Additional menu

FreshSpectrum - Data Design

Learn graphic design, data storytelling, qualitative visualization, UX design, and other stuff they don't teach you in grad school.

Flirting with Burnout

Flirting with Burnout

This is one of those oversharing kinds of blog posts filled with me being vulnerable. If you don’t like reading about people’s feelings, please feel free to skip this post.

I love my work.

  • As a consultant I get the chance to work with amazing clients doing work that feels right.  
  • Since I have no boss, I have almost complete control over my schedule.
  • I absolutely love teaching information design and helping data people rediscover their creative passions. 
  • And to top it off, I get to draw cartoons.

But I also struggle.  

  • My creative brain has a way of leading me down rabbit hole after rabbit hole, even when deadlines approach (or especially when deadlines approach).
  • I have a strong desire to help everyone with everything.  And I seek out problems even if I have things I need to get done for myself, my job, or my family.
  • I also cope with regular bouts of anxiety and depression.

When burnout approaches.

It’s now been over six and a half years since I first left the comforts of a stable full time job for the freedom and instability of an independent business.  And over that time I’ve learned a lot more about myself.

I’ve also started to become more aware of the signs of a potential burnout.  And I’ve noticed a few lately.

  • My process starts to break down, and my self-imposed deadlines on things like blog posts and email newsletters start to slide.
  • I feel more exhausted, even though my sleep schedule hasn’t changed.
  • Procrastination, which is always a struggle, becomes even more so.
  • And self-doubt increases.  

Unlike professions such as health care or social work, however, burnout often carries a stigma when it comes to the fields of photography, design, and other professions dismissed by many in the outside world as fun hobbies rather than actual work. In truth, attitudes like these only make recognizing and overcoming burnout all the more challenging, and potentially increase the mental health risks for creative professionals.

How to Combat Creative Burnout

Something’s gotta give.

I’ve decided to take preemptive action to free up some time and mental space.

What I’m keeping

  • I’ll still draw cartoons. It’s fun and therapeutic.  Cartoons help me to create a deeper connection with others in the evaluation world.  
  • I’ll still share those cartoons on LinkedIn.  I love the comments and conversation that they bring.
  • I’ll still write blog posts. Writing for this blog gives me energy and rarely ever feels like a drag.
  • I’ll still be working hard for my current clients.  This is important work and sustains my business.
  • I’ll still be leading the information design academy. This is a passion project that I still dream will one day be my primary thing.  I love it more than anything else I do.

What I’m dropping.

Patreon.  

I love that people support my comics, and my patrons have helped me to power through past struggles.  But Patreon also makes me feel like I’m not doing enough for those that support my work.

This is not based on demands made by my Patrons, because they have been one of the most supportive groups in my life.  But my own feelings are that in order to do Patreon right, I need to put time into building a community and providing continuous value just for my supporters.

It creates a pressure. And I always feel like I’m failing my patrons. And as much as I don’t want to, I feel like I need to let the service go.  So from now on, if you would like to support me and my comics, consider joining my information design academy (or share my academy with your friends and colleagues). 

And if you are currently, or have been in the past, one of my patrons.  Thank you for all the support, it has meant so much. 

Barriers to my Information Design Academy.

I’ve been trying to follow a specific model for my information design academy.  It involves opening quarterly with cohorts and using an application for enrollment.

But as much as I see the potential value in these approaches, they also don’t work for me.  Mostly because they add barriers.  They also add extra administrative work.

Every person who has taken the time to apply for my information design academy has been awesome, each in their own way.  I want every one of them to join the academy if they want, when they want.

I’m also impatient.  I want them to be able to join now if they’d like, or whenever they need it.  I also know that I can help onboard anyone as we go, and the group is very likely to remain small enough to keep that personal touch.

And if it does start to get larger (which I would like) I have the space to schedule more live sessions to keep up the conversations and personal support.

So, I’m taking down the barriers. 

The academy is going to be cheaper again. $599 each year or $179 each quarter. There is a discount and a scholarship if you need to pay less.  I put the coupon codes on the actual registration page so they are impossible to miss.

You can join anytime.  And if you join and don’t think it’s actually right for you, tell me and I’ll give you your money back. You can learn more about the academy here.

The feeling that I need more clients.

My big CDC contract goes through the fall.  And I’ll admit that I am a bit anxious as to what will happen when the cooperative agreement expires.  I should know sometime in the spring what the future may hold.

But for the moment, I’m fine.  I could add zero more clients between now and September and continue to be financially stable.  

I’m tired of letting my fear of an uncertain future rule my present.  So I’m going to try to let it go.

Now for you.

Writing this post made me feel nervous.  It was a whole lot of personal oversharing and will likely lead to a bunch of unsubscribes.

But I know from years of occasional oversharing that this kind of post is valuable.  Because you might also be at risk of burnout.  And sometimes it’s good to know that you’re not alone.

While I appreciate your support, there are many others out there who need it more than I do.  I’ll be okay.  While I’m flirting with burnout, I think I can keep it at bay.

But if you’re flirting with burnout, I hope this post helps you in some small way. Pay attention to the signs and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Thank you for your bravery in sharing. Taking stock and clarifying what works for you is always good.
    You are appreciated.

      • Chris,
        I like the reassessment you made, AND your vulnerability. Sharing personal stories helps others know they’re not alone, and lends others a virtual hug.
        I appreciate the problem you helped me solve shortly after I discovered your site. I hope you keep feeding your creative brain. Your cartoons and blog are fun in a field that feels too linear at times. Keep embracing your complexity and follow your intuition for the next phase of career.
        You’re a great human! Wishing you ease and peace of mind.

  2. Thank you, Chris. Keep doing what you enjoy and know how fortunate you are to have work fueled by your passions.

  3. Thank you for starting an open and honest conversation around burn out, and personal capacity, passions, and commitments. The signs of burnout can be easy to ignore, until they aren’t, and even when recognized it can be difficult to step back, take stock, and make informed decisions without emotions clouding the view for next steps. Great work on distilling your pain points down to some actionable items to improve how you are feeling.

  4. Wow, Chris, what an incredible piece of writing from your heart! You are an example of self-care, self-love, and bravery. Thank you so much for that, and for your humor and talent. Perhaps I’ll see you one day in the academy. All my very best to you!

  5. Hey Chris, congrats on being vulnerable in public. It’s hard to do for sure! I can relate to the struggles you mention. Lot of us have them. ? I think you’ll find a lot of support among the people who have been here for you. I’ll always remember your help when I first started blogging! ?

  6. I don’t agree when you mention that you could get people unsubscribing from your blog. This type of writing increases awareness that we all are exposed to burnout and tend to think that other people deal with or cope better with their own issues way better than us. What a big lie. We all have our concerns, and as 2023 takes off as a rough year ahead in terms of workload, let’s keep in mind that everything comes and goes. Everything is impermanent.
    Thank you for your frankness, Chris.

  7. I absolutely love and appreciate this. Burnout is a dangerous course and you seem to have caught yourself before it was inevitable or too late. I did not (twice, I’m sad to say) and the climb back out from it is difficult. I appreciate your work, your humor and your whole approach to what you offer to the world. I hope that the response to this post is everything you need, which may include losing people who can’t deal on this level. This post helps us connect to our shared humanity and how all of us struggle sometimes, whether we admit and share it or not. Thanks for being an example for all of us in the sharing.

    • Thanks Christine! Third time’s a charm. I can definitely point to a couple other burnout moments I definitely did not catch in time.
      🙂

  8. Chris, thank you for this. I want you to know that the title and explicit reference to vulnerability made me MORE likely to click than perhaps exclusively design focused blogs (which I certainly visit as time allows & depending on the topic). I crave what’s real and acknowledging our humanity more in our over-worked and Instagram-filtered world. SO whenever you go there, I’m right with you!

    This particularly resonated for me “I have a strong desire to help everyone with everything. And I seek out problems even if I have things I need to get done for myself, my job, or my family.” I’m in a PhD program with endless tasks to do, but still find more meaning in the moments I get to help someone (unpaid) even in small ways, perhaps like sending this message to you! I admire your self-awareness to acknowledge your needs (and what you really like!) and bravery to create new boundaries. And of course the willingness to share openly your process so we can all learn from it! Many thanks. (PS- I always thought it was ironic how people don’t REALLY want a real answer when they ask “how are you?” Such a weird norm and well played here!)

  9. I knew I liked you, Chris. 🙂 Thank you for this vulnerable and very relatable post. I so respect how you continue to tailor your career to your personal needs and talents. I hope to join you in the Academy at some point this year!

  10. Chris, I’ve followed your work for years. You are amazing. Thanks for sharing this post. I’m LESS likely to unsubscribe.
    Thanks also for modelling positive steps to take when things feel like they’re might be going wonky. We need more authenticity and understanding in the world – and your work brings us more of what we need.

  11. Your cartoons always make me smile. Having been in evaluation for close to two decades, I can relate to the many situations you create cartoons out of! Your humor is a wonderful antidote to those frustrations one feels in an evaluation career. I appreciate your candor in sharing openly about burnout. I have felt close to burnout in the past and also, sort of guilty about feeling that way being a knowledge worker. I had to give myself permission to pause in order to replenish and put life in perspective. I am glad you are recognizing when you need to take that time pre-emptively.

  12. Thanks so much for sharing this Chris! There is so much hustle culture in the evaluation and research space. Even though logically I know I can’t be the only one struggling to do it all, it’s helpful to hear that others have their limits as well 🙂

  13. Thank you for sharing this, Chris. Your analysis of what you love and how you struggle seems very close to my heart and, oh, going down those rabbit holes. I just spent an hour “helping” someone improve something they didn’t even ask about… oops. You are wise to see where you can cut back and to do it before burning out. I suspect that your share will help many of your readers.

  14. Thank you! There are so many parallels with my own situation and several close friends/colleagues that I just had to comment. Most helpfully, you’ve shared what you intend to do next – that is what makes your post here so powerful. I’ve only recently discovered your work, which is excellent! and I feel even more confident that you’re a great guy, with great intentions.

    Keep doing what you do – you’re making a difference.

  15. This is probably one of the most important posts I ever read from you. When no vulnerability is shared, we (at least I) tend to think that someone’s professional life runs seamlessly, which also tends to be far from the truth. Thank you so munch for sharing how you are feeling. As I am sure many more feel similarly (I do!) this will likely strengthen this amazing community rather than “lead to a bunch of unsubscribes”. Wishing you all the best always.

  16. I love a your posts, i.e. your special approach and sure, the cartoons – they are are full of love and humor, kind and wise – very very valuable – thnx very much! Ines

  17. Chris,
    I have loved your cartoons for many years. I lead an evaluation department in a school district for many years and we used and enjoyed your cartoons; I continue to do so in my new work. You always manage to capture exactly what is in our heads and make us feel part of a larger group, going through the same things! One of my favorite cartoons that I just shared recently is the evaluator’s multitasking cartoon. My folks thought it was hysterical because it is so true! Thanks for all you have done to make us feel seen and heard. I look forward to continuing to follow you on your journey! Thanks so much! Holly

  18. Chris,
    Your cartoons and philosophy behind them are such inspiration – I’ve shared them with many colleagues and friends! Thank you for making them and thank you for also for taking the time and courage to share these ‘behind the scenes’ struggles!
    Wishing you tonns of creative energy to continue with your great work and making these wise choices when it comes to setting your priorities/boundaries!

  19. Chris, your post is yet another example of your professional generosity. Many thanks for all content you have made available to us. I’ve been proud to support you on Patreon and will continue to follow you through other channels. Wishing you all the best, all ways…Sal

  20. Thank you so much for this post. It’s so familiar. I’ve learned a lot about burnout in the last 30 years. Being aware of the need for a change and having a plan as you do, do make a difference. For the anxiety and/or ADHD, medication really does help.
    Finally, when is the last time you had a vacation? I know it’s hard to catch up when you come back, but especially these days, we all need breaks.

  21. Chris, I’ve always appreciated your cartoons and blog posts. I often include them and reference them when I train non-evaluators in evaluation basics. 🙂

    This post was SO relatable and validating. I’ve been an evaluator for a few years, but still feel isolated at times (the anxiety and depression certainly doesn’t help!). Your pragmatic approach to matters that are difficult and “squishy” is so refreshing. Thank you so much for your vulnerability and sharing! It means a lot.

    Best wishes,
    Genevieve

  22. Thank you SO much for this post, Chris. It’s really valuable to have you share where you’re at and model our human-ness. It’s also really powerful to have a model for how someone handles flirting with burnout besides just ‘mindfulness’ and ‘sleep’ but actually tangible things you are doing in your workplace to make your life better. Thank you very much for sharing.