Drawing makes me constantly want to eat.

[JonZ_]

When I draw or photoshoping, I always want to find something in the fridge. I should be addicted to what I draw instead of focusing on my stomach. I am noticing this as I am growing weight :/ . I think it because I am anxious of what I am creating. I got a lot of project lagging because of lack of self confidence.

I don't have this problem when gaming or at work. I guess because gaming is an intense experience that needs me to focus at the action, and at work because I am forced to focus...

I tried gums but I am not a gum chewer. I get tired of a gum flavor after 5/10 mins before swallowing it.

[Seedling]

This is a good thing to be aware of so that you can break yourself of the habit asap. Make sure you are getting daily exercise, and whatever reason that art-making makes you want food, do your best to squelch the impulse, because overeating plus sedentary job equals early heart attack.

[daveneale]

I kind of get this..I think it's as much of a distraction as anything else. Try drinking water instead...1, it's good to drink water, and 2, it kind of fills you up, and 3, it will give you something to do. I drink a lot of herbal tea too, that gives me a break and again, fills the stomach a little. I think that once your more confident and engaged in your work it may stop....I get the oposite problem when Im busy...and forget to eat

[Takai]

work out daily for at least 30 minutes, go to the gym or at home, and see the difference: your concentration and confidence will increase, and your stress level will decrease!

[Meli Hitchcock]

I've got the same problem, and considering that I'm trying to lose weight, I don't bother buying crappy snack food because I -know- I will eat it all, sometimes in one sitting. If I've got a craving for food, I'll nibble on something healthy like fruit, vegetables (mostly those baby carrots), or I'll drink tea or water. Anything to fill my stomach with something not terrible like chips or crackers. =p

[Dead Pedal]

Exercise is great, you need to exercise your mind and your body. It will take away nervous energy, even what you may not think is nervous energy and help with focus, confidence and sleep.

I don’t know what type of activity you are into, but if you are not into a gym or home workout, remember that getting out and just walking at a moderate pace is good. Working in an office setting I’m in the same place during the week, so getting out for a walk or ride after work helps clear the head and give the body the activity it craves.

[Kek]

I have a hard time staying away from the snacks too, but mainly staying focused on my art work in general. I find that a long playlist of music keeps me focused and in my chair. To add to the 30min workout, I try to keep a small set of weights near my computer, like 10 lbs, just something to lift whenever I see them.

[Alex Baer]

i definately have the same problem, but aside from from wanting to get up and eat every so often, i also constantly have problems adjusting my eyes when i'm painting digitally and looking from my laptop screen to whatever else (reference material) is in my space... and many times my eyes just end up feeling strained and sore, and i'm sure some of you guys have the same problem but how do you deal with that?

[Confuzed]

You shouldn't be ashamed of what you create. If you can't manadge yourself you should set up a schedule.

I kind of get this..I think it's as much of a distraction as anything else. Try drinking water instead...1, it's good to drink water, and 2, it kind of fills you up, and 3, it will give you something to do. I drink a lot of herbal tea too, that gives me a break and again, fills the stomach a little. I think that once your more confident and engaged in your work it may stop....I get the oposite problem when Im busy...and forget to eat
I'm not trying to be offensive, but over-drinking the required amount isn't healthy either. That's still not a good habit.

I'm serious.

[RedHawk]

I had this problem too, but exercise helped a lot with that.

[wickeddiana]

I drink tea and sometimes have some fruits and veges at my table....that way I can snack on something healthy without having to run to the fridge.

[JonZ_]

Well wadya know... I just subscribed myself to an intensive workout program for 3 month with a personal trainer. Take that food addiction!

Thanks for the tips :D I was thinking about that for long time and this thread pushed me out of the edge.

[creatix]

You enjoy eating and you don't completely enjoy drawing. Sure, you love looking at amazing art. Sure you love seeing a nice finished piece. Sure you love it when you are on a roll and everything is flowing but you are afraid of the process. You are afraid of the blank canvas or afraid of your art not looking like you imagine it to be. Whatever great piece you've done in the past might make you feel like you may never live up to that again.

I completely understand this logic as I have been there myself, I am still there and am working towards removing it entirely. It is extremely never wracking and self defeating to sit down in front of a sketchbook and think, "all of my effort today might really end up looking like shit."

Food has become a distraction. Very much the way people can set aside their sketchbook and think "let me just check my email real fast." - 9 replies, 10 AIM chats and 45 minutes later you are ready to 'get back to work'. Or you might think ahead of time "well, my next piece of a badass sniper on a horse HAS to be perfect." We all want perfection. So what do we do? We say to ourselves "I saw such and suchs drawing of a gunner on a horse, let me check that out!" or we think "let me find some reference!" 2 hours later, we have browsed through TONS of artwork, websites and looked up all kinds of art but our sketchbook is still blank.

When we fear drawing for the tons of reasons that we make up we get distracted. Distracted by games, by the internet, by others, by the success or brilliance of others, by food, whatever gives us an EXCUSE to procrastinate.

You don't do it during video games because you ENJOY video games. You are good at them and you know the outcome. You play, you put in some time and you accomplish something. Sure, with drawing you accomplish IMPROVEMENT but it is difficult to see it that way when you draw shitty characters with horrible anatomy for 2yrs just to get where you want to be.

You don't do it at work because the distractions are not there as much. Unless you have YOUR fridge, full of your stuff it is not available. Also, you have an accountability to someone other than yourself when you are at work. Its just like the case of people that draw their best stuff and the majority of their stuff while in college. It is because other people care about what you do. You are getting graded on it and others will see if you've done it or not. At home, for yourself and improvement only - things are much tougher..

If you truly enjoy eating then restrict it a bit. Eat less portions (put it on a saucer instead of an actual plate). Get the craving and taste in a few bites then get rid of it. Only keep the good stuff in your fridge. Water only, remove the sodas. Veggies and fruits, remove the chocolate. Eating smaller makes you hungry more often. More often increases your metabolism.

Or, try rewarding yourself. Think about a wonderful meal but instead tell yourself that you won't eat it until the drawing is done. That is what you earn.

Also, as others have said. Exercise. It is all quite simple. Burn more calories in a day than you take in. Do that and you WILL lose weight. Other way around and you WILL gain weight. If you eat a ton, then burn it off.

Just MOVE. Move physically and move your mind to different places mentally.

Good luck.

[ObaBear]

Hmmm, I find I'm the opposite. If I really get into a painting or something like that then I don't have any urge to eat at all. It was the same when I was in jewelry/Metal arts. I'd be so busy working on a piece I wouldn't want to take a break and work for 9 hours straight and be up until 3 AM in the studio.

[stephen]

brains take up a lot of energy, your hungry because your brain is zapping it from all the work your putting into your drawing/painting.

after long sessions of painting you need food to keep your brain functioning properly.

if your constantly hungry while trying to draw/paint you should prolly look into eating better food that's got all the type of nutrients n shit you need. not just items that fill yer belly.

[JonZ_]

snip



That was a very good post, yeah I have hell with procrastination. I fear my progress in my artworks. I have tons of drawings that I abandoned or stalled because I tend to look away too much. Fear because I always spend a lot of time into a portion of art to only aknowledge later I only made it worse or put too much details than required or didn't took the right decision.... and feel lazy later because I know that if I start the other portion or another project I will do the same thing... So I must satisfy some uncomforts by eating or gaming or anything...

I wish I could cure that easy.

[Form]

tape a sketchbook to your fridge door and tie sharpened pencils around the handle.

or,

for a more intensive approach,

tie a fridge to yourself. That should serve as an appropriate reminder of your downfalls :)

[Vhan Juju]

I chew on cinnimon. I...Love...Cinnimon...

I buy them by the bulk, and eat about one stick daily (the joy of these things is that there not that easy to eat! you cna chew on them untill they are soft enoughf to bite off and swallow, and that can take a while expecually if your mulling on it with your teeth while your drawing)

Plus, they are good for you!

They are a stimulant for your nervous system.
They increase your fat matabalizm.
They are a "cure all" for your gastrx system.
I wish I could spell better.
They work as a natural insulin, working to break down shugar before your body turns it into fat.
It does give you a sligt increase in your appitite, but I hardley notice it because I'm still chewing on it.
It helps lower your blood pressure (or was it blood shugar? or was it cholesteral...oh well, it was something.)

Anyway, I love chewing on these things! One thing ya gotta worry about, is that if you salivate it has a slight tendency to run down the hollow middle of the cinnimon stick, so, just be carefull if your chewing on one and working over a piece of sketchpaper.......

cheers!