Supporting Artists' Health and Wellbeing Booklet

Supporting Artists’ Health and Wellbeing

Arts for Health MK

Your Health and Wellbeing

Looking after your health and wellbeing is central to your happiness, continued creativity, and ability to realise your ambitions and goals as an artist.

When working as a socially engaged artist, or arts facilitator, you will often be working with people, groups, and communities to support their health and wellbeing. It’s equally important to look after your own. We consider supporting the health and wellbeing of artists to be a top priority.

This resource is designed to offer you help and support in the hope that your experience of working as an artist in Milton Keynes is as productive, fulfilling, and enjoyable as possible.

Whilst this booklet can only scratch the surface of the topic, we hope everyone can take away something helpful.

This guide will cover the following areas:

• Promoting positive mental health and resilience

• Confidence – Imposter Syndrome

• Managing stress and anxiety

• Coping strategies and self help

• The lasting impact of COVID 19

• Managing your finances

• Bullying and harassment

• Peer support and the Milton Keynes community –where to go for help and advice

Tova Irving

Promoting Positive Mental Health and Resilience

Portraying Moods and Feelings through Creativity

We all experience a range of moods and emotions on a regular basis; this is entirely normal and okay. As an artist you may also actively tap into certain moods, or feelings to enhance your creativity or encourage participants in workshops to do the same. For example, using colours or subject matters in a painting; to sounds or actions in a performance work. This might impact our emotional states, levels of stress or anxiety in positive or challenging ways.

Knowing when to Pause

The challenge for many artists, and particularly for those working in the health and wellbeing contexts, is acknowledging and honouring when to pause. It is important to remember that experiencing or tapping into strong emotions through your creativity should help process and enhance your sense of wellbeing - not negatively impact or implicitly result in poor mental health. It is okay to step back from your creations, say no to a project or adapt a workshop to maintain these personal boundaries.

Preparation Tips

It is important to consider when designing public workshops what it would feel like to display and talk about the work in public yourself, and for your participants. If someone makes a piece of artwork in your workshop that triggers an emotional response for yourself, what would you do? Do you have an icebreaker planned, or refreshments? Is there a helper you can bounce conversation off, and someone to de-brief with at the end of the session?

Profound dips in our Mental Health and Wellbeing

There are many factors that might lead to a more profound dip in our mental health and wellbeing, and this might only be a problem if this feels out of control, or if those activities which you enjoy no longer lift your mood. Only you will know when or if a situation arises when you are not feeling yourself, mentally or physically. Embrace listening to your body and trusting your instincts on these matters.

Reach out for support when you need it

We encourage you talk to a member of the team or the organisation hosting your workshops if you need additional support to protect your mental health and wellbeing. This could be anything from rescheduling a session to a regular check-in. You can find organisations listed further along in this guide and on the Arts for Health MK website: Useful Organisations - Arts for Health Milton Keynes (artsforhealthmk.org.uk)

Gregory Tatum

Whilst you wait for support

Once you have reached out for support it is important that you continue to practice a good sense of self-care and wellbeing, particularly if there is a waiting list for more formal services.

This could be through your own creative outputs, or you may already embrace certain practices such as yoga, exercise, healthy eating, or mindfulness. You can find more examples further along in this guide.

Think about how to become more resilient.

It may also help to think about how you can become more resilient, both for your own wellbeing and within the context of your creative practice.

You may hear health care professionals and others talk about something called resilience – but what does this mean?

Resilience refers to our ability to cope with challenging, unwanted, or negative situations. Becoming more resilient to challenging situations will result in less stress and anxiety, enable us to ground our thoughts more easily in the present moment, and enjoy a greater sense of being in control. It’s wellworth taking a moment to consider how you can improve your own resilience, which includes considering several intrinsic (internal) and extrinsic (external) factors.

Resilience to Unwanted / Unexpected Situations

During public or community-based workshops there is a high possibility that situations may occur that are unwanted, or unexpected. This could be anything from participant behaviour, venue / environmental factors, to the subject of conversations and creative outputs.

Unwanted situations can often feel very personal, all pervasive and very final. The reality is that this is very rarely the case. It may be helpful to reframe your responses to situations away from the “3-Ps” (personal, permanent, and pervasive) and remember that it’s not personal, it’s likely to be a temporary setback and it likely impacts only one aspect of your professional or personal life.

Other external Factors:

External factors that might impact your resilience include your physical health and fitness levels, alcohol or drug use, accommodation issues, relationships, confidence, and financial concerns –we will look at some of these areas in more detail later.

Of course, some days are just not going to be good days, no matter what we do. Part of being resilient is about accepting that occasionally it’s OK not to feel OK. Emotions and feelings come and go, and gently allowing yourself to sit with them for a time can sometimes be profoundly helpful.

Carole Monk

Confidence –

“Imposter Syndrome”

Cited by many as another great source of anxiety and stress, imposter syndrome refers to that feeling of being underqualified, lacking in experience or just not quite fitting into a professional role.

Imposter syndrome is not spoken about as widely as some other health and wellbeing issues, but it can have a big impact on our confidence and ambition in our professional lives. Most of us will feel like this at some point in our careers, even if we don’t always have the language to describe it.

Avoiding imposter syndrome requires leaning into our confidence as artists, reassuring yourself that you do have the skills, desire, commitment, and credibility to be producing work – and recognising that you are already doing a great job. Remember, if you are reading this, then your work is already valued and has had a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of many others, even people you have never met.

Beating imposter syndrome also requires an honest assessment of what strategies you can put in place to learn and grow. Positively reflecting on enhancing professional competencies, learning new skills, and embracing life-long learning is a sign that you are heading in the right direction. Making time to continue your education should be an ongoing priority.

Managing Stress and Anxiety

In the same way that tapping into feelings and emotions through your creative practice can impact your mood it can also impact our ability to manage levels of stress and anxiety.

We recognise that the very nature of working as a freelance practitioner can sometimes add to levels of stress and anxiety. Conditions such as working without regular colleagues on hand to support or lend a listening ear, loss of control over working environments, and less financial stability to name a few all have the potential to add to these pressures within your professional and personal life. Reach out for support when you need it.

On the other hand, when working in health and wellbeing contexts as an artist/facilitator you are highly likely to encounter participants who are themselves managing high levels of stress and anxiety, often exasperated by meeting new people and social situations such as group workshops. Read the brief description below to help understand a little bit more about stress and anxiety, to recognise within yourself or others.

Understanding Stress

Different things can make different people feel stressed. Stress exists on a spectrum, with, on the one hand, a little managed stress or anxiety being helpful and rather motivational (if a little uncomfortable), and on the other, clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders and other serious conditions.

Everyday things that sometimes cause people to be stressed include public speaking, competitive activities or hard exercise, or job interviews. Stress

Ciara Byford

and anxiety are not normally problematic unless there is interference with activities of daily living, professional or personal relationships, or it lasts longer than a few weeks.

Unmanageable stress and anxiety can escalate, leading to further problems, for example, depression and substance misuse. In this situation, our response to stress has in fact become a further stressor. If you feel yourself slipping into unhelpful habits to cope with stress, it may be time to seek professional help, and you should contact your GP.

Coping Strategies and Self-Help

Most of us use a range of coping strategies to manage stress and anxiety, and we become better at deploying these strategies over time. Sometimes, we need to lean into our problem-solving skills to manage stress, sometimes we need to listen to our instincts and emotions.

Writing things down: Some people find that writing things down and creating lists can unlock problemsolving skills and reduce stress. As artists and professionals we are striving for quality, but don’t let perfectionism get in the way– you are already good enough, and you are already doing great.

Sunlight: Some people are affected by lack of sunlight during the dark mornings/evenings in the winter months. If this applies to you, try a Vitamin D supplement, and invest in a daylight lamp, which is cheap, bright, and very effective at combating mild seasonal depressions and anxieties.

Taking time out can feel counter-intuitive when we have a lot of work to do but taking short and frequent breaks significantly improves creativity and productivity, particularly if you can access an outdoor space.

Rigorous, daily exercise has also been proven to improve mood and is now recommended by doctors for anybody struggling to manage mild stress and anxiety. If in doubt, get up, get outside, and keep on moving.

Sleeping Well

Good night’s sleep benefits both your physical and mental health. All of us need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night and as you age you may find you need less and that this is more likely to be interrupted rather than continuous rest, but that’s fine.

Most people significantly benefit from ensuring at least a few hours of sleep are obtained before midnight. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. You can find more tips on sleeping well on the NHS Every Mind Matters website: https:// www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeingtips/how-to-fall-asleep-faster-and-sleep-better/.

Exercise

Love it or hate it, regular exercise is one of the best ways to naturally improve your mental health. It also promotes good physical health and reduces the risk of serious illnesses. Unfortunately, the reality is our creative practice can often mean sitting down for extended periods of time such as in front of a laptop, piano, or sketchbook and it isn’t great for your physical health.

The government recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, and you should be aiming for 10,000 steps a day and a mix of both cardiovascular (running, swimming, walking) and resistance activity (e.g. weightlifting, cross-fit).

But simple activities like walking can be integrated into your daily routine. You can also find tips for getting into exercise on the NHS Every Mind Matters website: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mindmatters/mental-wellbeing-tips/be-active-for-yourmental-health/.

Smoking

The single biggest thing you can do to improve your general health and wellbeing is to stop smoking. There have been decades of research suggesting that the chemicals in cigarette smoke cause about fifteen different types of cancer, most prevalently lung cancer. Smoking also causes a range of other diseases and is an extremely expensive habit.

Quitting smoking is difficult but it is possible to quit, and to quit forever. You can find advice on how to Stop Smoking on the NHS website here: https:// www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/nhs-stopsmoking-services-help-you-quit/, or by visiting your local pharmacy or GP.

It can often be harder to say no to smoking when in social spaces, and you may find yourself wanting to depict or include smoking in your work, We would ask that you think carefully before creating art that glamorises or promotes smoking, cigarettes, cigars, or other uses of tobacco, particularly when facilitating public work in an arts and wellbeing context.

Drugs and Alcohol

Whilst we all have a different relationship with alcohol, it is true that drinking to excess on a regular basis can have a negative impact on our health and wellbeing. It may be that you have had similar experiences with illegal drugs. If you feel you are struggling with your drinking or drug use, you can access support via your GP or from the Council here: https://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/health-andwellbeing-hub/support-drugs-alcohol-and-gambling/ drug-and-alcohol-support-services

We would not recommend using alcohol or drugs as a tool to enhance or explore your creativity and it is a criminal offence in the UK to be found in

possession of certain drugs. We would ask that you think carefully before creating art that depicts excess alcohol consumption or drug use. If it is contextual for example as part of a specific brief working with people experiencing alcohol dependency; seek professional guidance and support first. Remember it is never acceptable to turn up at work “under the influence”.

Jill North

The Lasting Impact of COVID-19

The COVID19 pandemic had a huge impact on social and community networks across the globe. Whilst there is evidence to suggest periods of extended lockdown may have provided some useful uninterrupted time to be creative and reflective without distraction, in many other respects the pandemic negatively impacted all of us working in an arts and culture space. People losing friends and relatives to COVID were directly affected. Social isolation and loneliness certainly increased. Many safeguarding issues were largely hidden from view during this period.

The impact of these experiences is now presenting within the people and commuities we engage with, in our own practice and crucially how we respond to the situations that present.

How may this present in arts practice or the people we meet?

Children and young people: You might be working with young people or school children for whom there were serious educational disruptions. Therefore it could be reasonable to expect and prepare for more varied levels of skill, dexterity, or social maturity to those with an uninterrupted schooling experience.

Health and social care staff: You may come across health and social care staff who had to rapidly readjust to manage high numbers of seriously ill patients, whilst maintaining stringent infection control measures. This experience can impact how staff engage with your project now, for example there may be more emphasis on risk than before. Their own wellbeing may have become less of a priority, as may their consideration for artwork to pay a significant role in the environment they work in. For others its importance has been heightened, increasing the demand for artists.

Everyone: Mental distress and ill-health increased widely during the pandemic. Some individuals will be dealing with a diagnosis of “long-COVID” which remains less-understood both in terms of prevalence

and treatment. Many people who were advised to ‘shield’ and identify as critically vulnerable, are still now living with the same health conditions in an open environment. Therefore, across all ages it is increasing likely to present at a workshop with a lack of confidence or high levels of anxiety within group situations.

Preparation Tips

Attending a session for the first time can be daunting. Consider this in your preparation, If you are prepared it will also help you with your personal response and wellbeing after the session ends.

• Visualise what it would be like to walk into the room for the first time, consider your room set up to make it feel welcoming.

• Could you provide spare tools if someone asked not to share, or provide extra cleaning?

• Prepare a simple self-led activity for everyone to pick up as they enter the room to set the tone and encourage conversations.

• Consider extra ‘back-up’ activities in case you need to lift the workshop, distract, or offer a breakout space.

We are now some years since this period of Covid disruption was unofficially declared over - but if you have been negatively impacted by the pandemic in any way, you can access support. There are a number of organisations and weblinks noted at the end of the guide.

Managing your Finances

Managing your money as a freelancer can be challenging, and one potential source of stress and anxiety, especially during a cost-of-living crisis. If you are just starting out or are in need of some reassurance the following tips might help.

Keeping Track

As a freelancer you are responsible for manging your own tax liability. This means you must keep a full record of your accounts to keep track of income and expenditure against your projects, and be able to raise your own invoices to receive payment.

Advice and support around invoicing, payments, keeping accounts and insurances is available from HMRC and it’s often a good idea to talk to more experienced fellow freelancers. Advice around debts and more complex problems can be found from organisations such as the Citizens Advice (CAB).

Consider putting a couple of hours protected time aside on Monday morning every week to deal with “the money”, and then it’s done and dusted for the week ahead.

Setting Money Aside

Remember that about a third of your income will need to be saved to pay your annual tax bill and any national insurance and pay into a pension fund.

The self-assessment tax deadline for the previous financial year is on January 31st. Failure to submit a tax return and pay any tax owing by that date will result in a fine. Our strong advice is to put some money aside every month for this payment as failure to pay on time can be a serious problem.

Unrecovered Expenses

You can offset your tax liability with your unrecovered expenses – so anything where you are out of pocket including travel, equipment, food, and drink, and even clothing can be claimed back if it relates to your work. If you work from home, you can also claim back a portion of your living expenses including mortgages and utility bills (but not the whole amount). Advice around expenses is available from HMRC.

Public Liability and Indemnity Insurance

It is good practice as professional artists to have Public Liability Insurance, to cover you against situations such as injuries to a third party or damage that occurs as a direct result of your work. Many arts organisations and venues will ask for you to provide evidence of Public Liability Insurance and an indemnity against any financial loss. This should be detailed in your contract; check your contract, make sure you are covered and what levels are required. Artist specific insurance advice and cover is provided through networks such as Axis and AN

Art Bubble Participants’ sketchbook, coffee on paper

Safeguarding

Bullying and Harassment

As artists and facilitators, it is important to have an awareness of how to recognise the signs of bullying and harassment; this may be something you are exposed to yourself or something you recognise the signs of in your work/participants.

What is bullying and harassment?

Behaviours from an individual or group, that are unwanted or unacceptable, and impact negatively on your wellbeing, are defined as bullying and harassment. This could include verbal or physical abuse, sexual abuse, intimidation, belittling, or abuse based around a protected characteristic such as race, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Bullying and harassment in arts and culture sector

Research (1) conducted as recently as 2018 has found that the arts and culture sector has the highest level of bullying and harassment recorded in any single employment sector in UK. Similarly, the exposure of certain top-level celebrities and arts producers as bullies and sexual abusers has brought this issue into sharp relief.

(1) https://www.artsmanagement.net/Articles/

The-crisis-of-bullying-in-the-cultural-sector-Whencreative-becomes-coercive

Arts and Culture organisations should, as a minimum, have an up-to-date policy for the management of bullying and harassment, and the policy should be freely available and contain a safe, confidential mechanism for raising concerns. Bullying and harassment is never OK.

We will always support individuals who feel they have encountered bullying and harassment in a confidential and safe manner. Serious concerns, such as sexual or gender-based violence and discrimination, can be reported to the police, or via the safeguarding team at MK Council. There are voluntary and community-based groups across Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton who can also provide direct support.

We will be looking in more detail at bullying, harassment and safeguarding of participants in a forthcoming publication.

Peer support and the Milton Keynes community – where to go for help and advice

Accessing peer support can be a challenge for many artists, particularly those who work in isolation. It may be something you have never considered. Spending structured time with a peer group with similar experiences can be extremely valuable. You do not need to know these individuals personally, although positive connections can be formed, and new friends can be made. It may also be an opportunity for people to see your work and connect with you as an artist.

Opportunities to connect with your peers are available across Milton Keynes – at MK Gallery, at the Music Education Hub, Milton Keynes Theatre and other performance, exhibition and green spaces across the City. You can find a list of many of our creative partners on the Arts and Heritage Alliance Milton Keynes website here: http://aha-mk.org/

If you would like more information about how arts organisations in Milton Keynes work in partnership to support artists in this way, contact your commissioning manager.

Resources

Useful Links

https://artsforhealthmk.org.uk/useful-organisations https://thehappinesstrap.com/

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/supporting-yourwellbeing

https://www.mind-blmk.org.uk/ www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/ www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-foreveryday-living www.miltonkeynescab.org.uk

Insurances:

https://www.axisweb.org/

https://www.a-n.co.uk/about/insurance/

Creative Health

www.artsforhealthmk.org.uk

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/supportingyourwellbeing

https://www.culturehealthandwellbeing.org.uk/

https://www.shapearts.org.uk/ https://ncch.org.uk/

General Health and Wellbeing

https://artsforhealthmk.org.uk/Useful-Organisations https://thehappinesstrap.com www.mind-blmk.org.uk

www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters www.mind.org.uk

Freelance Practice

https://www.a-n.co.uk www.axisweb.org www.miltonkeynescab.org.uk

Joanna