Self Care Tips for Artists and Crafters

Believe it or not, the life of an artist can be pretty stressful. Many professional artists are self-employed, and a lot of what an employer would normally do, they have to do on their own. Their schedule can vary wildly depending on preference and workload. Because of the nature of the artist’s work, their self-care needs can look a little different. Here are some of our favorite self-care tips for artists and crafters.

Schedule personal time

When you work for yourself and set your schedule, you’d think it would be easier, not harder, to take time for yourself. Often, though, this isn’t the case. When you make your own schedule, primarily when you work from home, it’s easy to get so deep into your work that you forget to take breaks and work much later than you intend.

Sometimes, you might feel too busy to take a break. These are precisely the times when you should take a break, though.
Scheduling personal time into your day, a little before you start work, regular breaks, and some in the evening before bed, permits you to take that personal time. Set an alarm to remind you to take your breaks. 

A significant extra benefit to scheduling personal time is that it helps you impose a schedule on your work life, which can be challenging for creative folks.

So take a break, step away from your work, and enjoy a scented candle and a time out. We have many candle projects if you want to make your own. Check them out here..

Practice meditation

Meditation is a great way to disconnect from your work. 

Sometimes people make meditation more complicated than it has to be, but your meditation routine can be simple. It can be as simple as just sitting quietly and trying to pay mindful attention to a single thing. That can be a thought or affirmation, or it can be something even more straightforward. Some folks find it easier when they have something to feel, smell, or look at. It gives you a natural point on which to focus your attention: a strand of beads, incense, or a candle flame.

Candle meditation is practiced in cultures around the world. Just sit and pay attention to the flame. Please pay attention to its color, its shape, and its movement. Set a timer so you don’t have to worry about how long you have left. 

Candle meditation is extra relaxing if you use a candle with a relaxing scent. Check out our Tranquility Candle Project for a DIY solution. They’re easy to make, colored in a calming blue, and scented with our Relaxing Fragrance Oil. 

Some folks will tell you you need to meditate daily, but you don’t. You’ll still get benefits from meditation if you do it every other day or even once a week. A routine you can stick to is always better than one you can’t.

Do things that relax you

Everyone has different activities that they find relaxing. Making sure you do something you find relaxing regularly can help you do your best work.

Far from being wasted time, time spent calming your mind improves creative performance. Studies show that moments of creative inspiration happen more frequently when the creative person is doing something other than working. Sitting, reading, even showering can bring about these moments of inspiration. There’s even a term for it: shower thoughts.

Shower thoughts are sudden ideas that occur during a seemingly unrelated mundane activity. 

Sometimes, getting away from your work is the best way to refresh your mind and return to it with a new perspective.

A relaxing bath can be a great way to clear your mind. Bath bombs and other potions can be pricey, and DIY bath bombs are usually a cheaper alternative. Check out our Lilac and Rosehip Bath Bomb Project, which surrounds you with a light, relaxing floral scent and pampers your skin with rosehip seed oil.

Engage in creative activities that aren’t your work

We all need creative activities, but when you make your job your passion, sometimes your passion starts to feel like a job.

Between looming burnout and the urge to create, that leaves you very little wiggle room.

Fortunately, there are lots of different creative activities to choose from.

If you think burnout and creative exhaustion are on the horizon, try to find a creative activity different from your creative work.

If you’re a painter, learn sculpture. If you’re a sculptor, try music. If you’re a musician, try writing fiction.

And if you’re any of the above, don’t forget that plain old crafting is still just as creative while often considered less than more formal creative activities.

Crafting kits are a great place to start if you’re interested in picking up a new creative hobby. We have dozens of kits that will help you get started on any of several crafts.

For example, if you’ve never made soap before, start learning about soap making with our Celestial Soap Kit. It includes aspects of visual art in a new format. You can make bars of beautiful swirled and sparkly soap without handling lye or learning many complicated techniques.

Foster relationships and community outside your professional life

We already know that social activity is essential for our mental health, but have you ever realized that your social time is spent with your professional peers? Networking with people in your profession is important. Still, it’s just as essential to expand that social time to include your friends and family, people with whom you don’t have a professional relationship.

Planning get-togethers is a great way to build and nurture those relationships. You don’t have to wait for a birthday or holiday. Just schedule a craft party! 

We’ve already written about why you should throw a craft party so we won’t discuss the details here. Just know that a craft project gives your party a focal point, which takes some of the responsibility of entertaining your guests off of your shoulders.

Once you’ve read about Why You Should Throw a Craft Party, check out our Party Kits! They’re a great way to ensure you have everything you and your guests need to have a great time together.

Keep lotion in your workspace

Sometimes, we overlook the simplest ways to engage in self-care. 

Taking care of your body is also caring for your mind. Taking just a minute or two out of your day to smooth some moisturizing lotion on your skin lets you focus on taking care of your body, which changes your perspective at that moment.

We sometimes fall into the trap of putting our work first and ourselves second, including skipping meals and missing out on good, restful sleep. When we intentionally take time out to care for ourselves, we take a moment to put ourselves first, to remind ourselves that we are humans and that rest and meals are needs, not suggestions.

That moment can be something elaborate, like a candlelight bath, or that moment can be as simple as putting some lotion on your hands. Your hands are an important part of your work, after all.

Keep your favorite lotion in your workspace where you can see it. That will help remind you to use it.

If you don’t have a favorite lotion, try making your own. Lotion bars are great for busy workspaces because they don’t spill or leak. Our Tangerine Lotion Bar Project project makes moisturizing bars of solid lotion full of nourishing oils with an uplifting tangerine smell.

Don’t skimp out on sleeping

Many of us have fallen into the habit of thinking that sleep is optional or wasted time. This couldn’t be further from the truth. As much as we sometimes mystify creativity, it’s a product of your brain. Sleep time is when the brain rests and repairs itself. So sleep is vital to your work.

A lack of sleep can also cause physiological problems that can land you in the hospital.

So, getting enough sleep is vital to your physical well-being, mental health, and work life. Everyone needs different amounts of sleep, but the average is around 8 hours. Sleep as long as you need; if you find yourself sleeping late, try going to bed earlier.

Make sure you get good sleep, too. Try to eliminate screens in the bedroom and use it primarily as a place to sleep. That way, when you go to bed, your body knows it’s time to sleep.

A smell can be a sensory cue for sleep as well. Try incorporating a scent into your evening routine. This can be a body butter that you smooth on your skin after an evening shower or something as simple as a linen spray.

If you’ve ever bought linen spray, you know they can be quite expensive. The good news is that it’s easy to make alone. You only need distilled water, isopropyl alcohol, and a relaxing essential oil like lavender. Check out our Lavender Linen Spray Project to learn how.

With these tips and habits, we hope you’ll be able to improve your well-being and productivity at work. Remember, self-care isn’t selfish. It’s simply taking care of your mind and body so that you can do everything you need to do in your daily life. We have more projects and some kits you can check out if you want to incorporate them into your self-care routine. Check them out for inspiration.