Episode 58: Pacing Yourself

Rebecca and Ross talk about how to pace yourself to be efficient and avoid burnout... skills that they haven't actually mastered themselves. www.rebeccacrowell.com www.squeegeepress.com www.facebook.com/messystudiopodcast PODCAST—Pacing yourself In the big picture and more specifically… Managing your art life can be overwhelming. How to avoid burnout? Burnout=losing motivation, feeling discouraged, exhausted, trapped by demands, negativity PACING In the big picture—the need to maintain creative energy—what do you need to nurture that? Many of us work constantly—the pitfall of self-employment. Some of it is what we love ….but a lot of it is tedious stuff. So many things we have to do and be good at when we are both creating and marketing our work---a huge job The issue of cutting back—when does that time come? How does it impact you or what do you fear about it? Pros and cons == Pros: ease of stress and pushing yourself Possible health benefits as a result Focus/concentration not as dispersed Cons/fears: Financial strain Loss of momentum Isolation from other artists “Not doing enough”—work ethic My mom used to say accusingly, you do SO MUCH Like it was a bad thing—is it? Or is it what brings satisfaction? We have to ask ourselves what we really feel about the big picture. Aspects of being creative people that encourage us to always do more: take on challenges, push our limits, say yes to opportunities, want to communicate, get our ideas out there, teach, write, mentor. Outside validation/success How can you pace overall? Set boundaries: answer emails for a set amount of time; schedule studio hours, take a day off a week from business. Not easy!! Julia Cameron’s artist dates? Once a week something fun to replenish what she calls your inner well--play Exercise—esp. Anything that takes you outside in nature Maybe taking an extended breaks–a true vacation Being aware of your own burned out feelings—this can be tricky—they can be camouflaged as depression, even feeling sick (stress can do this to you) Recognizing perfectionism, pushing yourself when it isn’t really necessary…can someone wait for that email, is what they are asking you to do actually unreasonable? Adopt the attitude of “I get to…” rather than “I have to…” Recognize your own role in whatever overload you find yourself in, lern from it, be grateful for an abundance of opportunity— Can you schedule things better? hard to match a calendar with what it actually represents—scheduling things too close together. Looks doable on the calendar, but how does it actually feel in reality, never hurts to add an extra day PACING for specific projects, deadlines etc./dealing with overload anxiety Use lists, calendars, gather appropriate information so things don’t blindside you Evaluate where you’re at day to day—are there days you can take a break? Do it! Give yourself time to take a walk, read, watch a movie, see friends, do something for yourself every day Prioritize, break things down, try to see your progress every day Delegate, get help Ask for more time only if you really need it To stay emotionally strong during times of overload: Look at your own history—don’t you always come through in the end? Then stop worrying that this is the time you will fail to get everything done Recognize that you can have extra stamina when needed and it won’t kill you Remember your end goals