Caring For The Artistic Ego

Posted by Jo Murphy May 4, 2008

I have recently trialed an E-course written by Jerry Lopper and begun bringing an awareness of the need for balance to the Creative Arts Students I teach.

When teachers talk to Creative Arts Students about living a balanced life, they are not “talking about achieving an outcome or arriving at a destination." Lesson 4

Artists need to monitor feelings throughout the day. By monitoring how comfortable they feel, students can gauge how they react when faced with set backs or challenges.

Because the artistic life is thwart with competition, it is calming to focus on what Jerry calls the five comfort zones.

• Think about your life’s purpose often and deeply. Ask, "Why am I really doing this?"
• Devote as much energy and time as you can to personal passions, Become involved and proactive. This will boost self esteem and enhance relationships with others.
• Develop and utilise personal powers in nearly every aspect of your daily lives so that gifts and talents are developed to the full. This will help you feel good about your achievements,
• Design a set of personal principles. Students who think about their personal values find it easier when they face difficult choices or if life seems unfair. (Someone else gets that part!)
• Focusing from a positive, healthy, and optimistic perspective students become able to draw on their own internal resources when workload is high or challenges seem formidable.

When students feel tense or overwhelmed, it can be helpful to stop a while and look at the way they spend their time and the amount of energy being given to different aspects of their life. When one aspect of life goes astray, remember the Five P's …purpose, passion, personal power, principles and perspective.