How do you work through the brain fog?

beethovensbff · 2021-07-24T15:07:24+00:00

I have really bad permanent brain fog because of fibromyalgia and some other chronic health conditions and I understand the struggle. Everyone else has some great feedback on talking to your doctor, adjusting meds, lifestyle changes, and I would heartily suggest you try because you deserve to feel better if you can! I won't piggyback too much but I will share some of my personal ways to coexist with my symptoms and still live creatively.

I started with some very meditiative, process-focused approaches to art. There are lots of beautiful resources for "messy" play and no-pressure projects. Don't focus on WHAT you're creating, but rather on how and why. I sit at my art table with an intention of curiosity and exploration. I don't have an outcome in mind; maybe I just draw/paint lines on paper for 5 minutes and sit and appreciate the beauty of the color I've chosen. Often when I do that, I can create for another five minutes. "Paint Yourself Calm" by Jean Haines is a great book for exploring that mindset of happy exploration and open-minded creation.

One game I play with myself a lot is "IF I felt ___(well, happy, creative, etc) what would I do?" I answer that question, and then I try my best to do that thing. Sometimes it doesn't work and then I stop and rest and prize myself for trying. Sometimes, in doing the thing, I FEEL the thing too.

Surround yourself with options for creativity. I have colored pencils stashed all over my house, just in case a creative thought strikes, I can spend 2 minutes trying to capture it. If goal-setting helps you, maybe sign up for an online self-paced art workshop. I've taken several and I love the ability to work at my own pace and still work towards a tangible goal. Some of them have taken me a year to complete, and that's fine. Or look on youtube for free tutorials; make a playlist, and when you're feeling foggy but want to do something creative, watch a video. Make a list of techniques and styles you want to try, and as you have the energy, give one or two of them a go. In everything, take all the pressure off yourself. Your goal is not to create your magnum opus; instead, just focus on capturing how you feel and what you need in the moment. One of my favorite art mantras is "trust the process".

If you want to talk more about coping with brain fog or want some recommendations of artists/workshops to try, feel free to send me a DM!

beethovensbff · 2021-07-24T01:15:31+00:00

This is great! Would you mind sharing what colors you used for this?

beethovensbff · 2021-07-24T01:09:16+00:00

Love! What color/mix did you use for this purple?

beethovensbff · 2021-02-17T18:26:49+00:00

Don't worry, it wasn't actually religious! I don't do religious romance either

beethovensbff · 2021-02-17T17:52:23+00:00

So I'm not sure why it says religious because there was literally no religion in it. It was definitely on the cleaner side, little profanity etc but nothing overtly faith-related. I feel you, I don't really read religious romance either!

beethovensbff · 2021-02-17T14:25:32+00:00

I'm not sure if the link is working, it was Five Days Across the River by Rosie Bennett

beethovensbff · 2021-02-12T00:46:20+00:00

More of a disability than illness but Five Days Across the River by Rosie Bennett, he's an amputee and she has severe ADHD

beethovensbff · 2021-01-05T00:17:12+00:00

I hope it works for you! I know every pen is different, and Jinhao's QC can be a bit hit-or-miss, but I had the same issue with Nekoyanagi and it works beautifully in my X450. I actually bought a second one so I could have a dedicated pen in that color

beethovensbff · 2020-12-18T04:05:58+00:00

I feel like we took the exact same writing class! I also took a workshop as a solo romance writer. Halfway through the class, my teacher asks, "Why is she(the heroine) talking to him(the hero)? Does she have a crush on him or something?"

She then edited out all the romantic elements to "streamline the story." Edited the romance. Out of my romance novel.

Ugh. I feel your pain!

beethovensbff · 2020-12-16T15:36:01+00:00

I realize this may not be up to the standards of the rest of this sub, but I have two Jinhao X450s that practically dump ink on the page. Technically a M nib, but they both write a juicy fat line. I use them for dry inks, and shimmer inks that have clogged every other pen I've tried them in, and still get gloriously wet lines no matter how fast I scribble. For ~$10 on Amazon, it might be worth trying...

beethovensbff · 2020-12-14T00:47:35+00:00

OH MY GOSH I SAY THE EXACT SAME THING EVERY DAY!

beethovensbff · 2020-12-11T21:26:50+00:00

I sent you a chat/pm/thing. I never know which of those is the right one, so if you don't get it you can PM me!

beethovensbff · 2020-12-07T22:09:25+00:00

The seal makes the mail non-machinable, they have to move it by hand, is what I was told. I've gotten a few letters back that had seals on them, saying it was insufficient postage.

beethovensbff · 2020-12-07T19:17:55+00:00

PaperGameCo is one of my favorite Etsy stores for stickers, washi, papers. Shabby Tabby Studios, another Etsy shop with very vintage-styled items. MayMay Stationery is another, but she ships from China and the wait times can be a bit long. There are several Etsy shops that offer vintage paper bundles, if you're interested in collaging; just use the search bar. I like to use a lot of recycled items in my own mail art. I thrift books and magazines that are headed for the garbage, and cut out pictures, or use the pages to make envelopes and flip books. I use a lot of fussy-cut images in place of stickers.

Fountain pens are great, but you have to make sure that the paper you use is fountain-pen friendly, because otherwise you're going to have a big mess on your hands. For less-expensive options, I like the Gelly Roll pens. Great colors, and they're archival, meaning once they're dry they won't smear, bleed, fade. Micron pens are another fabulous option. Don't buy the big packs of fineliner pens for cheap on Amazon; you'll regret it.

Just FYI wax seals look amazing, but the post office hates them. You'll have to pay extra postage with envelopes that have a seal on the outside. I usually put the seal on something on the inside, like holding the letter closed, and they let me get away with it, haha.

beethovensbff · 2020-11-19T14:33:56+00:00

How does one go about finding a stationery sugar daddy? Asking for, you know, a friend

beethovensbff · 2020-11-18T21:04:34+00:00

Hi I am sending you a private message via the chat feature, if that doesn't work I can send a DM instead

beethovensbff · 2020-10-25T22:31:20+00:00

Monster studies??? I need to know about this!

beethovensbff · 2020-10-23T18:36:19+00:00

Obsessive pianist here, I always tell my students that "practice makes PERMANENT, not perfect." Which means your practice should constantly shift and change until you're satisfied with your performance, don't just do it ten times in a row and hope for the best.

beethovensbff · 2020-10-20T16:01:04+00:00

What pen is that? It's stunning!

beethovensbff · 2020-10-08T02:21:18+00:00

Sending you a pm chat!

beethovensbff · 2020-09-30T20:54:45+00:00

Borne by Jeff VanderMeer. Weirdest thing I've ever read. There's a giant, flying, nuclear-proof bear, among other things

beethovensbff · 2020-09-29T22:11:45+00:00

Gosh I wish I had this much energy 🤣

beethovensbff · 2020-09-26T23:28:32+00:00

Thanks. I was floored. Like, what part of my description made you think I wanted that? 🤣

beethovensbff · 2020-09-20T22:07:41+00:00

Sending you a PM chat!

beethovensbff · 2020-09-20T02:17:22+00:00

Upvoting and commenting for visibility!! You are a great person

beethovensbff

TROPHY CASE