"Brighten your day? Paint!" Topic

I was reading the other day about a program designed to help patients deal with severe pain (burn recovery, for instance). They've discovered that the power of distraction is greater than pain killers – a first-person perspective computer game does more to help cope with pain than morphine.

On a much lighter scale, I notice that after even a brief painting session, my aches and pains seem to be diminished, and I have a brighter outlook on life.

Sounds agreeable.

Painting can be very good to forget worldly troubles – the hardest part is picking up the paint brush. On the physical side – I sometimes get lower back pain from sitting too long painting – blissfully unaware until I stand up. I tend to hunch over and not notice how bad my posture is.

Yes, motivation to get started painting is my trouble, but I do agree that I do feel mentally rested after I have painted. Sometimes I like to work on one figure from start to finish. I feel like I have accomplished something.

Matthew

That is why I paint almost every day

A couple of years ago, we took a week vacation up around santa Cruz. Went to check out Sierra Toy Soldiers in Los Gatos. Talked with a gent who worked there who used to have very bad headaches. The pain was pretty constant until he started painting figures. The painting/concentration apparently staved off the pain? Guess it works ?

Dear Editor … took your advice re pain therapy of painting and now have back ache! :-)

On the other hand, I do now have a couple of extra bases of Russian WWII…. makes it all worthwhile :-)

As others have said, its getting motivated to paint thats the issue…

Bob

I seem to feel a lot better after I paint myself.
But then again, I do 'some' drinking when I paint…

I seem to feel a lot better after I paint myself.

You're supposed to paint the figures, not yourself!

painting is my theropy…cheaper than a shrink or a girlfriend. Not to mention a wonderful sense of accomplishment when you finish a unit.

I've especially enjoyed painting while on painkillers.

To me, painting is like meditation, all the worries and stress just drift away.

Cool

Regarding motivation, I keep my paint "desk" (it's a typewriter desk on wheels) right next to my computer in my bedroom. That way, my miniatures that need painting are *always* reminding me they need to be painted!

I find painting frustrating (less so with the W&N paintbrush!), but it's not the waste of time the computer is. Plus, I have those Reaper KS miniatures coming in a month or so… :P

To get my mind off of everything else, paintings the best medicine.

To all those getting a creaky back from hunching. I put an old 1" thick breadboard on top of my desk, just big enough for resting elbows and forearms etc along with the objects being painted. Having everything that 1" higher has eased the situation with my back dramatically.

Hey richard D stop painting yourself and put the paint on the mini!

Seriously, I recently decided to try painting some 200mm busts and 54mm figures. I thought I should practice first, so I went to the dollar store and got this cute little boy on skates with a hocky stick (poorly painted) to practice on. I am about 90% done (my airbrush just broke) and I have found this change of pace to be great fun. No pressure about a game deadline; just pure learing and creativity.

sky

Agree up and down the line. Work sucks lately but no matter how bad the day, I forget all my problems once I paint. I paint almost every day and it's probably saving me from drinking. ;-)