Art can be a powerful and rewarding release—but it can also be stressful. There’s no surefire recipe to produce something creative, and you’ll be facing stiff competition as you try to make a name for yourself. To make matters worse, you might be creating art in the hopes of getting a good grade in art school, or creating it to sell, making a living for yourself.

The anxiety can build up quickly, and become paralyzing, making it practically impossible to even start your next piece of art, let alone complete and polish it. Fortunately, there are some strategies you can use to calm this anxiety.

Soothing Your Art Anxiety
These strategies can reduce your anxiety and help you create projects more consistently, with a calmer frame of mind:

• Build momentum with smaller, less significant projects. Much of the anxiety surrounding your art projects will exist because you’re worried about how they’re going to turn out. In other words, you’re thinking about the future. It’s much better to focus purely on the present, immersed in your work to such a degree that you’re not worried about the future. This is sometimes referred to as a flow state. Unfortunately, it’s hard to get into this state if you’re anxious and just starting out. Instead of dwelling in your own worry, start working on a project that’s less important, or smaller in scope. Then, you can ride the momentum you build on this project into your bigger, more serious work.

• Define what you don’t want. If you’re working with a broad, unlimited space, it’s intimidating to think about what you want to create. Instead, try flipping this on its head, and focus on what you don’t want to create. Write a list of all the qualities, features, or dimensions you want to avoid, and it can help you gain more confidence in starting your work. It may also be helpful to review some of your past pieces, and study what you do and don’t like about them.

• Use CBD oil. If you’re looking for a holistic remedy for your anxiety, you can try CBD oil. CBD oil is derived from cannabis, but only includes CBD; it doesn’t contain any THC, the compound responsible for the majority of the psychoactive effects of marijuana. Many patients report feeling calmer, with lower levels of anxiety after using CBD oil, without the signature “high” of consuming marijuana.

• Go for a run (or similar exercise). It’s also a good idea to go for a run, or a bike ride, or a swim, or even a brisk walk. As long as you’re getting your heart rate up and using your muscles, you’ll experience the anti-anxiety effects of exercise. Immediately, you should feel a rush of endorphins and a smaller feeling of anxiety. You should also feel a boost to your subjective feeling of energy throughout the day. If you do this regularly, you’ll experience even better, long-term effects in reducing your anxiety.

• Talk to someone you care about. Call or meet with someone you care about, and don’t talk about art. Talk about anything you share or care about. The mere presence of someone you love can release dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in the brain, calming your anxiety and making you feel more confident in your work. This is especially helpful if one of your close friends or family members is also an artist; you can work together to help each other create better art.

• Put on the right music. Music can have a few powerful effects on you. First and foremost, it reduces your anxiety directly (if you enjoy the music). A moderate volume of music can also make you more productive, making you feel more energetic. The trick is to choose the right soundtrack; it needs to be something you genuinely love, and preferably something with a strong beat, or something experimental to get your creative juices flowing.

• Do something immersive and repetitive. One of the best ways to reduce anxiety is to get your mind off things by distracting yourself. Accordingly, it’s good to work on something that demands your focus, but is also simple and repetitive. For example, you might work on a Sudoku puzzle, or play a simple video game like Tetris. These activities can clear your mind and get you ready for your main work.

Finding Your Rhythm
People respond to anxiety in different ways, and accordingly, they respond to anxiety relief in different ways. What works for a different artist may not work for you, and it may take you some time to figure out which strategies are most effective. Pay attention to the strategies that work and don’t work for you, and be sure to repeat or avoid them, accordingly, in the future.