Recently, I was listening to a guitar-oriented podcast and the host started talking about how YouTube content creators are quitting their jobs due to burnout. It reminded me that I’ve heard this idea of burnout in almost every job I’ve worked. It seems to be couched in a concern for the person working too hard. I can’t say I’m totally sold on this phenomenon, hence this blog. Almost every time I have heard burnout mentioned in conversation, a solution is not mentioned. It’s like burnout is an inevitable, chronic, degenerative condition from which you’ll never recover. The general statement is: “You’d better take some time off before you burn-out.”
The term burnout was coined in 1970 by an American psychologist. In general, burnout has been defined as severe, chronic stress combined with high ideals that are not being managed successfully, often leading to a feeling of an inability to cope.
The concept of stress is not new, yet it has more and more negative connotations over the past 50 years or so, being connected to poor mental health or physical ailments. Stress is a natural part of any organism’s life. When researchers try and create a stress-free environment for laboratory mice, the mice die. Stress, or the challenges life places in our path, helps us grow and evolve. The term “eustress” was created to describe normal stress that has benefits. We could say “distress” is the kind of stress that causes harm. Now comes the question: are certain things inherently distressful, or do we simply experience them that way? It is clear, in my own life, that I have coping strategies - some of which are useful, and some of which are not; some are effective, some are not. Is it really our lack of skills around coping well, making choices (however hard) that benefit us, and taking responsibility for our lives that leads us to feeling helpless and burnt-out?
In the case of the aforementioned YouTube content creators, I think it was a mental block, or way of thinking, that was causing burnout. Given the forum to do so, most people will complain about their life choices instead of take responsibility and do something to better their situation. The modern world is full of these places to complain and have people agree with you, often stagnating any growth or change. Have we created the idea of burnout so that we can make decisions in our life we somehow couldn’t make until we burn-out? Is burnout a socially-accepted excuse to draw some boundaries, move to another job, or leave a passion project?
One source states: “Possible causes [of burnout] include feeling either permanently overworked or under-challenged, being under time pressure, or having conflicts with colleagues. [Burnout can also result from] extreme commitment that results in people neglecting their own needs.”
We often conceptualize burnout as the overworking disease, but have we considered that it might come from feeling “under-challenged” or having conflicts with colleagues? It brings up the question: “What makes a thriving human being?” It seems we want to do what we’re passionate about, have good balance in activities in our life, enjoy our life without feeling that it’s drudgery, and have good relationships with others.
What does burnout mean to you? How does it apply to luthiery? Is it a problematic idea? What are possible antidotes or solutions? As a luthier myself, I have identified the challenges of 1. working for yourself (and all that comes with that), 2. interacting with peers, family, friends, 3. knowing where you’re going and what you want (in your personal and professional life), 4. knowing where your boundaries are around certain things and asserting them, and 5. learning skills to cope with setbacks that will inevitably occur in our personal and professional lives.
So often, I hear the story of a luthier who gets started and has conflicts with their family about how much time they are spending on their newfound passion. Some luthiers feel so disconnected from and judged by others in the field that they isolate themselves from community - and some give up. Others are amazing artists who don’t exactly have the gumption to get themselves out there into the world and share their work, even though they want to.
Where do you feel you get stuck? If we see life as a winding road full of exciting challenges, we have a much better approach to not getting burnt-out. If we can identify what we want, and where we’re headed, while managing our time and our relationships, little-to-nothing can stop us.
The High Desert Luthiery Invitational is an event devoted to providing an encouraging atmosphere of interaction between peers in the industry and with potential patrons. It seeks to provide an exciting environment that luthiers, other creators, musicians, and visitors feel inspired in. Inspiration and excitement about our lives and purpose are the wings to fly up and away from burn-out.
