The Studio Source.com

Let me begin by saying that when you experience genuine enjoyment while vacuuming your house, it might be a sign of creative burnout.

I’d also like to tell you a long period without what most people consider a vacation isn’t necessarily a cause for alarm—provided your schedule and the work you do allows you to recharge your batteries.

And finally, with your indulgence, I would like to inform you it’s possible to nearly destroy a lifelong love of something if you approach it the wrong way.

Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up.

What happens when you’re busy not making plans
Last Monday I felt the euphoria that comes with the act of Lightening the Load. Never mind that I wasn’t about to spirit myself away to an exotic locale complete with room service—it was just heavenly to be able to do less.

By Tuesday morning I remembered I had a deadline less than a week away. No post in reserve. Poor planning on my part, but hey, when you’re running on fumes, that happens.

Wednesday’s dinner conversation:

“I hate people. All of them.”

“So you’re cheering for the aliens, then?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

No, of course I don’t hate people. I just couldn’t cope with the idea of dealing with anyone. Which didn’t prevent me from faking it extremely well.

A road trip and busting out (sort of)
Thursday I ran away from home. For the whole day. I busted out and bought shoes. Red shoes. Okay, they’re more reddish than red. And they almost have a heel (when I replay the memory, I hear Tone Loc’s version of “Wild Thing” while I hand over my credit card).

I also bought a piece of art from a local gallery. A lot of people are down on galleries these days, but not all galleries are created equal. This was one of the good ones. It has great stuff—a nice mix of visual art and fine craft—with a small exhibition space in what would otherwise be a basement.

You know you’re in a non-snooty gallery when Bon Jovi suddenly comes across the sound system. It was an odd but refreshing experience.

Replenishing, renewing, and remembering what’s really important
I picked out a framed photograph, not the most expensive thing in the place, but the $950 monoprint I was also lusting after just wasn’t in the budget. It turned out to be one of those serendipitous events, because as the piece was being wrapped, the artist wandered in and I was able to meet him. A couple of university students came by to see the printmaking exhibition downstairs, a poet dropped in and started chatting with the photographer (they knew each other), and a woman returned two of five paintings she’d taken to her home (on gallery approval) to see if they were a good fit. If you’re doing the math, that means she bought three.

All this in a half-hour stretch, in a town of about 3700 people (7000 when university is in session). That gallery is an important part of the community.

I’m very glad I took that road trip.

Know your strengths
If you hung in waiting for me to get to the point, thank you, and here it is: six months of writing two posts a week damn near did me in. The reason is simple. I need to finish things. I don’t need to explain to you the satisfaction that comes with finishing a piece or project. I don’t get that when I’m in a constant cycle of coming up with new ideas to write about. (Some people can write a post a day. I’m not one of them.)

Part of the problem is the abstract nature of information. There’s no physical object at the end of the online writing process. Depending on how your brain is wired, that can be disorienting. I didn’t fully realize what was happening until I got to spend some time in an art gallery—until I was able to reconnect with what really matters to me and remember where my heart is. Apparently, my hands are a direct extension of it.

Respect your way of working as well as your work
I’ve been writing stories since I was a kid. I nearly wrecked it—something that has given me a lifetime of joy—because I set my sights on some goals and forgot to honour both the way I work and my introverted personality.

One of my goals (the biggest one) is to use my skills and experience to help other creatives. So rather than have this post be all about me, let’s give you some real value.

So I’ll ask you this: does marketing or social media ever have that burnout effect on you? Does it sometimes feel like an endless cycle that doesn’t give you enough time to rest and regroup? Does it ever feel like a bottomless pit?

Marketing is an extension of your creative process
Marketing shouldn’t be a complete disconnect from your natural way of working. If you want to sell your work, you have to get in front of people, one way or another, but you get to craft your approach. You get to pick the tools, and the timing. It might take you longer than some people. It might mean you deviate from conventional wisdom. It might mean you don’t do it all yourself. Just make sure whatever you do, you do it as yourself, both in terms of your personality and your way of working.

P.S. I’ll likely be posting once a week for a while, because when you’re really burned out, a week of reduced “doing” doesn’t really cut it. Oh, and you get bonus points for catching the movie quote.

P.P.S. Many thanks to everyone who left a comment or sent an email after the “goin’ on vacation” announcement. Your good wishes are greatly appreciated.

Over to you: have you ever felt like an alien took over your brain when you tried to market your work? If you’re not used to writing, does your natural way of expressing yourself go straight out the window? Have you ever tried to radically change your approach when you tried a new medium and have it backfire?