Distressing - Page 1

How are you dealing with stress?....i draw when everyone goes to bed and its raining outside and dogs are snoring at my feet...

Fool the Eye! Very nice, LF!  And your favorite colored pencils are? What is the paper you are using? The weight and size, finish? 

Let's see to de-stress? I used to come to the OT and pick fights with idiots, but I have changed that about myself.  Now I wait until they pick a fight with me! 

JK! Well, maybe not, lol... Believe it or not, I used to think people who meditated had nothing better to do with their lives. And the funny thing is, once you begin to practice meditation, how well it works, and just a 20 minute corpse pose (yoga),  when I'm flagging, well, how re-energizing it can be. I never draw any more, it just is impossible, now. I do not get relaxed making art, anymore. I keep telling myself, there is time still for a new future, I am wasting my talent. But who knows. 

bee...these are prisma colors i like oils (paint) also but they stink...so color pencils it is...i also love white pencil drawings on black paper (like the one below) but have not done so in a long time.
Poster board I use  is your standard cream color poster board from Hobby Lobby they come in 1 size usually stacked up in the back, not as thick as cardboard but thicker than regular paper back is white front is cream, no texture.


meditation...i used to think the same thing about it, and i used to see yoga class in my gym and think..thats not exercise, hell anyone can do that....than i decided to try 1 class, and yeah 20 min of yoga and i was more sore than 2 hrs of cardio and weights...so...have  a whole new respect for yoga doers...LOL.

I draw to distress but in a way it is somewhat of a stressful hobby at least if it goes not the way you plan.....however when i draw i go over things in my head, solve problems, revisit issues and write (in my head) most fabulous emails...its almost like venting w/o words...however after an hour or two and after "reviewing" everything you do feel better....i also take pictures of my drawings  and i look at them (pictures) through out the day and days i don't work on drawing for some reason it looks different on photos than in real life, this was a trick my art professor suggested i do because than you don't focus on lines, overlaps, mistakes you see it as a whole its like an overall perspective of the subject versus its execution.... this "trick" worked for me...because i would get so caught up in details that i would completely loose focus....

Beautifu Lady Frost, I paint with acrylics and watercolors to destress.  My son is the artist of the family.  You definately have lots of talent

Side note for people who want to get their nails nice and white like the french manicure, a cheap way is to use the white Prismacolor pencil under your nails when you just get out of the shower or bath.  Worked great when I was firefighting and used to get black soot and oil under my nails, that was the only thing that stained them back white.  (I can hear the jokes coming now lol)

I agree- beautiful work Lady Frost. I recall some older threads where you shared your art work - you are so talented!

Martin destresses by instructing in medieval martial arts twice per week. He is the most chill person I know - there's clearly something to be said for getting everything out by hitting a guy (or woman - this is an equal opportunity sport) with a long sword or stabbing them with a spear or dagger.

Here's a fun commericial that his organization (AEMMA) made a few years ago.

LOL.... spears and daggers.

Resolve your stress mentally by recognizing it's origin, and know what things you can change, and what things you cannot, acceptance is a part of the process.
Make changes if you feel your health and happiness is at risk, you cannot ignore or cover up your stress with diversions, it doesn't change a thing.

Stress will kill you, and it can harm others around you.

Some people can turn it off and shift gears, most can't.
Some turn to alcohol, others drugs, legal and illegal, that's not without risks.

A good nights sleep helps but some can't do that either without chemical help.
Exercise can cure that, wear your self out with physical activity, maybe just a good walk.

If you can't seem to escape it, then I'd say it's time for a change of some sort.

If your just talking about relaxing then your not as stressed out as you think.

I relax to music, sometimes a walk is good, sometimes just some peaceful quiet time alone.
My dog's are very useful in relaxing sometimes, when they aren't causing my stress...lol

I also find Marijuana to be a safe and non-habit forming natural way to relax, but hey, that's just me.......:)

I echo the sentiments of those who say LF is a talented gal!

De stressing for me involves chocolate, and chocolate and chocolate.
Also walking through a beautiful bush with my pupper on a gorgeous summer evening (minus the skitters) with some chocolate.

I go to the gym 5-6 times a week ........ cardio and weights.

It is a great stress reliever, a place for some social interaction and, hopefully, keeps me healthy as well.

I also love to cook - I actually find it relaxing -  and experiment with different recipes and a variety of cuisines.

I make modifications to the recipes to reflect personal taste. Try to cook healthy without going overboard.  One advantage is that I know exactly what goes into each dish ........  the amount  and type of oil, salt, etc.

We had mushroom risotto today for lunch mixed with some chicken and shrimp. It was really good!! It rarely takes me more than 45 mins including prep time and cooking.

keepthefaith.....oh man you are making me hungry!

thanks for compliments ppls....

i second Moon on part about physical exercise...balance between mental stress and physical exercise is important, the more stress you are the harder you need to push yourself....hence spring, summer, fall i rarely draw... :)