i wanted to talk briefly about how burnt out on art i am and how important it is to moderate the amount of time you spend changing your hobby into work but u know what, im too burnt out to even do that. suffice to say, dont turn every hobby you have into a job. it sucks.

its been four months since ive been able to draw anything. i cant even draw for myself. thinking about drawing now sends me into a spiralling panic instead of being something i do bc it feels good and makes me happy.

it just feels bad! i didnt want it to become this horrible thing that i dread doing and yet simultaneously crave. it feels like im losing my mind. i dont wanna be dramatique but yall really do not take burnout seriously and im here to beg you to please take it very seriously.

PLEASE for the love of god moderate the amount of art you do for money. i understand that its difficult to do when youre poor and struggling and its your only form of income, but it is SO important to take breaks and let yourself rest.

i chugged along aggressively for years doing commissions and trying to keep my head above water with bills, i tried so hard to turn my craft into something marketable. capitalism got me, y'all. my drive to draw is dead.

will i ever draw again? yea, probably, but idk when thats going to be. i am broken, now. like, physically and mentally, i am busted. there is a wall where there wasn't one before and i am too fucking tired to even attempt climbing it.

i know i have a very supportive audience and im deeply thankful for how wonderful and kind and understanding everybody has been, and how very patient my clients have been. i am doing my best to squeeze blood from a stone at this point.

pls dont fucking do this to yourself. please. just take a step back, pick a week where you don't create for income, and just. veg. do nothing. garden. take some walks. enjoy nature. talk to your friends. stop treating yourself like a machine.

hustle culture is so fucking shitty. dont fall prey to the idea that you have to produce content constantly or else you cease to have a purpose. i am slowly unlearning that and boy fucking howdy is it hard. my therapist probably wants to commit me.

like, dgmw. im fine? i have a job, im refunding clients as i can with my income from my vet job. people have been very gracious with me. i am keeping my bills paid. i am chugging along. but lord i miss drawing for myself.

idk how to end this thread. just dont turn yourself into a productivity machine. you will suffer for it and you will burn out and it will hurt. please be good to yourself and take breaks. that is all.