Feeling Guilty For Making Art? Try These 3 Things | Art Lab Podcast

Do you ever feel guilty for making art, or for wanting to dedicate time and energy to a creative practice? Let’s explore tools that can support your creative process, even when it brings up challenging feelings like guilt. Find me on Instagram:   / kendyllhillegas   Episode Outline: 01:12 Why our creative practices might spark feelings of guilt or shame 06:56 Tip #1: Lean into your community 08:22 How I make friends with other artists and creatives 10:58 Tip #2: Make it easier; do it more 14:15 Tip #3: Defusion 16:22 How to practice diffusion 20:20 An invitation to experiment this week Laundry or painting? Admin tasks or creative writing? It can be a struggle to prioritize a creative practice that’s deemed ‘frivolous’ when other things seem more urgent or productive. But, if we start to unravel where those beliefs stem from, we can better understand why we feel shame or guilt for making art, and build practices to help us get used to taking action even when they’re around. Here’s what I find supportive when those feeling come up: Plugging into community: Regardless of what you struggle with when it comes to making art, it’s vital to surround yourself with other people who really get what you’re going through. Whether it’s online or IRL, having art friends helps you get out of your head and normalize the sometimes intense emotions that go along with creative work. Make it easier; do it more: Sound familiar? If it doesn't, check out my episode on common creative blocks and how to overcome them. To recap, it’s all about lowering the barrier to entry and spending time with those uncomfortable feelings so they become more tolerable. Defusion: This is a technique from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) that creates distance between you and your thoughts and emotions. It doesn’t make the sticky feelings go away, but it helps reduce the impact they have on your choices and actions. Resources Mentioned: The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris: https://thehappinesstrap.com 3 Common Creative Blocks & How to Overcome Them:    • 3 Common Creative Blocks & How to Overcome...   #ArtLab #OvercomingGuilt #ACTforArtists SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/3TdOOAb About Kendyll: Hi friends and welcome to Art Lab! My name is Kendyll Hillegas and I'm a full time commercial illustrator and artist. I’m passionate about understanding the creative process, what supports it, and what gets in the way. So, when I’m not making work for clients, I love exploring the places that art-making and emotions intersect – inspiration, identity, self-doubt, and creative block. These are the questions I come back to again and again, and need to talk about more, so if you’re in the same boat, I hope you’ll join me! Sign up for the newsletter: https://www.kendyllhillegas.com/newsl... Watch video episodes:    / kendyllhillegas   Find me on Instagram:   / kendyllhillegas