A Way Through the Storm

“Let’s not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it.” -Vincent Van Gogh

 

There are many ways that emotions can either provide a helping hand or stand in the way of art, and a lot of it has to do with the personality and temperament of the artist.

 

Strong emotions can help push you through some of the toughest paintings. Intense happiness, anger, and sadness have the capacity to motivate and even improve your artwork if you properly wield them. On the other hand, intense emotions can absolutely tear apart your creativity and leave you in the lurch. And EVERY artist will have good days and bad days when it comes to emotion management.

 

A key player in your emotions was said no better than by Vincent Van Gogh. Most people just know him as the artist that cut off his ear, but he struggled with his emotions and mental illness during a time when they weren't even taken into consideration. The root of many of his and other artists' troubles lie in something we often don't attribute enough clout to...

 

Social interactions.

 

Whether it's with your family, with your clients, or with complete strangers, our interactions with other people can hold large sway over our emotions IF we allow them.

 

That is a big and difficult "if" to swallow. It doesn't always feel like we are in control, but the truth is - we can be in control.

 

We need to stop and take notice.

 

🔔 Notice your "hot button" topics that set you off.

🔔 Notice how they make you feel physically and emotionally.

🔔 Notice how you are talking to yourself about the situation.

🔔 Notice your interpretation of the interaction.

 

Once you notice, it is then your turn to take control of the situation.

 

⌚ Take a minute to cool down.

💨 Take a deep breath and restore your sense of balance.

🧭 Take and change the narrative you are telling yourself.

⏳ Take a moment and decide how to respond.

 

Learning emotion management strategies and implementing them into your daily interactions is essential in managing your expectations for yourself and others.

 

Then, you can find your way through the storm.

 

Hand-painted in Adobe Photoshop CC using the Wacom Intuos Pro and the Wacom Art Pen.