How to Paint with Less Pain (Your Arms & Hands will Thank You!)

This is a topic we artists don’t talk about enough! We look at the beautiful work our peers are making and think, “They must be living in a dream world - one where they were born with magical hands that can paint all day long and never get tired. I wish my hands and arms would stop giving me grief.” At least that’s what I think on a regular basis. I experience a lot of soreness in my right hand/arm and shoulder when I paint too long. I know when I’m not sitting right, because I can feel it the next day. At this point, it’s just something I’ve accepted as part of the process. I’m not broken, it’s just my body’s way of telling me to stop.

It is my firm belief that every artists struggles with body fatigue, even if they never talk about it. I totally get why this topic is so hush hush. There’s nothing sexy about painting in pain. However, this is the number one topic I wish we could talk about more openly, so we can share tips and tricks with each other.

In my experience, a bit of discomfort when painting at your desk for hours is to be expected. The key is learning how to manage the pain, so it doesn’t get too bad. Below are some pain management tips that have helped me. *For the record, I’m not a doctor (in case any of you hadn’t figured that out), so if you are dealing with a major issue, obviously seek medical attention.

1. Take Frequent Breaks: This one may sound obvious but it is the #1 thing you can do for your body. My favorite way to take a break is to go on a long walk. Walking upright for a while seems to reverse all the damage I did sitting down. I like to set my Alexa timer for 1 hour increments, so I’m reminded to get up and move around. I try not to sit for more than an hour at a time, and it has been life-changing.

2. Practice Yoga: Yoga has saved my life! Well, at least my art. It feels like all the damage I do to my body during a long painting session, I undo with a short yoga session. I try to do 20-30 minutes every day, and it has made all the difference. I usually watch Yoga with Adriene videos. She is amazing! This one is my favorite for artists.

3. Paint on a Wall: This is a new trick I’ve recently discovered, and it helps so much with posture. I tape my paper to a wall at eye level using painters tape. Then, I wheel over my supplies on a bar cart. This obviously works with an easel too. I just don’t have one :) You can do this sitting or standing, depending on what’s most comfortable

4. Massages: I literally just wrote about this in my last blog post! If I have a long project I’m in the midst of, and I need the stamina to keep going, massages are really great. It’s also the perfect way to celebrate the end of a crazy project. When the pain gets really bad, this is the best way out. I rarely need to get massages anymore, with yoga as daily maintenance, but it’s always good to have in my back pocket (just in case). Side note - we also have this massage chair, which is really nice after a long day of work! I was once told by a masseuse to use one of these massage balls on a wall, moving the ball around with your back. That seems to help too.

5. Take Epsom Salt Baths: This is really nice! It won’t solve a major issue, but it’s great daily maintenance. I order epsom salt in bulk on Amazon, because I use so much of it.

6. Stay Positive: The more you make your arm/hand pain a thing, the more it becomes a thing! It’s something all artists go through, because it’s not natural to sit hunched over a canvas all day. You are not alone, and nothing is wrong with you! Just try to stay positive and listen to your body without dwelling on it. If you love your art, you are in this for the long haul! You and your body may not always agree, but you need to learn how to be friends!

The beauty of owning a creative business is that there’s so much work to be done outside of making the art itself. When your body is giving you grief, refocus on something else. If you’re going through a particularly bad spell, step away from your work for a few weeks (or even a few months). During this time, you can visit museums and meet up with fellow creatives (assuming a virus isn’t plaguing the earth). There’s plenty of things you can do to grow your business that don’t involve making art. You can take a class, work on your marketing, listen to podcasts, clean your space, organize your art. All these things are essentials too, and are not a waste of time.