Shifting Focus: From Work to Art

This week, I found the Alie Ward’s podcast “Why Humans Require Hobbies” on her Ologies website. The podcast featured the writer, Julia Holtz, who wrote The Connection Cure, which centers on what matters to you in treating and preventing illnesses.  Julia is a salugenologist – simply meaning she studies what makes us healthy. Her book explains the science behind going into nature, what makes you happy, and making time for hobbies.  This topic got my attention because I am gradually, and I mean grad…u…al…ly shifting from school being the center of my life to art being the center of my life.

This is a difficult process for me.  Yes, I’m saying that even thinking about spending time with my hobby, with creating art – now creates enormous stress for me.  I’ve known for a long time that I have an addiction to work and in turn an addiction to stress.  I am desperately trying to reduce my insane focus on work and add in art.  Doing art was something that used to be a release, a pleasant experience, it brought me joy.  Now, it brings on shame and guilt.  I let art go long ago and only sneak it in from time to time so that I don’t completely forget the center of my soul.

Since the time I could hold a crayon, I’ve been making images.  I loved making images.  I loved drawing, painting, collaging – putting colors and textures together.  It was nicely woven throughout my childhood, and I took it with me when I went to college.  I even pursued a master’s degree in creative arts education.  Art was something that mattered to me, that I knew made me happy and healthy.  And then somehow it gradually slipped away from me.  I put in its place work and then more work, and I told myself that art was embedded in my work.  Though it is, sort of, kind of – however, I’m not creating true art – not photography, not watercolor, not collage.  What happened?  I got more tense and stressed and less happy.  I became work, instead of becoming art.

I am devoted to shift this around.  I know I need more art in my life.  I need to craft, and paint, and take photographs and start thinking about color, shape, and textures.  I seek beauty. Holtz said that there was a study in which they found that cortisol (stress hormone) levels decreased after one 40-minute crafting sessions.  Losing yourself in the flow of art increased relaxation and satisfaction.

So here is the results my 40-minute photo-crafting playing session:

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