How overstimulation is ruining your art (productivity tips for artist)

in this video I talk about multitasking and it's effect on our art, productivity and creativity, how it's making us less effective and why we have to avoid it at all cost, multitasking is not really the best answer when it comes to being creative and come up with interesting ideas for our artwork, it might feel like productivity but all it's doing is making us even slower, I will be reading an article about multitasking and it's relation to productivity.
art is always something that needs a lot of focus and attention, by multitasking we are only making the ideation process even harder for ourselves, it's really important to take of our brain to maximize our creativity. and being creative doesn't come by overstimulation, our art will only improve if we focus deeply and hone the practice creating ideas not just stuffing our brain with unnecessary information.
it's just an article that I came across and filled me with surprises, I thought I'd share it maybe it's helpful for you guys as well.
thanks for watching! and drop any suggestions you have in the comments! :)
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#producitivity #characterart #digitalart #ipadproart #creativity #characterdesigner #characterdesign #procreateart #procreate #procreatetrick #procreateipadpro #procreatetips #procreatetutorials #procreatedreams #procreatedesign #art #saraartminer

[snowpoint]

People can draw without listening to a 6 hour 'review' of a game they never played?

[igordinizrocha]

Just to make it clear, multitasking doesn't make you dumb or stupid nor does it "break" your brain. I understand that the article is touching on a subject that may be difficult for the general public (working memory - if you want to know more about it) but to say that you are losing brain cells, aka becoming studip, just by multitasking is completely wrong and misleading.

We have limited brain resources that we use when performing any task (working memory), it's like the RAM from computers, depending on the task at hand we will load our RAM in different proportions. If we are trying to do multiple tasks our brain can be overloaded therefore hindering our ability to perform said tasks to the best of our capabilities. That's why if we compare doing a task and focusing solely on it versus doing multiple tasks at once the solo task will have a better performance. Also, when practicing a skill that you're currently learning or aren't proficient at multitasking has a high impact on performance. In the process of learning a new skill or topic, or performing a task you aren't proficient we need to load our RAM (working memory) with more information than when performing a task we are already proficient then if we do multiple tasks at once our brain will not have available the space necessary to perform all the tasks at the best of its capabilities. On the other hand, tasks that we are proficient in take less space and can be done simultaneously with another task without hindering our capabilities.

In conclusion, multitasking doesn't make you stupid or dumb it simply hinders your ability to perform the tasks to the best of your capabilities.

Edit: I would also like to point out that multitasking is not a problem as it can be beneficial to some people having stimuli when performing highly demanding tasks. However, even for those people, the tasks would not be all highly demanding but a mix of low-level stimuli that can help "shut off" some parts of the brain to improve concentration. Listening to music while studying or drawing or whatever tasks you are trying to focus on can help as long as it is not fighting for your attention. I use music for concentration sometimes but only instrumental music if it has lyrics I cannot concentrate as well - but that's my experience it can be different for each person.

To illustrate what I was trying to say above if you're drawing - and you trying to perform the best you can, if you are just mindlessly drawing just to draw that doesn't apply - and at the same time you are listening to a podcast several processes are going on in your mind triggered by the podcast: you need to process the words being said, retrieve the references, you will create pictures in your mind of what is being said, you need to keep track of the subject and context, among other things. While drawing you need to think about the composition, the shapes, the structure, perspective, anatomy, and proportion, you have to retrieve your mental gallery of what you trying to draw and so on. So imagine trying to focus on so many things at the same time it's not viable so your brain will switch between each set of processes during the time you're working. Sometimes you focus more on the podcast and forget you're drawing, other times you will block out the podcast and lose what is being said.

[jasminv]

I find it hard to imagine any credible study done by ethical researches to say something 'makes you as dumb as a stoner'.

[pinkdragon]

The problem is that if I don’t listen to anything and just do something in silence, I just get the most morbid and depressing thoughts out of no where and I sorta have “flashbacks” to the most traumatic moments of my life, no matter how much I try to focus. It’s really bad, any time I’m in silence with no stimuli, for example when trying to sleep or draw without a video playing, I start to cry because of it in like 10 minutes.

[celsofx]

The eternal struggle of an artistic mind... I have been struggling with this a lot, specially after having kids .... it pains me to admit that today I failed, and I am here, "working" while watching a video about how I shouldn't work and watch videos. thanks for the reminder, closing the browser now

[MCB_]

Multitasking makes me way more productive and it helps for new ideas

[laureenabayomi]

This makes soooo much sense. I’ve been feeling unproductive lately and I just realized it might be because I’m trying to improve so many aspects of my art at the same time instead of one after the other!

And I listen to ASMR while painting and drawing, I find that when I listen to podcasts I take long pauses from my drawing to focus on what’s being said so😅

[malizanu]

I don't know if we should take this article seriously BUT we as artists must explore different workflows. Knowing which circumstances boost my productivity made a huge difference in my work but it took me years because no one I followed talked about this

[TheMelodiechan]

Ironically I struggled to be able to listen while the little head in the lower right moved so erratically. But the info of the video was nice, thanks!

[peachwaft]

sind you’re heavily referencing an article, you should probably link it/ credit them

[sonnigeshaus]

The main thought about being focused on one thing is good but overall this article is really unethical???

[frogfroge]

Great work but don't burn yourself out.

[kaminaminami]

depends heavily from person to person... My Brain will find another source of stimulation and spend more resources seeking out sensory input than it will spend on prioritizing the task at hand, so for me, having a video in the background helps my brain focus on the art and not jump from one sound or flashing light to another. The video needs to be calm and ideally monotone with no crazy inflections or sound effects though, so i stick to video essays and stay away from shows and other forms of "entertainment".

For some people it's important to have no secondary sensory input and thats important to acknowledge in todays day and age, since we all get bombarded with stimuli on social media to the point of sensory overload. But if you have ADHD or a general "dopamine seeking" brain structure, finding ways to fill the void with content and stimulation you find to be relaxing or non distracting is much more productive and beneficial than letting your brain run amok and essentially relocate any available resources it has on finding the most intense source of dopamine it can.

It's also important to acknowledge that a soundscape with other people, the hustle and bustle of a city, construction noise or just noisy neighbors can be far more detrimental to your ability to focus on your art than a calm and soothing commentary video on a topic you are semi interested in would be. Unpredictable and often unpleasant sounds are sure to disrupt not only your focus but your overall state of calm and relaxation. It's irrelevant if if the thing you find most soothing is rain hitting a window or someone with a calm voice speaking, both are (to an extent) "predictable" and consistent sounds that don't surprise your brain and make it fire a bunch of signals due to being a tiny little jumpscare (best way i can describe it).

I do see the value in a sort of "dopamine detox" if you have been blasting your senses with all forms of sensory input and feel like you are loosing it whenever it's quiet for more than a few seconds. But ultimately finding the right balance of "focus" and "distraction" is the key to reaching your full potential and productivity.

[TeaIngyer]

I don't think you should put stock in that study, as any study that uses IQ as a measure of intellect is coming from a biased framework.
IQ has been repeatedly shown to be a biased measure, and to chart very poorly to reality.
I'd also look into how it was originally created as there's a disturbing history to it.

[SporekArt]

I remember that when I was at school I found myself the most focused while I was doodling mindlessly, I just drew whathever I wanted. But to some teachers It meant I didn't listen to them, so one day one teacher threw all my sketchbooks to the trash, even though I was listening and I was silent, not talking like the others. Obviously I took these sketchbooks from the trash after the lesson and never drew on this teacher's lectures again, but my focus decreased and I stopped to remember things. I also find myself more focused when I listen to one or multiple tracks I already know looped, especially if these tracks are without any texts, like some soundtrack for example. But I find myself finding new things and going too far with my "research" too, forgetting what I wanted to do at the first place >.<

[alexacrdro]

This sounds like.. a horrible study. No credible source would ever go so far as to say something like 'makes you as dumb as a stoner' for something as mundane as multitasking. Not to mention that using NAPOLEON (the guy from the 1700s who ended freedom of the press, constrained freedom of association, and emboldened corrupt nobility) as a supporting example of productivity is a ridiculous choice. This all still excludes neuro-divergent folks who don't have the luxury of choosing where to focus or quiet their mind in the same capacity

[v-buckschan]

Also, search up Parkison's law

It's a theory, which works, proposing that by giving yourself a time restraint, you will achieve more. And that less time may result in more brain efficiency.

Obviously that doesn't mean you should read a while book in 5 minutes, but a more realistic goal like 30 minutes to sketch compositions for a scene

[azubliss]

I know that for me I often concentrate with instrumentals, or asmr videos during art. Cuz if I listen to a song, or songs I start making book in my head ;w; But that is interesting. I think I can compare myself to Napoleon, a cupboard in my head. If I'm focused on one thing, I will remain in that "thing", and maybe something else will turn up the next week or so. As for the unproductivity, I recall when I was younger that it would be called "art-block". I've grown to detest that word and think it's not that I don't have any ideas, I'm just researching, finding new approaches to art whether it;d be through painting, playing with clay, or using something other than pens and pencils (like crayons or markers etc.)

[kashe]

although it is widely known that multitasking isn't great when it comes to retaining information or focus, this study seems really unreliable. "dumb as a stoner" is a crazy thing to say in a "reliable source."

[Hdront]

Having to be in a quite place is good. It hurts sometimes that there is nothing to hear. But it is also mentioned in the book of animators survival kit. that the master CANNOT THINK OF TWO THINGS AT ONCE. But yeah. its is true that being in a quite place greatly boosts the quality and focus put into your work.