Three Things I do as an Artist to Self-Care

When it comes to self care, nature provides me with so many different options to keep myself motivated and inspired. Besides working in the studio, making videos, managing my business, all day everyday, I look for ways to relax and care for my mind and body through the following activities. 

First, hiking… it’s one of my favorite things to do especially in the early spring and fall! I enjoy seeing the early ephemerals spring up as the leaves on the trees are still dormant. In the fall, I love the eerie feeling of the leaves starting to turn bright yellow, orange, and red. The coolness of the breeze, the moody skies, and the stillness of the lakes. It is quite beautiful to spend time outdoors during this time. Of course, I hike in the summer and winter as well. The lush green forest in the summer and the bare branches and clear sharp cold air of winter have their own beauty to inspire me with.

Secondly, I observe and care for wildlife. I provide birds and other pollinators like bees, with food when it is most scarce, winter and early spring. I put up a bird feeder full of seeds, a bird bath (which I maintain clean constantly), a hummingbird feeder, plants with pollen and nectar, bird houses, and plants for them to hide and nest. In return, wildlife provides me with endless learning and entertainment. I observe birds, rabbits, butterflies, bears, and other animals in my yard and around where I live. I learn about their behaviors, habitats, history, and culture. Just this year, I saw for the first time some birds I had not been able to explore up close, like the Eastern Towhee (top picture). 

Lastly, I am a gardener. I grow indoor plants, outdoor plants, and food crops. Just this year, I am starting to learn how to grow my own food. I am growing herbs: lavender, cilantro, mint, and basil. I am growing vegetables: squash, zucchini, cucumber, radish, pepper, lettuce, eggplant, and tomatoes. It has been a lot of fun growing from seed and learning about how our food grows and the amount of care it takes. 

I first started getting into plants by caring for succulents, which are easier plants to care for since they are hardy. So naturally, I have a lot of indoor plants including cacti and echeveria. I also have outdoor plants now that I have more space to grow them like roses, bleeding heart, bugambilia  and others.

All of these things combined really help me stay healthy body, mind, and soul. The best part is, I am learning and being inspired while caring for myself. After doing any of these, I return to the studio re-energized and ready to work on creating! 

What are your favorite things to do for self-care? 

Check out my YouTube Video that goes along with this blog post.