I'm hoping this belongs here rather than in general creativity, but I'm sure someone has the power to move it if I'm wrong ;)

I got soft pastels for Christmas and I have no idea what to do with them. I work in an art shop so I'm in contact with them pretty frequently and my goodness then make me feel sick. Not just a slight cringe at the texture but physically unwell. I'm like it with flour and velvet as well. I desperately want to use them though because they are so pretty and I would hate to leave them in their box untouched.

Does anyone have any advice on using them in a way that I don't have to work in my bathroom? :'L

Firstly, assuming it's dust inhalation that's the issue minimize inhalation as much as possible. A lot of artists wear a mask when using pastels because of the airborne dust. If it's a contact issue have you considered wearing gloves when using them?

You may also consider putting pastel artwork upright on an easel as the powder will fall onto the easel tray instead and please, please use them in a well-ventilated area.

A fixative will seal any artwork done but any fixative must be used in a well-ventilated area or outside.

I've really only done artwork with soft pastels so that's personally the only use I know for them.

I hate their texture too. They always feel horribly dry D: Perhaps you could wear disposable gloves (you can usually find cheap boxes in supermarket cleaning aisles)? If they're too thin, you could possibly use cloth gloves but then you'd have to clean them regularly. You could also use paper blending stumps so you don't have to blend it with your fingers.

It's both the texture and the sound of them. Gloves are a good idea as a start, thank you for the suggestion :)

If you have an ipod/mp3 player maybe you could listen to music while using them? The headphones would block out at least some of the sound (more than if it were on speakers), especially if you have noise-canceling ones! :) And while you'll probably be doing it anyway, it also helps to use them at an angle the same way you use pens/pencils to begin with since less friction means less noise!

that's pretty genius! I'll definitely give that a go!

I hope it works well! Have fun with your new pastels! :D