Practicing Sustainability as an Artist and Healer

As an artist and healer with mental & physical health issues, limited financial resources, and a desire to engage in radical work, thoughts about how to practice without sacrificing my wellbeing come up often. To me, a sustainable creative practice includes thoughtful consideration of how resources can be used to significantly limit consumption. Some of these resources include art materials, studio space and time, funds for travel and meals, access to collaborators and mentors, and most importantly, my own health and wellness. I always tap into my stores of mental, physical, and emotional energy in order to be the best artist and therapist I can be. I’ve learned that consumption of these resources without a spirit of reciprocity perpetuates a mindset of scarcity, which ultimately upholds the very capitalist ideals that I reject. Without consideration for how to practice sustainably, the risk for burnout and dis-ease of the physical form and creative spirit increases. After experiencing my own episode of burnout this past year, I felt devastated and stuck in a “freeze” trauma response that I am still working my way out of. I’ve discovered that this process is a lifelong balancing act that will evolve over time depending on the resources available to me. I am building confidence as I learn to prioritize listening to my intuition, consistently caring for my holistic wellness, and staying curious about how to use materials and resources in new ways.

I picture the Two of Pentacles tarot card to be a fitting image for the balancing act that is required to be the type of provider and creator I aspire to be. “The Two of Pentacles represents balance, adaptability, and the art of juggling multiple priorities.” I see the infinity symbol to represent a constant balancing of eternal energies and the tumultuous waves in the background to represent the everchanging circumstances of life. What do you see?

Symbolism within the imagery of the Two of Pentacles tarot card (Source)

Listed below are some specific ways that I incorporate sustainability in my creative and therapeutic practice:

With paint - In therapy sessions, I usually encourage people to use as much material as they like, but this approach conflicts a bit with my personal values of sustainability and resourcefulness. I’ve noticed this misalignment is super obvious when we use paint. On the one hand, unrestricted use of paint helps to instill a sense of freedom and abundance that is often sacrificed in our American culture. The client experiences natural consequences if the paint runs out,  which often leads to a process of resourceful thinking and creative flexibility. Additionally, through my experience working at under-resourced schools, I found that it is important to show students that they deserve high quality resources by offering them the freedom and trust to use the materials as they see fit. On the other hand, it is necessary to teach students about taking no more than is needed and respecting the sacredness of the art supplies and our access to them. I try to settle this friction of values by offering alternatives that allow for both freedom/autonomy and sustainability. For example, can we use any leftover paint to make another art piece? Can we mix the colors together to create a new color that we can bottle up and use for next time? If we are in a group setting, can we offer excess paint to other students in the space who may want to use it in their artwork? Or if it is possible, can we simply put the paint back into its original container using a funnel or spoon? Another thing to consider is how to dispose of the paint water that is toxic and contributes to the pollution of our environment. Some options are to pour the water into a container with cat litter/sawdust and throw the clumps away, filter the paint water through a coffee filter before pouring it down the drain, or simply letting the water evaporate and then disposing of the dried paint left behind.

With canvas - I often reuse cardboard, old magazines, books, newspapers and other found materials as canvas. Not only is this type of canvas FREE and LOCALLY SOURCED (if it is found in my neighborhood), but it also adds dimension, texture, and an interesting aesthetic to my creative pieces. It is possible to prime an unconventional canvas with gesso (white or clear) or spray primer which can help paint to bind to the material. You may consider not even using a canvas at all. For example, I use small tree branches as the base for my blessing sticks or cool shaped rocks as the base for small paintings.

Time for Change (2019), created with all reused materials - cardboard, magazines, bottle caps

Collage and paint on a vinyl record (2020)

Incorporating elements of nature in my artwork has become an ever present reminder of our divine connection to the natural world. Andy Goldsworthy is an artist that has inspired my interest in ephemeral art. He uses the ground, the trees, and the sky as canvas, creating whole art pieces made of natural materials with the understanding that the art will shift and eventually disappear over time. Creating art that is meant to fade away can be therapeutic because it is a good way to practice detachment.

Examples of ephemeral artwork by Andy Goldsworthy (Source)

Seashells as canvas (2024)

With energy - Mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual energy are valuable internal resources that I use every day in my work. Over time, I’ve learned that I can restore them with intentional time made for rejuvenation, reflection, and recreation. I’ve learned to measure my energy level through intuition and presence. I also account for the circumstances in my life that affect my energy levels including work/life balance, my diet and access to food, my sleep schedule and hygiene, my health, financial wellbeing, the status of my close relationships, secure & safe housing, and even the weather. There is an art to balancing these factors and still allowing ample space for my playful creativity to flow throughout. This looks like occasionally taking a “mental health day” and calling out of work when necessary, limiting the activities and social plans I commit to, transparently communicating my needs, processing and releasing feelings of guilt and shame that arise, eating the foods my body craves, spending time outdoors, singing, and simply just playing!

An image I drew inspired by one of my students. 

With creativity- Can the creative spark ever really die out? I believe that creativity is connected to our divine life force which is infinite and eternal. If that is the case, is there really a need to be sustainable with creativity? In this situation, sustainability looks different. I’ve learned that my creative practice comes in bursts, often connected to my energy levels and mindset. However, I’ve also experienced moments of total distress where I was able to channel what felt like divine source into my art, music, and poetry. These moments felt like a huge relief and reinforced my spiritual beliefs. Sometimes, ideas are easily accessible to me and bubble to the surface of my mind’s eye like boiling water. Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that I must allow myself time to experiment, gather inspiration, and simply ‘strike while the iron is hot.’ When I feel particularly inspired or motivated, I shift around my to-do list in order to prioritize my creative practice. AND, When I feel nothing, I simply do nothing.

“Creative people need time to just sit around and do nothing. I get some of my best ideas when I'm bored, which is why I never take my shirts to the cleaners. I love ironing my shirts-it's so boring, I almost always get good ideas. If you're out of ideas, wash the dishes. Take really long walk. Stare at a spot on the wall for as long as you can. As the artist Maira Kalman says, 'Avoiding work is the way to focus my mind.'”

― Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

There is also the consideration of originality. In class, students sometimes express embarrassment about “copying” someone’s else’s art or tracing designs instead of free drawing. Taking inspiration from another creative work occurs more than we realize, from basic music sampling to explicit plagiarism. I believe that there is always a way to create authentically, simply because it the idea has been filtered through the lived experiences, biases, and beliefs of a different person.

What do you think about sustainability? Even if you are not an artist or a worker in the mental health field, these concepts can still apply.