3 Ways to Build Emotional Resilience
Being an artist requires being in tune with yourself. It demands a certain amount of emotional availability that can leave artists vulnerable to emotional highs and lows. We want to celebrate the wins in practice or on the stage and treat every challenge or missed opportunity as something to learn from. But sometimes emotions get in the way of a healthy response. Instead of celebrating a win, we worry about not achieving the same success on our next performance. Instead of learning from a loss, we spiral and loathe.
What are some ways we can build the emotional resilience we need to whether the art world while still remaining emotionally available for our art?
1. Write it down
Journaling. I know you’ve heard it before. You may have even picked it up for two days and got bored. But there’s something powerful in removing your thoughts from your mind. Sometimes our thoughts are the very cage that holds us back. Journaling will help you reach peace on the matter quickly!
You can go the pen and paper route, our you can download a free app or use notes! Personally, I use both. Life happens in real time. I can’t always curl up on my couch with tea and empty my mind. Sometimes sadness, anger, or joy hit me while I’m in the wild, and I need to write through the thing to really feel something wonderful I don’t want to forget or move on from something that could potentially ruin my day.
2. Do Some Thought-work
As I said earlier, sometimes our mind is that cage holding us back. Harsh feedback from teachers and coaches, missed opportunities, imposter syndrome, the road-not-taken— these things and more can result in emotional turmoil. To build resilience we have to practice how to think. Where did this thought come from? Why do I believe it? Is it fact or feeling?
Practicing mindfulness through mediation is my favorite way to conquer wild thoughts and emotions. Specifically, the noting technique. Try a short 10 minute meditation. Instead of just trying to empty your mind, you note the thoughts that enter by writing them down and return to them at the end of your session or at a later time. Perhaps you noted “I need to email that stage manager” or “how am I going to find time to practice on vacation while also enjoying vacation?” Or “I’ll never be good enough to be first flute.” This is one mindfulness technique of many that builds resilience by allowing you to feel things fully and also release the things you need to release.
3. Separate yourself from your art
In a world full of rejection, it is important to protect yourself with boundaries. Where do you end and where does your art begin? In order to be resilient and persist you have to get comfy and cozy with rejection so you don’t give up or lose weeks of brain power ruminating on the last “no” you heard. And when you succeed in your craft, that is not the sum of who you are either. While the stage should give you life as an artist, it can’t be the only part of your life that brings you life. Your community should embrace you for how smart, funny, or inviting you are—if they don’t, find some new people! Your style, personality, beliefs, demeanor— all the things that make you!— don’t rise and fall with how many audience members cried at your last performance.
By striving for balance in your life, the emotional reps you put in will build that resilience you need to carry on and persevere, learning from every loss and celebrating every win.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional before making decisions related to your emotional or psychological well-being, especially if you are experiencing distress, have a diagnosed mental health condition, or have concerns about your mental health.