Louise, once again, I felt myself saying, "How does she know this is exactly how I feel?" I actually pulled my car over so that I could have uninterrupted time alone to listen to your words. After my complete burnout last year, from all of the types of experiences you mentioned, once I started back up again, I felt like I hadn't learned any lessons at all. In fact, I am going at warp speed now. My Trello goal-setting list for the year just keeps getting longer and longer. How much could I possible pack into the next quarter, the quarter after that, and how can I end the year? Every time I get a new idea that I want to try, I add it to the list. Yesterday, after playing again in alcohol inks, my first love, I decided - hell, time to teach another class. An email went out to 1800 people getting them ready for this new course and I put on my goal-setting list - open the course on June 1st. I just opened a course on March 7th. I have this feeling that I have to do a thousand things because I am multipassionate and because unlike you, I am 69, my time is getting shorter. You are so right that when you've been this type of person for many years, anything less feels like you are lazy and not living up to your potential. After my PhD at 59, I felt that I could do anything and I pretty much did. My to do list every day gets longer and longer and I am starting to feel trapped in my own hell.
I had another big aha moment when you spoke about working full time and have your creative gig on the side. I worked full time for five years when I discovered I had a talent for creating and teaching art and would have the most joyful time of exploration playing with alcohol inks. In fact, I taught classes as well as worked full time and I never felt overwhelmed. I was bringing in a great salary in my full time position and had hundreds of students in my classes. I left my job and the minute I did the pressure to now make art my full-time income became more and more crushing. Each year, the numbers were less and less and then the pandemic hit and everyone and their mother was teaching an e-course. I feel like I am always scrambling to get back to that good place again. Maybe I need to be on YouTube, Skillshare, Udemy, Patreon? So many options.
My husband lost his job in November and the pressure feels even more intense. In fact, I start a new part-time job on Monday in the educational field which could lead to more and I am excited because having this income will help ease this need to be a full time creative who is making use of all of the content in my classes.
After reading, Refuse To Choose, I now have a thorough understanding that I am a Scanner and someone who likes to try many things and then move on. But, after listening to you, I know that I will end up with burnout again if I keep at this pace. So, today, I am going through my goal-setting lists and span it out over two years.....and will not open the new course in June, but when it is finished and maybe sometime in the summer. I definitely want to zoom out and I want to thank you once again. I don't want to land in therapy again or suffer overwhelm. I will definitely read or listen to Cal's book. Sounds like another phenomenal read.
I'm exactly the same. I realize more and more that I never truly healed my burnout, I just recovered enough to brush myself off and start running again... 🙄 And running in a million directions, because how can you know what will work and what won't... I'm trying to limit myself by thinking about, not what I -could- or -should- do, but about a) what's feeling easy and pleasurable, and b) where am I getting the best results. That excludes at least some intrusive ideas. 😅
Thank you, by the way, for all of your comments. I love getting your perspective and experiences. Feel like we're kindred spirits. 🙏🏻
I love this line: ...because how can you know what will work and what won't - Amen! That's why I must have 20 ideas in my Trello board.
I started to read Cal's newest book, which is funny because having all of these resources to read sometimes gives me more pressure. I now find myself saying, "When will I find time to read this book?"
BUT, today I start a new job and will be in meetings with other human beings - LOL - being an artist can feel very isolating. My husband is not working at the moment and we've been sharing the same space since the Pandemic. By the way, he also did Nanowrimo after attending Tony Robbin's Date With Destiny. He's been in the process of writing a book for as long as we've been together - 17 years!
All morning, I've been setting up a new computer and email and begin this new position in a couple of hours with team meetings for a few hours. This is all very new to me and I feel Imposter Syndrome rearing its ugly, ugly head. But, I do keep this quote by Adam Grant nearby: Imposter syndrome says, "I don't know what I'm doing. Its only a matter of time until everyone finds out." Growth mindset says, "I don't know what I'm doing yet. It's only a matter of time until I figure it out." This new position, will require about 10 hours a week for the next six weeks and then there are other possibilities for career growth. Here I am at 69 talking about career growth. Amazing. And, as you noted in your podcast, it is good to have both a job and work as a creative. It takes pressure off of my creative business and this new position.
I am going teach another class in alcohol inks because this is where I began and I still have 1800 people on my email list - many of whom were in one or several of my courses and I am excited to see how all of my subsequent knowledge in other mediums has influence my alcohol ink art.
My plan so far is to think about easier ways to make this happen. I want to make sure that whatever I create brings me joy, that it is small and doable without tons of content (which I used to believe was my "brand" - but, I am shedding that label, too), that I am not rushing anything, and to keep front and center that my ultimate goal is student success and not overwhelm. It does bring me joy to be reaching my students from my alcohol ink courses again and to feel their trust in me as their guide.
Working in a brand new job will definitely force me to go slow. Also, I sent out my email about the possibility of offering a course called Beyond The Horizon: Abstract Landscapes in Alcohol Ink and already got responses from former student that they would sign up. I love that and it gets me excited, but I truly want to learn from the burnout last year and not continue on that same path.
I truly appreciate hearing your calm voice and perspective, too. It definitely helps me not feel alone in my thoughts. Thanks.
UPDATE: I wrote this before my meetings and I now actually have an idea of ALL that I need to learn in my new job. My head is exploding, in a good way, so let's just say that there will be no planning for an online course any time soon :).
I have a little question for the Q&A : You have a background in games, what games inspires you, what have you done for games ? What kind of games do you enjoy playing? ( any of these hahah just cool to hear about, unless you have already talked about it in an older post somewhere)
And as always youre truly instilling a sense of calm in me i never thought id feel as a creative, everything u recommend, now like the cal newport book and other things on other posts, i wonder where theyve been all my life, im grateful i found you hahah.
Added book to cart , and one day , i hope to add whatever novels you write too, to cart :)
Louise, once again, I felt myself saying, "How does she know this is exactly how I feel?" I actually pulled my car over so that I could have uninterrupted time alone to listen to your words. After my complete burnout last year, from all of the types of experiences you mentioned, once I started back up again, I felt like I hadn't learned any lessons at all. In fact, I am going at warp speed now. My Trello goal-setting list for the year just keeps getting longer and longer. How much could I possible pack into the next quarter, the quarter after that, and how can I end the year? Every time I get a new idea that I want to try, I add it to the list. Yesterday, after playing again in alcohol inks, my first love, I decided - hell, time to teach another class. An email went out to 1800 people getting them ready for this new course and I put on my goal-setting list - open the course on June 1st. I just opened a course on March 7th. I have this feeling that I have to do a thousand things because I am multipassionate and because unlike you, I am 69, my time is getting shorter. You are so right that when you've been this type of person for many years, anything less feels like you are lazy and not living up to your potential. After my PhD at 59, I felt that I could do anything and I pretty much did. My to do list every day gets longer and longer and I am starting to feel trapped in my own hell.
I had another big aha moment when you spoke about working full time and have your creative gig on the side. I worked full time for five years when I discovered I had a talent for creating and teaching art and would have the most joyful time of exploration playing with alcohol inks. In fact, I taught classes as well as worked full time and I never felt overwhelmed. I was bringing in a great salary in my full time position and had hundreds of students in my classes. I left my job and the minute I did the pressure to now make art my full-time income became more and more crushing. Each year, the numbers were less and less and then the pandemic hit and everyone and their mother was teaching an e-course. I feel like I am always scrambling to get back to that good place again. Maybe I need to be on YouTube, Skillshare, Udemy, Patreon? So many options.
My husband lost his job in November and the pressure feels even more intense. In fact, I start a new part-time job on Monday in the educational field which could lead to more and I am excited because having this income will help ease this need to be a full time creative who is making use of all of the content in my classes.
After reading, Refuse To Choose, I now have a thorough understanding that I am a Scanner and someone who likes to try many things and then move on. But, after listening to you, I know that I will end up with burnout again if I keep at this pace. So, today, I am going through my goal-setting lists and span it out over two years.....and will not open the new course in June, but when it is finished and maybe sometime in the summer. I definitely want to zoom out and I want to thank you once again. I don't want to land in therapy again or suffer overwhelm. I will definitely read or listen to Cal's book. Sounds like another phenomenal read.
I'm exactly the same. I realize more and more that I never truly healed my burnout, I just recovered enough to brush myself off and start running again... 🙄 And running in a million directions, because how can you know what will work and what won't... I'm trying to limit myself by thinking about, not what I -could- or -should- do, but about a) what's feeling easy and pleasurable, and b) where am I getting the best results. That excludes at least some intrusive ideas. 😅
Thank you, by the way, for all of your comments. I love getting your perspective and experiences. Feel like we're kindred spirits. 🙏🏻
I love this line: ...because how can you know what will work and what won't - Amen! That's why I must have 20 ideas in my Trello board.
I started to read Cal's newest book, which is funny because having all of these resources to read sometimes gives me more pressure. I now find myself saying, "When will I find time to read this book?"
BUT, today I start a new job and will be in meetings with other human beings - LOL - being an artist can feel very isolating. My husband is not working at the moment and we've been sharing the same space since the Pandemic. By the way, he also did Nanowrimo after attending Tony Robbin's Date With Destiny. He's been in the process of writing a book for as long as we've been together - 17 years!
All morning, I've been setting up a new computer and email and begin this new position in a couple of hours with team meetings for a few hours. This is all very new to me and I feel Imposter Syndrome rearing its ugly, ugly head. But, I do keep this quote by Adam Grant nearby: Imposter syndrome says, "I don't know what I'm doing. Its only a matter of time until everyone finds out." Growth mindset says, "I don't know what I'm doing yet. It's only a matter of time until I figure it out." This new position, will require about 10 hours a week for the next six weeks and then there are other possibilities for career growth. Here I am at 69 talking about career growth. Amazing. And, as you noted in your podcast, it is good to have both a job and work as a creative. It takes pressure off of my creative business and this new position.
I am going teach another class in alcohol inks because this is where I began and I still have 1800 people on my email list - many of whom were in one or several of my courses and I am excited to see how all of my subsequent knowledge in other mediums has influence my alcohol ink art.
My plan so far is to think about easier ways to make this happen. I want to make sure that whatever I create brings me joy, that it is small and doable without tons of content (which I used to believe was my "brand" - but, I am shedding that label, too), that I am not rushing anything, and to keep front and center that my ultimate goal is student success and not overwhelm. It does bring me joy to be reaching my students from my alcohol ink courses again and to feel their trust in me as their guide.
Working in a brand new job will definitely force me to go slow. Also, I sent out my email about the possibility of offering a course called Beyond The Horizon: Abstract Landscapes in Alcohol Ink and already got responses from former student that they would sign up. I love that and it gets me excited, but I truly want to learn from the burnout last year and not continue on that same path.
I truly appreciate hearing your calm voice and perspective, too. It definitely helps me not feel alone in my thoughts. Thanks.
UPDATE: I wrote this before my meetings and I now actually have an idea of ALL that I need to learn in my new job. My head is exploding, in a good way, so let's just say that there will be no planning for an online course any time soon :).
I have a little question for the Q&A : You have a background in games, what games inspires you, what have you done for games ? What kind of games do you enjoy playing? ( any of these hahah just cool to hear about, unless you have already talked about it in an older post somewhere)
And as always youre truly instilling a sense of calm in me i never thought id feel as a creative, everything u recommend, now like the cal newport book and other things on other posts, i wonder where theyve been all my life, im grateful i found you hahah.
Added book to cart , and one day , i hope to add whatever novels you write too, to cart :)
And thank you again for your insightful podcast 💖
Yaaaaay! I would love to talk about that. 😊
And thank you so much for those words. 🖤🙏🏻