Artmaking requires significant self-discipline and an ability to ruminate on abstract ideas for hours or days at a time, over the course of many years. Some artists turn to self-care regimens to add structure to their lives or to hone mindfulness, both of which help in furthering their art practices. The seven artists below find that activities like exercise, meditation, yoga, and drinking green tea can boost creativity, allowing them to do their best work in the studio. You can take inspiration from these rituals, whether you’re attempting to make a masterpiece or simply starting a new project.
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Naama Tsabar
For Naama Tsabar, self-care means waking up early. She begins her days slowly, rising at least two hours before she needs to leave her home. This gives her body and mind “time to adjust,” she noted. Tsabar completes a short workout and, when the weather’s good, bikes from her Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment to her Greenpoint studio.
Maintaining a strong body is important to the sound and installation artist. Tsabar said that the performative aspect of her work can “be very taxing” and the sculptural part of her practice requires “working with large, heavy materials.”
With New York in lockdown, Tsabar is no longer commuting to her studio. She has more time to read and listen to music. She’s particularly excited to hear Fielded’s new album, Sacrifice Zone, out May 1st, which the musician has written and produced in quarantine. Tsabar said she also “loves looking at things grow,” and her houseplants—palms, spider plants, succulents, coleus, cacti—and fruit and vegetable garden “have never been happier.”
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