When I first started working as a professional Graphic Designer 20 years ago, in the early 2000's, things were different. No one talked about mental wellness. No one really talked about physical wellness. If you were fighting a cold you came in and toughed it out. If you had the flu you stayed home––but only because of your unwanted germs.
There was no such thing as mental health days. You could take "personal days" (usually two per year) which were basically mental health days––but I always felt weird taking them, even when I was burned out and creatively numb. It made me feel weak.
When my mom was working 30 years ago in the 1990's, there were no "personal days" just sick days. Her terrible, micromanaging, warden of a boss would call the house over and over whenever she took a sick day, just to make sure she was actually home AND physically sick (which she always was, likely because she wasn't ever able to take a mental health day).
When my dad was working 40 years ago in the 1980's, you just went to work no matter what. If someone died, you left an hour early for the funeral services. You came into the office late if your wife had a baby that morning, or if you had to drive her to the hospital for a surgery. Put-your-job-first was the expectation. My dad absolutely hated it and job-hopped a lot because of it, hoping to find a better work-life-balance somewhere else. There was nowhere else. Work-life-balance simply didn't exist.
Things have certainly changed since then, but have they changed enough?
I think what employers fail to recognize is that mental wellness is just as important than physical wellness––especially for those in creative fields where jobs require constant idea generation and a brain that is sharp, engaged, and ready to innovate.
Creatives need to be able to continue doing what they love without fearing the inevitable burnout. If you're in a role that is slowing wearing you down, don't let the stress of this current situation dictate your creative future.
Don't let it stop you from growing.
Don't allow it to dull your creative spark and dissolve all the reasons you went down this career path to begin with. And if you need help unearthing those reasons, finding your voice, and steering yourself back on course, please message me. I want to help. It's what I live to do, and what I do every single day. And I'd love nothing more than to do it for you.