The Rookie Asks: Preventing Burn Out?

Echoing the echo of the "variety" statement.

I quit the biz a quarter of a century ago because I got bored outa my mind.

So I joined the Army.

Going back the other way now. But man-oh-man, having to deal with know-nothing, been-nowhere, no- or wrong-priorities, under-educated freaking kids who want everything NOW...

It's only the younguns here who give me any hope at all...so far, you guys are aberrations. The ones I've met in person...sheesh...just wanna strangle them.
 
Wow from your avatar (that you used to have) you didn't look old enough to have quit anything 25 years ago -- except elementary school maybe.
 
The long hair in a white shirt one? (I assume you don't mean the Llama) That was my had-to-send-to-college photo-for-their-records pic. All of 18 in that one. :grin:
 
Dizkoteck said:
My burnout comes from my quote below. Thank god Im making more money at the GAP than I do filmmaking.
__________________
Janitors: $15-25 an hour, full benefits and dental

Director of Photography: UNPAID but food, transportation will be provided and loads of experience while producer laughs all the way to the bank.
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This is funny, because as soon as I saw this thread I thought of a friend who used to do film/video ..some prety big stuff, like commercials for Toyota. I don't know the exact reason but i guess he got tired of it. So now he's a high school janitor - spends a couple of hours a day walking around with a mop and his mp3 player, and cuts grass in a local cemetery during the summer. and all winter he skies. - all day, every day. Hell, if that's how i'm going to burn out in, then fine by me!

- Mikko
 
Great advice, guys! DVXUSER has certainly helped with my burnout. The zombie contest was the first creative filmmaking effort I'd made in a long time. I am sooooo getting burned out at NBC (9 years at the same show), and this was my DREAM job!
 
NBCshooter said:
I am sooooo getting burned out at NBC (9 years at the same show), and this was my DREAM job!
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That's EXACTLY what I was getting at when I was talking about the importance of finding a hobby.
For many of us pursuing our 'dream' jobs took up so much of our free time in the past that we never developed hobbies (at least I know that was the case with me).

I used to think hobbies were a waste of time, now I realize it's a wonderful tool to keep your sanity.
There is a lot of relaxation and fun in doing something just for the sake of doing it.
 
Burnout is a condition of having used up your inspiration. We all draw from our own pool of creative energy, and large projects can diminish those resources. In a philosophy class in college we read "The Artist's Way." In the book the author discusses ways of "filling the pool," or recharging those creative batteries.

How can we "fill the pool"? Go to the art museum or a concert. Listen to the orchestra. Go kayaking on a quiet river. Cook a gourmet meal. As others have mentioned, hobbies are a wonderful way to fill the pool. Chopping vegetables, for example, is a repetitive yet creative activity. When you're doing it, you're not thinking about anything else. These types of activities are really nourishing to the brain--almost like meditation. Painting a house, exercising, etc.

I'm sure you can think of your own ways to "fill the pool." But as Luis mentioned, it should be something that doesn't require perfection; it should be leisurely and relaxing.
 
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