She admits she has ‘flirted with burnout' for years.
‘Burnout is an occupational hazard in the arts,’ said Croggon. ‘There's no doubt that artists face particular issues, which are largely to do with the fact that so many work outside institutions, often alone, and have no structures to assist them or any kind of financial stability.’
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When people say they want to grow up to be an artist, I wonder if they take all of these into account. I know when I was growing up I tried to stay away from the arts because I knew it would be good pay, however here I am knowing I'm going to be a designer when I leave college. Yes I may struggle a little bit but I'm confident money won't be a big issue. With that being said, even the art school I'm in now can be intense and stressful. All the work and hours we put into the program, it seems getting a good amount of sleep is non-existent. I know my typical schedule allows me at least 6 hours but I mostly only get 4-5, and in some cases even less. However, I have to keep thinking about how worth it will be in the end when I've graduated and I'm able to go in to the field that I've fallen in love with. I cannot see myself doing anything and I'm anxious to see what will happen next for me.
Burnout is so real. I really wish there we lived in a world where artists could have financial security and only have to worry about the actual creating of art, but we don't. Accepting unpaid work is so common because you feel like you aren’t good enough, which is obviously true because all you’re getting is unpaid offers, right? Same with accepting low pay because people obviously don’t think you are good enough to pay you more. And you accept it because it’s what always has happened. We live in a culture where the general public has no concept of how hard artists work and so don’t understand why art is so expensive. Which leads to artist working harder and not producing as high of quality work which makes it harder to sell which leads to burnout. It’s a vicious cycle. What the article says about taking care of your own health first is a vital first step and not one that should be forgotten lightly. Not taking that one underpaid job is not going to ruin your career.
Burnout is something that, as an aspiring artist, terrifies me. The idea that something I enjoy so much I could eventually be so tired with makes me very worried. I’ve seen burnout happen once, and it was bad. The director of the Cappies programs (an awards program for high school theatre in the Philadelphia area) was someone who was always very excited about high school theatre. He had an incredible energy, and seemed to be able to do everything at once. The suddenly last year he resigned from Cappies, quit his job, and moved, abandoning theatre entirely. This was so shocking since he seemed so happy with this work. But it is exhausting, dealing with all of the problems outlined in the article. And the financial instability can only make it worse. I feel like, here at Carnegie Mellon, the ‘do more, do more, do more’ culture is something that’s a real issue. Everyone feels pressure to be constantly working, and they have little opportunities to relax and take care of themselves. I hope that in the future the burnout culture in arts can be changed.
This article is amazing and sheds so much light onto the pressures and real issues and temptations of working in the artistic fields. I think the key point the author makes is that artists are forever demanded to do more and more and that the recompense for doing more is less than what it is in more structured fields. Being an artist rarely ever leads to promotions or bonuses or any other standard form of advancement that typical everyday jobs possess. This lack of motivation for artists is what really makes the temptation of burning out a real issue for many artists. As famous comedian John Mulaney says “It is so much easier not to do things” and that means that quitting is easier than putting more on your plate – and often feels a lot better than piling up more and more responsibilities. The constant pressure to take on more tasks is a huge issue with the artistic fields.
Burnout is actually so terrifying. Feeling the pressure at school already brings on a lot of questions about whether im choosing the right career and whether or not i'm cut out for this line of work. As cheesy as it sounds, it's only when I see a really good performance that i'm reminded of why i'm here studying drama, and I feel reinvigorated to keep going. I think the most frustrating part of burnout is that it can happen so easily. If you go too long without a break, the world can come crashing down on you. It can be so hard to remember whats important and how lucky you are to be involved in something that you really do love when it comes down to it. The fact of the matter is that theatre is really hard, really fucking hard. However, the show must go on.
The burnout. Despite the stigma surrounding art school and artists in general, working in the arts is not easy. Part of the difficulty is the constant state of being on duty. Even when I’m in my room hanging out with friends my mind is still running through ideas for my next design project. Everything relates back to my work and it’s not always easy. I love the work I do here but I have never experienced being so involved in the arts as I have here before and it’s so exciting to have school be something I love so much. On the other hand, however the temptation for weekends to become simply more class time, just without my teachers, is absolutely there. I have to conscientiously make time for me to get out of the studio or I simply won’t. We’ll see how this transforms into my professional life but it is certainly something to always keep in mind.
Burnout is something that I think about a lot, as someone who's had difficulty managing stress in the past, particularly since coming to CMU. Because, as this article says, when you are doing work you love, how do you know when to switch off? It would be pretty easy for me to spend all my free time in the studio work on projects. Putting all my energy into my work, it's difficult for me to realise just how tired I'm getting. And even when I make the conscious decision to take a day off, a little part of my brain feels guilty knowing that I'm not getting work done. For example today is a "me" day and here I am writing comments just because I know I won't let myself not do anything today. But difficult as this industry is, whenever I get to see good theater I'm reminded of how lucky I am to be doing something that gives me so much passion and joy. I just have to remember that there are other things that I love too, and to make a little time for those.
Though I haven’t had a problem with burnout myself, though I’m only 18, so that isn’t surprising, I do see aspects of myself described in the article. I really relate to wanting to be able to do everything and feeling like being busy is a badge of honor. I have found myself accidentally comparing myself to other people not just in terms of the quality of our work, but also in terms of if they’re doing more things than me, and feeling inferior and kind of useless if I feel like I’m not busy enough. I also know the feeling of wanting to work on a bunch of different projects because they all seem really cool, but there just isn’t enough time for everything. Theater is a very time and energy consuming career, and that is worth it to me, but I’m definitely afraid of the idea of burning out to the point where I can’t keep doing it.
Something I'd like to point out here is that there is terrible burnout in many industries, not just the arts. And it isn't just in industries that have long hours and low pay, too. For example, finance is notorious for employee burnout, and many people in finance make lots of money. I don't think people should be getting disheartened about going into the arts based on this article. I think every industry has the potential to burn people out. It's up to us as adults to figure out how to avoid burn out, live healthy lives, and learn how to properly deal with burnout when it hits us in the face. Yes, life working in the arts can be hard. But learning how to manage your time and take care of yourself are important skills to learn regardless of what industry you are working in. I think CMU actually does a great job at allowing us to learn how to cope with experiencing burnout and learning about skills to cope in a safe setting before going out into the real world.
I have read/ heard so many anecdotes about the very real possibility of “burning out” in the arts. I think it is very important to note that the reason this is such an accepted reality is because art isn’t just a job for most; it’s also a passion, which means that we will work many extra hours, on weekends, during vacations, or for little to no pay, because the majority of people who are willing to work hard enough to do art for a living are so invested in their art that it isn’t just their vocation, but also a big part of their identity. I can’t think of any other occupation in which people are expected to work for free. This means, I think, that it becomes the artist’s responsibility to take care of themselves, and recognize their own boundaries. I think all of us can relate to the sentiment described in the article of busy-ness being viewed as a badge of honor, not only by the other artists around us but also by ourselves. I know many people in our class who insist on working very late, even if they are in good shape on a project, and even if nothing needs to be handed in the next day, because they can’t stand the idea of not being busy. The common idea of “doing what you love and you won’t have to work a day in your life” adds another complexity to this common problem, because people feel weak if they need to admit that they feel tired or overwhelmed. I feel like this is particularly prevalent in theater, where people have a lot of pride in their work. The main difference, I think, between the free-lance art described in this article and theatrical art is that those who work in theater are almost always around other people, as opposed to working by themselves in their rooms. Hopefully, this means that theater artists almost always have some kind of support system that they can rely on if they start to feel “burnt out”.
I feel like I should comment on this because I make bad choices pertaining to work/sleep/eating schedules and finding a good balance is something I need to improve upon. Strangely enough, I don't often feel overwhelmed, I just don't sleep. Anyways, I am not new to the idea of "burnout" or the plethora of articles, books, and podcasts talking about how to be more productive (there was an article about this several weeks ago) or how to organize your time. My current favorite is the podcast series "Hello Internet" which I've found myself listening to while working on Monet (thank you Julian Goldman, for the recommendation). One of the recurring subjects on this podcast series is work-life balance and productivity. One of the concepts introduced was the idea of consciously deciding before a project/job choice how much time and effort you are willing to devote to work and what you are or aren't willing to sacrifice in your life. (I realize that this comment has derailed and no longer pertains to the article in question, but I'm not about to rein it in).
A second subject that I wish we talked about more in society (and in school) is stress relief. The only times that I have come close to burning out have been stress related. Finding an outlet is vital to being successful in school and in the arts. Personally, I like to run away from my problems (Schenley Park has some excellent trails) and I have a collection of games and websites I visit when I'm stressed. I just think we should talk about it more.
Burnout is a tough subject to talk about with anyone because a lot of people don’t like to admit that they have burned out. It seems like a disgrace and failure to get burned out but I think that we hit that point all the time when we are overworked. Like the article mentions, artists have a hard time saying no. We want to experience it all and meet new people and make new connections. How can we do that when we no? But then we hit the middle point when we are juggling five or more different things and we stop and say why am I doing this? How can I even live this way? Can I survive this week? So, how do we get out of that? Honestly, I don’t think there is a definite answer. Everyone is so unique that they have to find their own way of avoiding the burnout. But something important for everyone to keep in mind is that saying no isn’t bad at all. Saying no means that you know your limit and how much you can handle at a time. Don’t be afraid of the no.
I think I've heard the saying 'Passion is beautiful, but hard to live on' a few too many times since going into a career in the arts. It's so upsettingly easy to become burned out from even one project; I did it so many times last year that I used to surprise myself with how well I could pick myself up again and keep on doing it. I also remember having a teacher tell us that at CMU we're being taught how not to burn out and have a successful career, but honestly I haven't felt that lesson sink in yet. There's just so much to do, and such pressure to do well, that we drag ourselves into the dirt and hate what we're doing at the moment. And I guess we can only blame ourselves for our cognitive distortions, but hey, we're still learning how to think with emotional reasoning. If anything, all this quasi-burnout is helping us figure out the do's and don'ts of life. If you want to do really well on projects, don't spend as much time procrastinating or hanging out with friends. And if friends are the priority, then don't think you're going to do as well on your projects as someone who spends all their time on them. It's a difficult thing to deal with, but at least it's truthful.
This article brings up a serious issue. In the arts world it is surprisingly easy to burnout and abandon the craft you love because it starts taking too large a toll on the rest of your life. While all industries have the potential for people to burnout, I think the arts, and theater in particular, has such a high probability for this because we all seek innovation and success, and yet those things are never achieved without going all in on a project that could either fail or succeed. There's nothing wrong with this, its just important to remember that as innovating and exciting a project is, you still need a decent paycheck to live on. Like the article says, I think an artist has trouble when they can no longer differentiate their private and work life, and blur the line between what they want to do for their own enjoyment, and what they want/are willing to do for a paycheck. Since many artists are freelancers it's easier to blur these lines when you are the manager of all your own projects. After talking to many theater professionals this summer I've heard that the key to healthy career in the arts is being able to separate work from personal aesthetic, and accept a soulless corporate event or less artistic film gig every now and then to rake in enough cash to work on the artistic piece you want while still maintaining a decent lifestyle.
Burnout is a terrible experience and not one that I would like to go through again because bouncing back from it is a long process. The temptation to throw yourself into your work and ignore everything else that you have to deal with is extremely unhealthy and usually only means that you are running the risk of burning out and then being in an extremely bad place overall. Taking care of both your physical and mental health is extremely important when going into a career like this and the article made a good point of emphasizing that we should be taking care of each other as an artistic community. The pressure to constantly be doing more and more work can get overwhelming and there's a stigma that you can't admit to being overwhelmed because the passion for your art is supposed to sustain you throughout everything else. This begs the question: what's left for you when the passion for your art has run out?
Hopefully, we as an artistic community can keep this discussion present so that fewer artists are faced with the task of having to answer this question.
This concept is the kind of thing I worry about on a day to day basis, and I’m sure many of my fellow students here will agree. Basically every single day, I face choices about money and spending that push my brain into the distant future, I force myself to think about every tiny meal option and every tiny pleasure because I’m constantly considering what my life might be like in the future. It’s sad, because I think many artists kind of make graduate school the only option for them, as if they really need it. I consider going to grad school because I’m scared of being alone in the real world, and I think many others feel the same way. Several students here might not have the stamina to build a career in the arts, I see them crack under the tiny pressures of school and I cannot fathom what they plan to do after a week of rejection in the industry. We need to learn how to combat burning out while we are still here, and I think that might require the help of the school.
I've personally never experienced burnouts yet, but I can definitely see why and how it exists. My biggest concern for choosing theatre is the low pay in contrast to the high working hours, and that is mentioned in the article as one of the major reasons for burnouts. I think this is also why I haven't yet experienced a burnout, because I am just learning and don't have all the external factors and responsibilities piling up on me right now. However, after coming to college I can definitely feel an increase in pressure as I'm solely learning about the arts now so to speak. This article definitely helped me to be more aware of burnouts, such as how the blurring of professional and private life can really be exhausting and how we always feel the need to do more. Hopefully, when I experience a burnout in the near future (I'm pretty sure I will), I can cope with it and rebound quickly before sinking too deep into it.
Burning out is one of my biggest fears. Having gone to an arts magnet high school, I have been in a high pressure arts environment for a while now. Now at Carnegie, the pressure is just mounting. Sometimes it feels as though there is this constant state on having to be better, and not having tried hard enough, when in fact you have given whatever you were working on your all. This is the constant struggle. This struggle is what I fear will lead to "burning out".
On top of what is going on at school in class, and at crew, there is pressure to book great summer internships, and even though I'm a freshman, land somewhere strong after graduation. The "arts" world is hard because there is not much security in the work. There is a lot of freelance, and only a few UBER successful designers out there. I am not looking for fame, but rather a steady job that will allow me to live nicely. This comment is turning into a rant, but, how can it not?!
The arts is anxiety producing. There's no way around that. So I guess in reading this article and writing this comment, I am looking for answers on how to avoid the insecurity that the arts brings. Then again, is that even possible?
I guess we must just keep working and strive for the best versions of ourselves and our art.
Perhaps one of the most terrifying aspects of a career in the arts is the uncertainty of not only being able to emotionally finish an assignment, but physically as well. So often we justify our success by our workload, and without a task at hand this can be equated with failure. This fear is very often manifested as physical exertion which then inevitably leads to self destruction or in the terms of this article, a "burnout." In my personal experience, I have not necessarily had a "burnout," but periods of over-exertion which forces me to step away from the work and recharge. I have learned from experience that taking breaks is vital to the success of any project, and working harder in short bursts is much more helpful than long periods of time with varying levels of productivity.
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