Overcoming Overwhelm

Quick Answer

Artists can overcome overwhelm by shifting their perspective from external productivity to internal authenticity. The Working Artist founder Crista Cloutier, inspired by blind visionary Andrew David Smith, explains that overwhelm often arises when an artist's "being" is dictated by their "doing." Instead, artists should allow their "doing" to flow from their "being," ensuring their work originates from their true essence, vulnerabilities, and strengths. This approach helps artists find creative flow and avoid stagnation by prioritizing process over rigid outcomes.

I recently suffered a crisis. My relationships weren’t connecting, my creativity wasn’t flowing. I was overwhelmed and overwrought. It felt like the work was stagnant and it became a battle to get through all the stuff that needed to be done.

Have you ever felt like this?

In times of crisis, I look for those wise teachers in my life so I turned to Andrew David Smith. Perhaps you’ll remember Andrew as I’ve written about him before? Andy is not only a talented artist, he’s also a blind visionary and one of the most profound spiritual thinkers I’ve met.

I shared my angst with him, pouring out all of my frustrations and fears.

“It sounds like your be-ing is coming from your do-ing,” he responded calmly.

My what?

“Your be-ing is coming from your do-ing. You have it backwards. For your do-ing should always come from your be-ing.”

I was so moved by his words that I wrote them down. “My doing should come from my being.”

But what does that mean?

It means that the work you do, hell, everything you do, should come from the essence of who you are. It should tell the truth, be authentic, reveal your vulnerabilities, celebrate your strengths, share your story. And as artists, this is where our best ideas come from, this is where we encounter the flow.

Too often we get hung up on productivity and results. We stubbornly cling to the timetables and outcomes we want. And we forget that it’s all about the process.

When you start to define yourself by the results of your work, when you begin to believe the hype, or worse, internalize your failures and give power to your critics, you lose the way. Your be-ing has started to come from your do-ing. And this is when we find ourselves struggling.

Andy was right. The best work comes from within. Not from outside. “Center yourself,” he said. “And let your be-ing guide you as you move forward.”

So now I ask you the question my teacher asked me —

Is your be-ing coming from your do-ing?

Or does your doing coming from your being?

Written by Crista Cloutier, artist mentor + founder of The Working Artist. (learn more about Crista here)

Frequently Asked Questions

1 How can artists overcome feelings of overwhelm and stagnation?

The article suggests that overwhelm often arises when an artist's "being" is dictated by their "doing." To overcome this, artists should center themselves and let their authentic self guide their work, rather than focusing solely on external tasks or outcomes.

2 What does it mean for an artist when their "doing should come from their being"?

For an artist, this means that all work should originate from their true essence. It implies that art should be authentic, tell the truth, reveal vulnerabilities, celebrate strengths, and share the artist's unique story, leading to creative flow.

3 How can an artist ensure their work is authentic and comes from within?

Authenticity in art comes from allowing your "being" to guide your "doing." This involves letting your work reflect who you truly are, sharing your story, and focusing on the creative process rather than getting hung up on productivity, results, or external validation.

4 Why is focusing on the process more important than results for artists?

The page explains that when artists define themselves by results or internalize failures, they lose their way, and their "being" starts to come from their "doing." Focusing on the process helps artists stay connected to their inner self, where the best ideas and creative flow originate.