"In a world of start-ups and side-hustles, have the blurred lines of work-life balance changed the meaning of leisure time? As WeWork offices replace Midtown New York's historic Lord & Taylor department store, The New York Times examines how work has replaced personal pleasure in the pursuit of escapism: "With the rise of the internet, shopping came to look like work, and work, in many instances, came to look like leisure..." - From The WWClub.com
When reading this yesterday on http://thewwclub.com, I was struck with a deep sense of sadness. Yes- this is what I've been feeling- the discomfort and disappointment of making your passion a career, and loosing the places where you used to escape and find refuge. For so many years of my life, artmaking was where I did found comfort. I'd sit and draw in my sketchbook at the beach or at the park. I giggled at the characters that appeared on the page: new friends.
But that changed when I got a full time job as an illustrator.
I started going to yoga class a few years into it because it was the only place I could walk into where I didn't have to do anything except "be". I was a full time illustrator , working for a startup in the Sillycon Valley, stressed out of my mind. I felt myself wanting to scream some days, quit other days, but it was a great opportunity.
Since freelancing in 2017, I've eased off on my yoga practice and focused the majority of my energy and finances on building a business around my immense love of art and illustration. But this has made it worse. Now there's no stability in a paycheck. The urge to run away is REAL.
I can relate all to0 well with Rebecca Green's post about burnout
I asked some friends on Twitter about burnout. What do you do to remedy this thing? They responded with suggestions like, extra self care, Netflix, and not doing the thing that burned you out.
One might find self care difficult when you start mixing pleasure and work, and it because this confusing ball of who-knows-what. I'm taking that ball and making it sacred again. But it takes some serious separation and time management.
How have you taken steps to gain back our lust for life? I'd love to know, and I'm sure the more we share, the more we can tap into what will heal us forward.
Annie is an author and illustrator with books available on Amazon and local book stores. She is open for commission, too! She lives in California, and loves tea, bike rides, reading, and exploring new places.