Apparently we're in a solar eclipse, so I'm supposed to be tired this week. If the solar system really is supposed to be affecting me like this, kudos to it. It's doing its job.
Nevertheless, I've learned to differentiate exhaustion from burnout, and I know that I'm only feeling the former lately. And what are the odds of that? I just closed a show while battling a mean sinus infection, I have a limited amount of weeks to get my youth choreography in check, and musical season is just getting started. But one thing I learned from signing up to work seven days a week last year is that I will never do that to myself again. And I haven't.
In July I started reading Beth Pickens' book, Make Your Art No Matter What. It is an incredible read that I personally recommend to artists at any stage of their career, but especially for early-career, hungry artists like myself. While Pickens herself is not an artist, she creates plans for artists to find fulfillment in their work, take breaks, and not submit to the capitalism monster. Again, you really have to read the book to get its full benefits.
Pickens bases some of her advice on what she knows from Jewish culture, and one particular strategy she proposes to working artists struggling with over-working and burnout is the idea of "Shabbat," or the period from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday when Jews do not work. And since reading Pickens' book, I have been strict about taking a "Shabbat" for myself every week. That is, 24 hours where I do nothing directly related to generating income - no checking emails, no lesson planning, no teaching or scheduling work. I may take class if it is absolutely voluntary, create for leisure, or do tasks that do not relate to my income like cleaning up, scheduling personal appointments, etc. I have carved out this time for myself every week since reading Pickens' book (with the exception of last week due to a full tech at the theatre with no dark nights).
And truthfully (solar eclipse aside), I saw the benefits. I woke up on Monday and put away the mess I had made in the house from being in tech. I took class on Tuesday night because I wanted to move some more. I felt inspired to document my work on my website and social media right away. There was something different this time about closing a concert, and I truly owe it all to burnout prevention strategies. Now, let's hope these strategies are still working their magic come the end of musical season...
I see so many artists in my life complaining about their chronic burnout and their 7-day, 12+ hour per day work week. And I feel that - that used to be me too! I even still feel the guilt of not making myself available to work all the time, thinking that I'm unreliable or letting people down. But that is far from the truth. And allowing yourself to rest in turn will allow you to do your best work. That is what I've learned at least. So allow yourself to rest, take a day to complete personal tasks that don't relate to any of your jobs, and know the money you could have made during that time and the people you could have pleased will never amount to the cost of protecting your own health and sanity.
I'm glad I prioritized burnout prevention this season, so I don't have to work on burnout recovery now. And by writing this, I'm speaking into existence that I plan to continue to do so. Even through plans of moving, auditions, busy show seasons, and the eventual transition to becoming a full-time freelancer. Your health is always more important than the work you think you need to do. And as I continue to learn that, maybe I'll gain some more energy to write some more of these posts! Or maybe not - because I'm not creating unrealistic expectations for myself in my burnout prevention and recovery journey.
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Go Forth and Create!
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