| One of my Daily Sketches subscribers asked me what I do to stay level in unbalanced times... | |  | | Wired (Amen) by Samax Amen
ballpoint pen on notebook paper
6x9 inches | | 1) Sketchbook therapy- I draw, and draw, and draw. Drawing can be very cathartic, even when I'm not drawing specifically about the issues that are bothering me. Of course, I also bring a lot of symbols and metaphors into my art, so not everything is what it seems in my sketchbook stuff.
2) Journaling- I also journal in notebooks like this one (obviously, I draw in it too). I think it's important (especially in the social media era) to write down and read back my own thoughts. I write down plans for the day, and sometimes I log what I am doing and thinking at different times of the day. It's very useful to be able to go back and try to understand what I was thinking and feeling in the past. | | 3) Keep On Bookin'- I also read a lot of books and listen to audiobooks. When I drew this, I was listening to an inspirational book called You² on YouTube (I am not sure how I feel about You², but that's not the point).
The thing about books, audiobooks, etc is that they take the place of having people to mentor me.
When I was young, I was always looking for mentors, but I have learned that sometimes, you have to settle for self-serve mentorship and peer-to-peer support.
4) Meditation- I know, I know... for me, the purpose of meditation is not transcendentalism, or even religious. It's just a way to get in touch with myself so I can differentiate between thinking and feeling. One of my mentors says the first important step is to "notice what you are noticing" about yourself.
Noticing without judging is an important part of choosing which of your thoughts and feelings you want to follow, instead of being a slave to triggers coming from the outside world.
A very nifty skill when the news and social media are dominated by unrest and tribalism. | | | THIS TEE SHIRT FIGHTS INJUSTICE | | Anyways, I made my PRISON IS SLAVERY teeshirt design available in several colors on Teepublic. They have tees, stickers, tote bags and more.
Click the picture to buy one.
My proceeds will be donated to the Innocence Project so we can get the wrongly-convicted outta prison. | | | GET STICKERS WITH MY ART IN YOUR MAILBOX EVERY MONTH! | | | If you like stickers as much as I do, you should DEFINITELY join my SLAP ADDICTS MONTHLY STICKER CLUB. | | SLAP ADDICTS Monthly Sticker Club members receive a pack of 4 stickers EVERY MONTH for just Ten Bucks!
Your sticker pack will include a BRAND NEW EXCLUSIVE LIMITED EDITION STICKER each month that you won't be able to buy anywhere else, PLUS at least two more stickers out of my stash. | | | Of the $10 you pay each month, I will donate $3 to help provide medical workers with protective gear to fight COVID-19. | | Of course, you can cancel at any time, but why would you? You get STICKERS, and help fight off this pandemic...
Oh Yeah! I'm also still donating 10% to the Innocence Project.
So a huge thanks to everyone helping me to fight for health and justice. | | Anyways, if you have questions, or if there's anything else I can do for you, let me know!
Be safe out there!
-Samax | | | If you enjoyed this, please share! | | | |
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