something I wish I’d learnt waaay earlier in my art education: you. need. exercise. Especially if you intend to make art your career. NEED.

I’ve always hated physical activity because I was never taught to enjoy it. From the moment I can remember, physical activity has always been about pushing myself to my limits in order to lose weight. Is it any wonder I hate and despise it?

I only really started regularly taking walks and working out in the last couple of years, as an attempt to fight the cabin fever from isolating so much at home, and it was around the same time I discovered that I had hitherto undiagnosed ADHD, and that exercise helps regulate my dopamine levels.

I’m just sort of mulling on that now because for the first time in a long time, I feel super lethargic and grumpy- and I can’t really work out because I just got my booster shot. Just less than a week to go, but I already feel super zzz.

It’s not something one really thinks about as a young artist, since when you’re younger, you tend to have decent energy levels, even for someone like me who’s been struggling with fatigue my whole life cos of ADHD. So it came as a surprise when sustained working out actually did give me more energy and focus- and kept wrist/arm/back aches at bay for longer than when I wasn’t regularly working out.

So if I could give advice to my younger self in pursuit of an artistic career it would be this:

– Work out. Find the enjoyment in it. Because it improves the amount of time you can spend concentrating on drawing, it helps minimise injuries and it keeps your ADHD from spiraling too badly.
– Also, stop doubting yourself at every turn, that shit is honestly exhausting you and stopping you from doing anything 🥵

now i’m off to grumpily stare at some linework and dream about resuming playing ring fit in a week.