I would've had to give up painting, if I didn't do this...
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
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Please be very aware of your left arm, and make sure you don’t get too tense when using it, since it’s unfamiliar and new. You might move the pain to your left if you don’t pay attention. Your right brain half is getting a workout :D Leonardo da Vinci style ❤️
Yo -- this isn't discussed enough in the fine art / painting community. I left a corporate job in 2021 to learn how to paint - after doing graphic design for 10 years (always on a mouse) - to now drawing / painting 8 hours a day - every day - I developed major chronic pain. For me it was first in my neck. Then in my upper shoulders (upper trapezius) - and finally my hands, wrists and elbows went entirely numb. I'd wake up in the middle of the night with peripheral neuropathy (shooting nerve pain). My doctor told me I had repetitive strain injuries, various nerve entrapments, that my joints were inflamed. I attempted physical therapy but the stretching and massaging only brought temporary relief.
Three years later - I'm finally seeing my symptoms improve and am able to paint for long hours mostly pain free. Its all because I saw a video about the benefits of passive hanging. Eventually I gained the strength to be able to do multiple pull ups - ever since I've kissed my pain goodbye. I think what I realized is that our middle-back (or the thoracic region) is neglected - in the way must of our activity is forward postured. These are powerful muscle groups though that really help support/stabilize shoulder/arm and neck movement. But if they are weak - much smaller muscles end up doing the majority of the work. They become overworked, strained and then inflammation sets in - which painful in its own right - can additionally press on nerve ends and refer pain to other parts of the body. Its all a fragile system!
Anyways idk how much this relates to what you're going through - and I'm not a crazy athletic person but it did make me respect how physical the craft truly is. Like athletes we have to take care of our bodies.
It's true, pull ups and hangs really helped my wrist too. Glad you found some relief!
@@randominternetuser2 Thanks!
A while ago I hurt my left scapula from a combination of training without a proper warm-up, and drawing 6-8 hours a day for several days with terrible posture. I spent about 3 months without being able to draw for 30 minutes straight without my back starting to hurt, and I had the idea, just like in this video, to start drawing with my non-dominant hand. It was incredible that it didn't matter how much knowledge I had regarding the fundamentals of drawing. There is a part that has to do with repetition day after day, in which small muscles that run from the shoulder to the wrist get used to making precise movements until they become second nature. It is wonderful.
Nowadays I maintain the habit of drawing traditionally with my non-dominant hand, or even with both hands, while digital, which is where I do my college work, is still done by my dominant hand.
Proud of you! You conquered your fears n painting lives on. Blessings
you awesome,
I too always thought that painting and drawing happens in the brain, and the hand is secondary. Of course there’s a period of adjustment - but I know that it is secondary. I can draw and write with my left as well, even though I am by no means ambidextrous. Yes it’s awkward and yes it takes a lot more effort - but it’s possible.
All that said - Nicholas - you are a real one. Painting truly is like breathing to you - so many people give up things they love without anywhere near this much pressure. ❤❤❤🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️❤️
"Painting goes beyond the object that is created" Absolutely love this video, this gets me excited to paint! Thank you for putting your thoughts out there. Hearing from a master artist such as yourself is really helpful. I've always been afraid of messing up my wrist more. I use my hands a lot and need them to be healthy in order to live my life. I've been on my own hand-pain journey over the last 10 years. It's still very mild but it does flare up from time to time. I think it originated from a bike crash that didn't heal right. I started drawing 4-5 years ago and at the time my dominant hand was not able to do it, so I would do it with my non-dominant a lot. Eventually I figured out ways to get my dominant wrist better and healthier, at least with drawing, but painting can cause it to become flared up. Anyway, thank you Nicolas!
Thank you for your vulnerability. I have learned so much from these videos. Not only about painting, but how to approach life. Thank you.
Thank you so much!!!!
What a legend you are nicolas nailing it with both the hands 🙌🏻 ❤❤❤ hope that pain gets away⛄️⛄️❤️❤️
Thank you so much!!!
thanks, I just broke a finger on my painting hand, this is just what i needed to hear
Congratulations on finding peace :)
wow, so good to know. You are such a gift!
this is great, thanks for sharing this visceral (and painfull) part of your painting journey. It did made me wonder if the first 2 years of OPL, where you where constantly changing variables and putting yourself in unconfortable situations had, in some way, prepare you for this "left hand week". As always, you kept a good atitude and pushed it through, this is trully inspiring!
Thank you Marcelo!! Big hug!!
Had to watch and listen to this one twice today. So many important ideas. I had missed this video a few months ago and have been wondering if something had happened with your arm. It’s inspiring to hear you talk about how you handled it. Beautiful. And thank you for sharing so much about the experience and what goes on in your brain. I always wondered how you could carry on conversations and paint like you do. 😊
Congratulations again to you and Dani. And a big scratch behind the ears for chili pepper.
Go you! Very relatable video…as someone who knows, caution on gripping, I mean holding ;) your spare brushes in the resting hand. More tension there than you realize while you are concentrating so hard.
When I was in college my arm began to ache and then suddenly swelled up and my whole hand turned blue. The doctor had no idea what was causing it and gave me a cortisol injection into my tendon in my wrist. That helped for about a week and then it came back with a vengeance. I was unable to move my arm at all and it turned completely blue. I started to do absolutely everything with my left arm and kept my right arm in a sling. Out of the blue the swelling went down, color came back, and pain subsided. I went back to the doctor and he asked me how I fixed it. 🤷🏻♂️
Moral of the story is rest that arm or it will get pretty bad. I suppose I got lucky that it went back to normal and I fear its return.
Wow. Really enjoyed this, thanks!
Very powerful video, thank you. As a woman of a certain age, who’s painted/plastered for over 30 years; I know the pain of which you speak. However, I have never had the courage to try my non-dominate arm in any significant way. You have inspired me to try this, as a study in my own thinking patterns, a challenge, and to give the right arm a rest. Hope your arm better soon.
Nicolas, thank you so much for sharing this. I recently switched to painting full-time and working on larger canvases, and I'm just now realizing the physical impact of painting on the body. I agree that overworking is something we need to be mindful of and we must give our bodies a break if we want to play the long game. I also love how you found a new opportunity for growth from your situation. I'll be sure to give this exercise a try! Hope your right arm gets some rest and recovers soon.
Mis mas sinceras bendiciones y desear que tu recuperación sea rápida y exitosa. Y gracias por tomar como sujeto y hablar con tanta sinceridad acerca de la vida cotidiana de un maestro pintor. 🙏🏾☺️
Thank you for this video! I am in a situation like that right now. I have to reorganize how I paint and do other things because of a painful arm. It has been 6 months or so. Adapting goes slowly. This video helps with accepting how it is.
Ughh, sorry to hear that!!
Hope you get better soon and you can find your way to accommodate painting in your life without the pain
As with all your videos this one is worth listening to and watching multiple times. Thank you for sharing your pain, thoughts and perseverance. I hope the pain stays away as much as possible. Thank you Dani, Nicolas and sweet Chili ❤️ for such a beautiful and moving video ❤️
This is incredibly inspiring! I have just found your channel not long ago and you're energy towards art is so refreshing. Time to start painting with my left lol
Thank you so much!!! And yes!!! give it a try!
Nicolás, esto está buenisimo, no tengo una lesión pero lo intentaré de todas formas porque me parece muy interesante la experiencia.
Gracias por compartir tu historia, te cuento que mi situación es exactamente igual. Y tome la misma decisión de pintar con la izquierda. tuve un accidente hace 15 años y mi brazo quedó con dolor crónico. Pinte con dolor por años, cambie a la acuarela para que menos esfuerzo, etc. Al final tuve que tomar la decisión de entrenar mi brazo izquierdo. Ahora pinto con una combinación de los dos, el resultado no es tan controlado como si solo pintara con mi derecho pero se acerca bastante y así pude seguir pintando. Porque no me parece posible abandonar lo que me hace sentir reconciliación con la vida, lo que constituye una identidad profunda y una manera de vivir y ser en este mundo. Abrazo
Thank you for this video, Nicolas. This experience of yours is very interesting, and the way you were able to adapt and learn is inspiring. Makes me want to try painting with my left.
Thank you!! And you should fore sure try it!! There's nothing to lose!!
Hermoso video. Me hiciste acordar a Renoir y Matisse como se las arreglaron para seguir creando.
Que te mejores pronto.
❤
This is such a beautiful and inspiring video. I ecentliy broke my ankle and thanked God that i didn't break my painting arm; which i have actually done before. I thought about the possibility of having to paint with my non dominant arm and it absolutely terrified me. It amazing to watch you paint with your left hand with such apparent ease. I don't know if I will try it but I might just to see how it feels
Thank you Angela!
The apparent ease is due to the speed up edition, that makes it look way more flawless haha
but trust me... it's been very challenging!
With me, it was my shoulder, whenever I'd paint at the easel I would feel a sharp pain... but, stubborn as I am, kept working (because I had to teach too), did some demos with my left hand which weren't too bad.. But yeah, I have to ease up a bit, I'm not as young as I think I am anymore
thanks for your videos. wondering why you don't show you reference photos?
I completely feel this!! I fractured my dominant arm last year and panicked when I realized I couldn't work. So I picked up the brush with my left hand and was surprised at how much I could translate over! It took me a million years longer, but it brought me so much joy that it worked out! Now I'm done with PT and can switch back and forth 😁
Me parece muy bello lo que dices en este video y se me hace muy valiente tomar esa decisión y darse cuenta si es verdad o no que la pintura pasa en nuestro interior o nuestra mente.
Unfortunately I only followed you for your right handed art. Sorry! 😉 From the outside looking in this feels like a Rembrandt painting through diminished vision sort of situation. Exciting possibilities of engaging with painting in a new way that still has the familiarity of when you first started.
hahah ups, guess you where subscribed to Right Painted Lives Cody!
Rembrandt will always be the best compliment, so thank you so so much!!
Excited for the new possibilities too
Bummer to hear about your arm, i hope you will work it out but stil your painting is awesome with your left arm.
Not to lecture but please seek out also a fascia therapist , it will help you a ton. You are one of the best painters out there ,i want to see a lot more of your skills in pai ting.
Regards
Away for a while, so glad to watch and hear again...thanks as always
Its going to be the same everywhere - 4 to 5 working hours for everyone, if people try to work for longer they will be unable to accomplish anything that day whether its completing an oil painting or do a simple construction job related task. If people try to work for longer than 5 hours, the effort is not going to be worth it so they have to wait for a whole day before they can start working again. You can be working on a novel, for example, but once you pass the 5th hour your body is going to let you know - the longer you work the worse it will be until you have to stop. So you have to rest more than you work each day you work to make sure that you are not overworking.
About 20 years ago I had to have surgery on my wrist because of using the mouse on the computer, I couldn't use my dominant hand (right) for 1 month, and I was already using my left hand to write, brush my teeth, etc. as a challenge, but it worked. great way, and I realized the importance of not relying on just one hand. but painting must be more complicated. Now, in terms of the brain, we have different areas for strength in each arm, so mental effort is more complicated, but not impossible, the brain is plastic. and please rest your right arm, otherwise you will have more complications. best wishes!
Wow….just amazing! I don’t think I know anyone who can draw and paint with both hands and still achieve what you have in this painting. ❤❤❤ hope you heal soon and keep exploring and sharing. It’s inspirational!
What you can do with your non dominant arm is impressive! Your choice of reference is always so interesting - where do you find so many nice subjects to paint? Speedy recovery for your right arm !
wow this hit close to home, starting physical therapy for epicondylitis tomorrow as it hasn't just disappeared (after 9 months) as I'd hoped :/
Evidently, your left hand enjoys more colour?
Salamat po
Yo is that Jim Thorpe?
I thought it was interesting that you, at a late stage in the painting, erased his face and repainted it. You must have felt strongly that it wasn't right, although it looked good to me. Was there a reason?
The second face had more emotion to me.