Psychological health is a very murky, glossed over aspect of OHS for arts based practitioners.  Becoming an artist can be a very lonely and isolating experience.  The art world can often be competitive, which may mean that at times artists set out to cut each other down.  The press can also be harsh and sometimes family who have promised to “stick by and with you” find they have other things to do than prop up a loved one’s artistic career.

An Approach to Maintaining Psychological Health for Arts Based Practitioners

If you were working in a school or a business, psychological safety in the workplace would be acknowledged, monitored, regulated and enforced for the well being and clarity of all involved. Most workplaces now have counselling and employee support schemes, and many set up and monitor proactive mentoring situations.

The regulations and safety procedures to guard against such environmental risks as bullying, depression, stalking and discrimination in most occupations are enforced, and there is usually someone employed to think about safe-guarding the mental health hygiene as one essential aspect of workplace health and safety.  Covert issues are routinely made overt and ways to deal with communication problems or inefficiencies in levels of emotional intelligence are met with initiatives in Personal and Professional Development.  This is mandated because it is thought to be worthwhile so that everyone within the spaces where people are working is safe.  Risk to the general public is minimized   The actions of people are policed and the area maintained so that they all are protected from their own lack of knowledge, and from the lack of knowledge of others.

Designing a Personal Approach to a Healthy Arts Based Practice 

Some of the professional development associated with keeping abreast of issues to do with bullying and emotional intelligence and the like can be expensive.  Yet again, it falls back on the creative arts practitioner to be aware of, to monitor, and to maintain a psychological and mental health OHS plan.

Fortunately, a socially connected artist could design and maintain a very robust working plan. Unfortunately, like the studio audit there is need for concentrated effort at the time of designing the plan, and dedicated vigilance and maintenance on an ongoing basis.  Fortunately most of the help and maintenance needed can be sought out and set up online.  The rewards of maintaining such a plan can be the sustenance of a support network that ensures the artist feels supported, understood as well as connected, confident and resilient.   By having a maintenance plan, artists can see themselves through the highs and lows of establishing a viable artistic practice without jeapordizing the goodwill of their loved ones.

The Risks of Working Without a Mental Health Support Strategy

Artists often work alone or in small co-ops, in art/craft studio environments or at home.  “This can be difficult if the practitioner is unaware of the possible [problems], associated with their studio habits and conditions.”  (NAVA OHS accessed 2012)

Articles on the NAVA website explores these issues.  Some of this work is an adaption from these ideas.  ..

Psychological health is also a consideration for self-employed practitioners. Often they face an uncertain financial future with no regular form of income. Unless support networks are set up with practitioners of similar interests, they may have little feedback on their artistic progress. Lacking emotional support from friends or family, they can often feel their efforts are not worthwhile. Without regular opportunities for exhibition, it is difficult for young or even established artists to remain optimistic about their future development.

Psychological health can also be affected by some of the chemicals used within common art and craft making practices. Practitioners may at times need to develop OH&S knowledge and skills to deal with communication processes beyond those they would normally need for their personal use within a studio space.

The arts based practitioner who becomes an employer or leading project manager will be liable to provide a best practice psychological and emotional environment for the employees.   This could include protecting competitive artists from one another,  as well as providing sensitive highly developed management and administration expertise.  Luckily the training to deal with issues such as workplace bullying should be supplied by the workplace.

Acknowledging That There Will Be Risks to Artists When Working Alone

It is when an artist works alone that real trouble can occur.  The artist may not be aware of the traps and dangers of lonely isolation and, in the same way that artists have in the past been handling substances that have negatively affected them, practitioners may not even realise that mental health issues are building.  When one hears of a mental collapse, a session in a rehab or a creative artist suiciding, it is tempting to think that they have been drawn into a creative cycle that became too much and overwhelmed the “person” of the artist.  They may have dredged up (accidentally or intentionally) issues from the past and not been able to process and resolve these issues.

When an artist works alone it is recommended that they carry out an initial audit of their workplace.  This provides a starting point and fresh material from which a sensible plan of self protection can be fashioned.  Once a plan is tacitly devised, a monthly emotional checkup can be put in place to be sure all is safe and secure.