Woefully wonderful

It's okay to not always enjoy the job that you love

Hello lovely souls,

let me paint a picture for you (figuratively and literally)…

It’s 6.42pm on a Wednesday evening and I'm tidying bits and bobs of unfinished tasks. Ugly sketches scattered across the studio. Half written emails to clients wait patiently in my draft folder. Paint residues splattered across my desk. Footage clips glow on my desktop screen, screaming to be edited and shared. I let out a huge sigh of disappoint, slump back in my desk chair and question “what have I actually done this week?” as I stare at my unticked to-do list until it becomes blurry.

Normal

Anyone that loves what they do for a living is often met with feelings of guilt and apprehension when we speak of the frustrating or unproductive days. We get to do what we love so shouldn’t we feel wonderful all the time?

When I speak to folk who have “normal” jobs, they often head to work filled with lacklustre, filling their day distracting colleagues with gossip, opening then swiftly closing their WhatsApp tab when their boss comes over. Some days are met with sheer boredom, some with pressures but, on average 2 out of the 5 working days are met with a case of CBA (can’t be arsed). Perhaps the stable pay-check defuses the feelings of guilt that comes with a lack of productivity. Or perhaps the boss breathing down their neck holds them accountable even when motivation is at zero.

All this to say, doing a job that doesn’t feel like work doesn’t always help dismiss feelings of cba.

Creative conundrum

When you create for a living it truly is woefully wonderful. Much of who we are and how we feel is expressed through our ability to create. When your income relies on that, it becomes a complex relationship. A creative conundrum.

There really is no answer, solution or fix to this feeling (if there is please do share with me…thanking you). It’s a weird wave that you just have to ride out.

Alas, not all is completely airy fairy. Don’t fret about your career choices just yet. Here are a few methods I’ve found helpful after many (and I mean many) downward spirals. On the days I just cannot-be-arsed I like to implement one of the following:

• Itty bitty tasks. They might lack priority but they build up and clutter your desk/brain. A sneaky little method to trick your brain into doing more than you might’ve.

• One thing. Focussing on one task for the day. That’s all. Nothing else in-between. Trust me this one is good for noisy anxious brains.

• I want to as opposed to I need to. Forcing yourself to do unenjoyable tasks when you’re already not feeling it, well that’s a recipe for resentment. It’s not only good for your soul but good for your to-do list.

• Walk away. Sounds so silly but sometimes the most productive thing we can do is walk away for a bit.

I felt like I needed to remind myself of this…and normally when I need the reminder somebody out there probably needs it too.

The painting you see in this post was created in a week of complete and utter cba. I used my I want to method. It’s wasn’t a priority, nor did it turn out exactly how I wanted, but I knew creating something was better than nothing.

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Trickery

After, what felt like trying to run in mud, purely relying on my CBA methods to trick my brain into getting stuff done… I’m glad to say it worked! annnd I captured it all in real time, which you can watch here if ya like.

To anyone who supports me across various platforms I cannot thank you enough…you were, without realising, my motive to keep going.

Shoppy bits

You’re human. You’re not going to be prolifically productive every-single-day. It’s okay if it doesn’t feel enjoyable constantly! Rest assured, you’re probably doing more than you give yourself credit for.

Until next time,