Backstage Pass #14 (Patreon)

On this week’s edition of Backstage Pass, I’ll be talking about…

Injuries from art! Or more accurately, my experiences with it, because I’m not a certified physical therapist and can’t give actual advice other than from what I’ve learned about.

If you do art or any sort of repetitive task involving hands, you might be well acquainted with injuries, and they suck. I’m absolutely amazed I have yet to develop carpal tunnel, especially with the poor, poor habits I’ve had in the past involving art.

Back in 2014, I was absolutely in love with drawing comics and art! To the point where I would draw to where I felt like I couldn’t anymore. This wasn’t uncommon for me- in school I was very diligent with taking notes, and when doing homework I would prefer to binge write everything, so I was used to my hand aching and push through it. It took me a few years to find out that’s a one way ticket to permanent injury- and for all I know, maybe I still could sustain one from back then!

So when my hands started aching long after drawing sessions some months ago, I was ready to take it very seriously. Repetitive stress injuries are no joke, especially when your main source of income/entertainment comes from being able to perform. Since then, I’ve gotten some aids to help aid healing during my downtime.

The first of these is my arm brace. It helps keep my wrist completely immobile so micro movements I make while relaxing don’t further stress on my muscles.

It’s quite comfortable! But it’s hard to sleep with, which is where I rely on my compression gloves.

These help improve bloodflow to aid in healing, and in general alleviate some aches. Kind of like a constant massage on my hands. They tend to hurt after a few hours though, so I try not to wear them all the time.

Though that said, I haven’t escaped from permanent injuries related to art entirely- some years ago I played clarinet in the first chair of my band, and my soft palate had been injured to the point of penetration. This more or less meant that when trying to play a wind instrument, the pressure of the air built up in my mouth would no longer escape through the instrument, but instead through this palate and exhale through my nose instead. This made playing my instrument near impossible, and while it finally healed after a year of not playing, it still would open from time to time and could only be fixed via surgery. I decided to retire from music and focus on other forms of art I held more passion for, and it was a good learning experience to be more careful with my physical health, even when doing a hobby I enjoy.