A potential member stopped by Purple Crayon earlier this week. As we started chatting, she told me that she’d hardly left her house since the pandemic began. She was grateful that her living situation allowed her to stay home, but, eventually, she just had to physically see another human being. We talked for a bit longer, and she confessed that, although it felt good to be out, she was also quite anxious. I assured her that most of us are nowadays.
After she left, I thought more about how scattered my own energy has been recently, and how that’s likely responsible for my current struggle to make art.
Having access to Purple Crayon has helped, but there are constant reminders of tension there as well. When you walk in the door, you’re greeted by a gallon of sanitizer, a box of masks, stickers that show members where to sit so they’re physically distanced, and voices that are muffled behind layers of cloth. While the precautions are necessary to keep members safe—or as safe as they can be in an enclosed environment—they also discourage connection, the antithesis of what I try to create at the studio.
Even conversation at PC seems heavier now. Members try to focus on pleasant topics—art, food, family, and the like—but talk inevitably drifts back to the pandemic, protests, and, of course, politics. The elephant is always in the room.
Since most of my anxiety is caused by worrying about the future, I try to manage it by focusing on the present. For me, the easiest way to quiet the “what if” chatter is to connect with my body through exercise and yoga.
I typically walk about four miles a day. “When people are experiencing stress, our bodies are designed to move and engage,” says David Almeida, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State University. “A good walk seems refreshing because that’s what your body wants to do.” On rare occasions when I don’t walk, I find it even harder to normalize my day.
I also practice restorative yoga twice a week. Studies have found that doing even a little traditional yoga (versus vigorous, fitness-based yoga) can minimize stress and increase productivity. David Shapiro, a professor of psychology at UCLA, explains: “Yoga helps balance the [sympathetic and parasympathetic systems] as needed by each individual." It can awaken your relaxation system AND shift your body and mind toward active engagement, both of which I find helpful.
Of course, making art can also help me focus, but it’s kind-of a Catch 22: it’s hard for me to get motivated when I’m feeling anxious.
If your commitment to making art has waned recently, too, please know that you're NORMAL. Pretty much all of the artists I know are suffering. I encourage you to put on your sneakers and pull out your yoga mat—or find other [preferably non-medicinal] activities to kick up your energy AND slow it down. As always, the key is finding balance.
This month, I’m thrilled to be offering an online yoga class that specifically supports uncovering and nurturing your innate creativity. Paige Gilchrist’s four-week Gentle Yoga for Creativity series will help you:
- Release stress and emotions
- Iron out the physical toll creative expression can take on your body
- Increase energy flow
- Gain clarity and focus
- Connect with your true feelings and your deepest self
- Expand into a higher reality—where inspiration resides!
The soothing sequences and restorative poses are suitable for all bodies and levels of yoga experience, including ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS. We're limiting attendance, so you'll receive personalized attention and plenty of true connection. There are only a few spots left, so I hope you’ll reserve yours today!
I look forward to creating with you!
—Pam Robbins, Owner
