Drainis My Energy So Much

R U serious? Of course, creating art "drains" your energy. It's hard work.
But if you feel ill, then see a doctor.

I found if I get about 30 minutes to an hour of aerobic excercise every other day, I'm fine and have more energy than people who don't. When I was younger I didn't realize I was tired a lot of the time but I also wasn't eating a good diet (whole grains, etc.) or exercising. You are probably getting a little older and just haven't realized you may need to change your lifestyle some.

yes..i felt ill..so i didnt paint today...i feel its..maybe ill getback tomorrow...i hate doctors...(laughs)...

If it's draining you more than normal see a doctor. I became very ill from my art materials, and had to stop using them completely.

im only 26...maybe i need some rest....

sometimes i think is it the pigments that im using ..is it toxic??the oil...or the turp...

open the windows, don't breathe in the paint. if you use turpentine, you could be allergic. make sure you don't have a carbon monoxide leak, or mold issues. could just be that holding your arms out to paint is draining you. and don't eat anything near the paint, same goes for drinking, and smoking (don't smoke period).


---Mike Savad

Ronald

This sounds silly but, are you painting with your windows wide open? If not then perhaps you should think of doing that. As we paint over the years we can get allergies to the paint. It may be worth looking into that and get a health check anyway. Look at your diet also. Make sure you are getting plenty of fruit which is our natural energy giver.

Let us know

Ronald;

My first thought when I saw this thread was: what if it is the fume from the paint making him sick? Is it happening all the time?

When I had a darkroom to do my own printing, I used Cibachrome chemicals. One such was bleach. It was so strong it made holes in our metal pipes. Inhaling the fumes was also not good. Be careful with your chemicals.

my god...my windows ..are all.closed because my enemies(mosquitos) will invade my working area...and most of all...i eat...drink....and smoke...im so sorry...maybe i should modify my working premises

goodnight guys...even i am a different race ...im thankingall of you..for support..and inspiration..its 2:40 am here..time to rest goodnight..thank you

"if not then ill consider myself having a health problem thanks..'

Ronald please see a doctor no matter what anyone says here!

One of my golf buddies of over 30 years was having indigestion on vacation at Lake Tahoe. He decided to cut it short and drive home, about 400 miles from here. His son lived about halfway in between and he started felling worse so he decided to stop there instead of driving home or to the closet hospital.

He was cremated the day before yesterday.

He died on the way to the hospital after arguing with his son for an hour that it was just indigestion. His son finally called the ambulance against his father's wishes. But it was too late.

I am sorry to be so blunt. But please have this checked out!

To my knowledge no one in here is a doctor, and if there was one in here I am sure they would tell you to have it checked out.

your race has nothing to do with it, unless your the undead or a vampire and you didn't eat lately.

put up screens, keeps the bugs out. breathing in fumes will deprive you of oxygen. smoking hurts your lungs and everything else. toxins on your hands, get into your food, get on your smokes, and some people have accidentally used their drink to wash a brush. you don't want to mess with solvents. you want lots of fresh air, or you'll go brain dead, oxygen deprivation and whatever is soaking into your system replacing the oxygen, not a good thing.

---Mike Savad

@floyd - so what was it?


---Mike Savad

Heart attack... And he never had chest pain or shortness of breath. That is what he kept arguing about not needing to go to the hospital.

His only symptoms were indigestion and sick to this stomach. But if you knew the guy, the fact that he complained at all would raise a red flag.

He had no history of heart disease but he did have a TSI five or six years ago while in Mexico and was on blood thinners.

Mike is 100% right.

I have known artist over the years that painted with masks on to avoid the fumes.

I still spray a canvas once in a while and use an out door booth that I built so I don't have to breath the fumes.

But the worlds worse is that stuff the call GooOff. It removes tars, glues, anything that is gooey and difficult to remove. It works real well but do not breath this stuff in and never use in doors, not even you garage. It is horrible stuff. But it does what is says it will do.

Mike

He did not mean it had anything to do with his race but that he is from a different country and the time difference means it is time for him to go to bed

@Ronald Yes, most art materials are very toxic. Make sure your work space is very well ventilated.

This is one of the upsides of being a digital artist. I never have to smell turpentine ever again...lol

stop smoking!.. terp and lighters don't mix.are you using lead based paint? this stuff is still being sold. give yourself a few days a few days to breath some fresh air and if you feel better you may want to turn to water mixable oils or acrylics. Its also good to invest in an air purifier.

oh, that makes more sense then.

i've known people to sneeze blue. because they did air brushing and were clearly breathing it in. i had a company once where they had no safety protocol at all. i had one job where i had to spray a molybdenum compound and only had a fan. thing is, everyone there had a cancer of some kind. too much of a coincidence.

be sure to read all the cans you use and see what the side effects are like feeling tired, light headedness, blurred vision, blurred speech, breathing issues (you may have asthma and not know it), could be a medication, or an interaction. that smoking - again, bad, don't do it.

i second the air purifier, i got a plasmacluster from sharp. it does a fine job, though its a bit large and pricey. i second the respirator as well. but they are hard to breath in. wear gloves when handling chemicals, it could be soaking in through your skin. and make sure there isn't any car exhaust from the people below, or your near any chimneys.


---Mike Savad

Yeah it's never really discussed that much but being an artist can be very hazardous to your health. We had to sit through a long lecture during orientation at Art Center. I was so annoyed that we had to do it, but afterwards it completely changed my perspective on my work environment.

Hi Ronald...along with everyone else I agree you should modify your working conditions. Get some screening...here it is very cheep by the roll and just tack it up if you have too. An exhaust fan pulling the fumes out and away from you is very helpful too. Don't leave stuff like solvents and cleaners open needlessly. All that stuff is definitely toxic. That said it is always a good idea to see a doctor...

when you go to the doctor, ask for a blood test and mention the things you use, also get an asthma check as well. while this may be a shock to the system, you could be very slowly dying and not know it. kind of a bummer... and if you can't open the windows get an exhaust fan and make sure the suction is over you, or i guess to your side would be better actually.


---Mike Savad

I have not had that issue. When I worked in my studio at the Veterans Village here in Vegas my energy went through the roof. My studio friends, after the fact were perplexed by it. I have no explanation except I am passionate about my work. So getting drained by it is ot something I relate to art

vegas... i wonder if someone left traces of speed or something in there and your getting a buzz off it? odd, i know certain sounds like heavy metal will typically put me in the zone and give me energy. maybe you have something like that going on. i know when i was in vegas, the constant noise, smoke, lights - it drained me of all i had. when i got back home and the night sky was dark, and there wasn't 400ft tv's flashing on every street, and the air was fresh, it was almost like being born again... (in a physical sense not religious).


oh and a heavy metal check as well - mostly for lead. they don't test for this unless you ask. i did a lot of stained glass and i always had a lead check. but what bugged me was the flux vaporizing. i had to wear a respirator when i soldered. and had a fan and exhaust fan, and had the window open. even in the winter.

---Mike Savad

The paint I use is rather odorless. Actually I think its a mix of my passion for what I do and the colors I was using. I did a study on this once when I did alot of color work. Color actually has the ability to effect your body physiologically. Some of the neon brights especially. No there were no drug traces on anything and I would have had a high and then a low if that were the case. The energy serge went on for 8 hours and began each day I worked. Its happened before in other shows I prepared for so I think its a physiological phenomenon

I definitely relate to you. I'm very drained by my art. It's unbelievable and I've gone blind temporarily in moments.

I can be out photographing for a couple of hours in what I call a "target rich" environment and find it very tiring because one is fully concentrating on looking and composing.

i suppose its possible that your using so much creative energy you get sleepy. that would be the best of all things it could be. when i over create things i tend to be out of it for a while. the brain uses a lot of energy, and depending how much you work it, it could knock you out. i would still get checked out for poisoning though.

---Mike Savad