Why Am I So Unproductive?
What is an artist to do? Just when we seem to be bouncing back from shortages of face masks, toilet paper, and webcams, I’m keenly aware of another thing in increasingly short supply – my ability to concentrate and get things done. This is having an impact on my art-making, both in terms of getting in the studio and, once I am there, getting anything done beyond staring at works in progress. Based on what I’ve been hearing from other artists, I am not the only one. What’s going on here? Hopefully, we are no longer buying into the idea that we should be making the most of quarantine by upping our productivity, but does that mean that we must resign ourselves to a perpetual state of mental fog, decreased attention span, and feeling annoyed as part of the new normal?
Brain Drain
We may be suffering from more brain drain than usual in these unusual times, but mental fatigue is not a new problem. Mental effort has a cost – we pay attention, after all – and our store of the neurochemicals that underlie mental energy gets used up over time. Thankfully, these neurochemicals are a renewable resource. But like most renewable resources, if we burn through too much too quickly, we may find ourselves caught short. We’ve all been there. Trying to focus while ignoring distractions, working long hours to get a portfolio finished as a deadline looms, or taking a hypervigilant trip to the grocery store in the time of coronavirus can leave us feeling mentally fatigued in a way that is nothing like the satisfaction of physical fatigue after a hard workout. As these mental expenditures add up, it becomes more difficult to focus, make decisions, and exercise self-control. And that’s when things can start to go south. Our productivity declines and we make mistakes. We stare at a blank canvas and can’t decide what to do. We give in to temptation and make poor food choices. We can no longer tamp down small annoyances so we snap at our kids or partner, unaware that low mental energy may be the real problem.
Some artists might think that they are immune to mental fatigue – that they are, in fact, energized by being alone in the studio and are thus ideally suited to thrive in quarantine. But I suspect that if you scratch beneath the surface of rosy Facebook and Instagram posts, you will find that artists are just as susceptible to mental fatigue as anyone else. We are lucky when we experience the effortless flow of a good day in the studio, but we may also have to expend mental energy getting ourselves into the studio in the first place. We certainly use mental energy when we work to figure out what to do next, quiet the negative voices in our head, and keep up with social media. Even when these things are meaningful and satisfying, they can leave our brains frazzled.
Top Up Your Mental Reserves
For most people, and in normal circumstances, mental energy is topped up after a good night’s sleep. But when circumstances aren’t normal, or when we consistently overextend ourselves, mental fatigue can become chronic and sleep alone is no longer enough. This is the situation in which many of us now find ourselves.
What can we do to protect and replenish our mental energy? As a start, we can try to rein in distractions and other things that unnecessarily deplete our mental reserves. This may be the time to look at the state of your studio. Just like micro-aggressions can build up over time, so can micro-brain-drainers. Every time you have to search around your studio to find a particular oil paint or brush, you use a bit of mental energy. Although each individual search is no big deal, taken together they can add up. I’m not advocating that you aim for one of those uber-organized unrealistic studios we see in magazines and Pinterest boards. My studio, like that of most artists I know, is pretty messy at first glance (ok, really messy). But despite the superficial mess, it is organized in a way that works for me (at least on a good day). My goal is to be able to find what I need with minimal mental effort and annoyance.
Nature Can Nurture
Changing your surroundings can help prevent mental fatigue, but when fatigue is already upon you, you might also have to create opportunities to boost your mental reserves. According to psychologists Stephen and Rachel Kaplan, who studied mental restoration for over 30 years, one way to restore your mental energy is by putting yourself in a place or situation that occupies you brain in a way that is pleasant, makes limited cognitive demands (where you don’t have to think too hard, be vigilant, or practice self-control), and leaves enough room in your mind for quiet reflection. This last part is important, because if we allow space for thoughts that have been percolating below the surface to bubble up, it can help clear the mind, leaving fewer internal distractions that take mental energy to tamp down.
One mental restoration strategy that works for almost everyone is being in nature. There are many studies showing that as long as we are not trying to multitask, being in nature for as little as 30 minutes can boost our ability to concentrate. What’s more, sustained regular exposure to nature can help build up our mental reserves and buffer us from on-going stress. Psychologists Frances Kuo and William Sullivan, at the University of Illinois, have spent years studying residents of a large Chicago public housing project and have found that residents who have access and views to nature outside their apartment (based on lucky random assignment to a unit with a green courtyard versus one of concrete) score higher than their counterparts on tests of concentration. This better concentration is associated with less impulsivity and aggression and with being better able to deal with major life issues.
If you are lucky enough to be able to get out and walk in nature or spend time in a garden, make the most of it. I’m not so fortunate at the moment. My urban Barcelona neighborhood is not very green and even if I could find a route with more nature, walking for me is not currently a very restorative experience. I am expending mental effort being vigilant about social distancing, predicting the movement of other walkers on narrow sidewalks, and suppressing my urge to yell at un-masked runners invading my personal space while breathing heavily. Last week, I went out for a neighborhood walk with my family and far from being restored, the experience was so mentally fatiguing that we spent the next hour bickering with each other. I will continue to get outside, but I will seek my restorative experiences elsewhere.
Powerful Pockets of Green
Thankfully, there are other ways to enjoy the restorative benefits of nature. Sitting with your plants on the terrace or even looking out the window at a view of nature can be effective. About a month into my quarantine I realized I had reached an alarming level of mental fatigue and for a couple days I took a break from trying to be productive and instead spent hours on our little terrace, enjoying the birds and getting to know the habits of the various bee species that visited our plants. I left my phone inside but had a pen and paper with me so that I could jot things down that seemed important – things to do, ideas for art pieces, supplies to buy – getting them out of my head and onto paper so that I didn’t have to spend mental energy trying to remember them. I felt so much better after these couple days that my entire family started taking their own terrace time.
Whichever way you access nature, maximize the restorative aspects of your experience. Put your phone away and don’t try to multi-task. Let your gaze linger on plants and birds, feel the wind, and relax your mind. If you are walking or cycling, pick a park as a destination and linger there as long as you are able. If you are out with family or friends, try to spend at least part of the time not conversing and instead appreciating your surroundings.
Find What Works
While nature seems to be a particularly powerful antidote to mental fatigue, there are other things you can do to help restore your mental resources, and these may vary from person to person. My husband finds it restorative to free-write on the terrace (continuous writing for 20-30 minutes without thinking can be meditative and help clear your head), my daughter finds baking restorative (but only if no one is in the kitchen bugging her), and my son often listens to music to effectively recharge. Other things that might be effective are meditation, yoga, and making music or art. For me, time in my studio can be both restorative and fatiguing, depending on what I’m doing. Working through my struggles to resolve a piece, for example, can leave me happy and satisfied but also mentally drained. If mental restoration is my primary goal, I might do something that is more relaxing and doesn’t require much thought, like loose mark making with charcoal or playing with color mixes.
Some of the things we enjoy and tend to turn to when we need a break may paradoxically not be restorative from a cognitive standpoint. Socializing, for example, while important for many reasons, might be restorative for some but fatiguing for others. Studies show that video games, social media, and much of what’s on TV are not mentally restorative because these types of activities tend to grab all of our attention, draining us in the process. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that you abandon whatever show you are binge-watching. There is a place for sheer entertainment and escapism and that may be part of what is getting you through this current crisis. Just realize that you are not necessarily being mentally recharged in the process.
Do some small experiments to find what works for you. Ask yourself if the activity allows you to get away – at least mentally – from everyday work and distractions. Is it something that is mentally peaceful, relaxing, and effortless? Is there enough going on that you’re not bored? Is there space left in your brain for problems, concerns, or other thoughts to bubble to the surface of your mind? Allow yourself to be in that place or experience for 30 minutes or more without distractions and assess how you feel. When you find things that work for you, try to do them daily.
Invest in Your Brain
Does this sound self-indulgent? Something you don’t have time for? The painter carefully cleans her brushes at the end of a painting session. The sculptor regularly sharpens her tools. Why wouldn’t you take the same care with your brain? When we invest the time to keep our mental energy topped up, we are more efficient in the long run. The creative juices run more freely. We make better decisions. We are better parents, partners, and friends. We have more mental energy to participate in our communities. And we are infinitely more pleasant to be around. The best news is that the process is enjoyable – you are not being selfish by taking your coffee or glass of wine out on the terrace and tuning out the world, you are simply engaging in the critical task of maintaining your brain power.
How do you restore yourself? How does that affect your studio time or your artwork? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Metropolitan Magazine in Barcelona recently published a version of this article that I wrote for a more general audience. You can find it here, along with many other interesting articles related to life in Barcelona.
