks Mini Pet Portrait, and I check the steps off as I go. It might seem like a little bit overkill, but somehow I have found that when I combine these three elements together I am able to overcome my overwhelm and keep my anxiety in check. Knowing exactly what I need to complete on a painting next, or what email needs to be sent out when, has helped me not only want to sit down and work, but to actually sit down and work.

Am I 100% everyday with my schedule? No, but that also isn't currently my goal. My goal right now is to work out the kinks in my steps to make sure I am being as productive as I possibly can be while still being present for myself and my family.

So, what do you do to help you finish your work? Painting or otherwise? Being self-employed is so hard!

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