英文原文
Avoiding Maker Burnout - The Ceramic School
As creative individuals, we are always full of new goals for our ceramic business — whether it’s aiming for a certain level of sales, getting that new website up and running, starting a newsletter, or all of the above! We love what we do and we want to succeed at making pottery our living. Running a ceramics business is no small feat, and as artists we often find ourselves wearing many hats; we’re product designers and makers, marketers and accountants, one-person shipping departments, and more. And while all of these things are necessary for success and managing them all can give us greater control over the direction of our business, if not balanced effectively they can lead to maker burnout.
In today’s article we’re going to discuss just what burnout is, and offer some handy tips to avoid it so you can continue to enjoy your practice! What exactly is burnout anyways? You may have heard this term thrown about quite a bit in the media as of late. It’s no surprise given the precarious economic climate and the neverending pressures (both socially and economically) to be productive. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) burnout is at an all-time high across numerous professions, spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the potent mix of personal, professional, and health-related stress.
Most of us understand that burnout is a form of exhaustion, but in order to avoid this harmful condition, it’s important to recognize that it is not quite so simple. Burnout is actually a syndrome recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an ‘occupational phenomenon’. It results from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, and it is characterized by three dimensions: * Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, * Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job, * Reduced professional efficacy, including increased procrastination, taking longer to do tasks, and increased self-doubt surrounding your working abilities.
Crucially, the effects of burnout go far beyond your work situation. While your work may suffer, burnout can extend into every part of your life and drastically increase the likelihood of a variety of serious medical conditions. These can include the development of anxiety, insomnia, or depression, as well as increasing the risk for physical illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart problems, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Causes of Burnout: We mentioned that burnout is the result of prolonged workplace stress, but what are the specific causes of such stress? Often it’s caused by a combination of factors at work, including things such as challenging workplace relationships, financial stress, long hours, lack of workplace support systems, hazardous working conditions, and more. This state of stress can be compounded by stresses outside of work, such as caregiving responsibilities, poor health, or relationship challenges.
As self-employed workers, ceramic artists face a number of known work-place stresses. These include a very high workload, isolation, financial instability, and a high level of responsibility across a range of roles. We also commonly face the social stigma that goes along with being artists, where it is expected that we will be poor, that our work isn’t ‘real’ work, and that our prices are not justified. These factors add the extra pressure of justifying what we do to our families, community, and broader society.
How to Avoid Burnout as a Ceramic Artist: While it’s important to recognize the risks and symptoms of burnout, don’t let the fear of it add to your stress! Knowing what symptoms to watch for, along with implementing a few simple strategies, can help you avoid it. Life will always throw us some curveballs, so it’s impossible to avoid stress completely, but by following these tips you can reduce your risk of burnout and maintain your enthusiasm for your ceramics career.
1. Delegate: As we mentioned at the top of this article, it’s very common for us to take on many roles to run our ceramics business. In addition to making and designing our work, we are grant writers, educators, accountants, advertisers, social media managers, and more! Few other businesses operate this way, but within the art world it has become common practice, often to the detriment of our health. We often use our lack of financial resources to talk ourselves out of paying for support, but this isn’t necessarily the best long-term strategy for our health, or even from a practical business standpoint. If you are feeling pulled in too many directions, have a look at the structure of your business to find tasks that you can pass on to others.
In her 30 Days Workshop as part of the Ceramic School’s Business Conference, Naomi Clement refers to her practice of identifying areas of genius, excellence, and incompetence as a means of deciding how to delegate. Your areas of excellence are the things you are uniquely talented at, and these are the places you should invest the most energy. Your areas of incompetence, on the other hand, are areas where you lack skill, training, or enjoyment. These latter areas are where you should begin to outsource your labor, as they will be particularly draining and stressful. For many artists this can look like hiring an accountant, a website designer/manager, or working with a gallery rather than doing direct sales.
2. Set Boundaries: As artists, it’s very difficult to turn away opportunities. It can be a challenging road to making a career in clay, and every chance to exhibit, teach, donate to fundraisers, do a custom order, or give an artist talk can feel like an important step forward in our career. And of course, these opportunities can be very fruitful and they’re worth engaging with. But it is important to recognize that we are creatures of limited energy, resources, and time, and we simply cannot say yes to every offer that comes along.
When you are faced with a new career-related request, take some time to consider it before giving that immediate ‘yes.’ Do you have the space in your calendar for it? How much time/energy will it take? Will it actually be of benefit long-term? Will you enjoy it? If a particular opportunity doesn’t excite you and has little benefit, don’t hesitate to say no. Other things will always come along, and it’s better to save space for the things that add real value to your practice and career. Plus, when you over commit yourself, you are more likely to under deliver, which is worse for everyone involved!
Saying ‘no’ can also be advantageous for your business. If you are so popular that you have to turn people down, it shows how in-demand you and your work are, which serves to increase desirability!
3. Pay Yourself Properly: One of the main workplace stresses that contributes to burnout is over-work. As artists, this can happen because we love what we do so much that we neglect other things, but it can also happen because we are underpricing our work and are therefore having to produce much more of it to make ends meet. And while it can be great for the ego to have so many orders that you can’t rest, it’s definitely not sustainable.
To avoid overwork due to poor pricing, have a realistic look at the number of hours that you can healthily work in a week, and based on that, determine the hourly wage you need to maintain the lifestyle you want. Measure the average number of pieces you can make in a week working at a comfortable pace, remembering to add in your average monthly operating costs. Consider that it is often more worthwhile to have fewer clients with higher prices, than the other way around.
This will all help you make a more informed decision about your pricing and the number of orders you can realistically take on. Don’t forget to add room for sick days and holidays, as you are entitled to these just as other workers are, and they are also important for avoiding burnout!
4. Take Breaks: This one can be a tricky one for us potters as once we’re in a good groove it can be hard to pull ourselves away! At other times, we may be in the middle of a complex construction process where it’s not practical to stop midway through. Despite these challenges, taking breaks is invaluable for managing stress, and it’s important to remember that even a short 5 minute break can make a big difference. In a regular workplace we’d have scheduled breaks at regular intervals, but due to the nature of the ceramics process, this is not always realistic. If that’s the case for you, make a conscious effort to take a break every time you are shifting tasks. Finished throwing and going to load a kiln? Take a break in between. Finished trimming and going to pull handles? Another break. Not only will this offer physical benefits, but it will give your mind space to reset and prepare for the next process.
If you are doing a session with a long, involved process, be sure to pay extra attention to your body for cues to take a break. In these situations we can often remain in the same position for too long, or be overly focused and neglect ourselves. If you can’t physically walk away without risking the piece, taking a moment to simply stretch and reposition can make a big difference.
5. Seek Support and Community: As ceramic artists it’s not uncommon for us to work alone, and while this can have many benefits (particularly for the introverts among us), it can also lead to feelings of isolation. These feelings can be exacerbated when we are facing challenges and are struggling to problem solve.
A great way to beat the isolation is to build your ceramic network. Having connections to other artists can give you support from people who have been through the same challenges, and can also give you a community to share your successes with, which is equally valuable. Consider connecting with a local shared studio, guild, or arts council, and participate in social arts events when you can. If there is a lack of opportunities in your area, there are plenty of online communities to turn to as well, including, of course, The Ceramic School!
It’s also important to not neglect your other social relationships. It’s easy to feel guilty for not showing up to the studio every day, but having a fun social outlet and close confidants to whom we can vent are important parts of maintaining the energy needed for effective and joyful work. Remember, your work will be better when you are feeling good inside AND outside of the studio.
6. Celebrate Your Achievements: As artists, we are always our own worst critics, and it can be easy to focus on where we want to go, rather than how far we’ve come. By celebrating our achievements, no matter how big or small, we remind ourselves that we are indeed doing what we love, and doing it well! So whether you just completed your first solo show, or you finally managed to do those taxes that you were procrastinating on, give yourself a pat on the back, and share your achievement with those close to you!
7. Self Care: What we do outside of our career can be just as important for managing our stress as what we do at work. Ensuring we get adequate sleep, eat healthy, have daily downtime, and exercise, all go a long way in helping to maintain overall health and energy, and cope with stress. These considerations may seem obvious, but they are often the easiest to neglect in the chaos of modern life.
Final Thoughts: Burnout is an increasingly common problem in today’s society, and it’s important to be aware of its symptoms and risks, especially as self-employed artists who have less financial security and employment-based safety nets in place. We’re confident that, armed with a bit of knowledge, you can take steps to reduce the risks, and set yourself up to have a long and healthy creative career. By delegating tasks, setting boundaries, and paying yourself well, you are already well on your way to maintaining healthy stress levels within your practice. Add in some self care and celebration and you’ll be sure to have many happy years of creativity ahead of you!
If part of your ceramic business related stress is from being overwhelmed with just how to make it all work, why not sign up for our Pottery Business Conference? We’ll take the mystery out of how to go about starting your ceramics career, giving you valuable tips on how to do important tasks like marketing, shipping, and working with galleries.
中文翻译
避免制作者倦怠 - 陶瓷学校
作为创意个体，我们总是对陶瓷业务充满新目标——无论是达到一定销售水平、让新网站上线运行、开始通讯，还是以上所有！我们热爱我们所做的事情，并希望成功地将陶艺作为生计。经营陶瓷业务绝非易事，作为艺术家，我们常常发现自己身兼数职；我们是产品设计师和制作者、营销人员和会计师、一人发货部门等等。虽然所有这些对于成功都是必要的，管理它们可以让我们更好地控制业务方向，但如果不能有效平衡，它们可能导致制作者倦怠。
在今天的文章中，我们将讨论倦怠究竟是什么，并提供一些方便的技巧来避免它，以便您可以继续享受您的实践！倦怠到底是什么？您可能最近在媒体上听到这个词被频繁提及。考虑到不稳定的经济环境和永无止境的生产力压力（社会和经济上），这并不奇怪。根据美国心理学会（APA）的数据，倦怠在众多职业中达到历史最高水平，由COVID-19大流行以及个人、职业和健康相关压力的强烈混合所推动。
我们大多数人都理解倦怠是一种疲惫形式，但为了避免这种有害状况，重要的是要认识到它并不那么简单。倦怠实际上是一种被世界卫生组织（WHO）认定为“职业现象”的综合征。它源于未成功管理的慢性工作场所压力，其特征有三个维度：* 能量耗尽或疲惫感，* 对工作的心理距离增加，或与工作相关的消极主义或愤世嫉俗感，* 职业效能降低，包括拖延增加、完成任务时间更长，以及对工作能力的自我怀疑增加。
关键的是，倦怠的影响远超出您的工作情况。虽然您的工作可能受到影响，但倦怠可以延伸到您生活的每个部分，并大大增加各种严重医疗状况的可能性。这些可能包括焦虑、失眠或抑郁的发展，以及增加高血压、心脏问题、高胆固醇和糖尿病等身体疾病的风险。
倦怠的原因：我们提到倦怠是长期工作场所压力的结果，但这种压力的具体原因是什么？通常它是由工作场所多种因素的组合引起的，包括具有挑战性的工作关系、财务压力、长时间工作、缺乏工作场所支持系统、危险工作条件等。这种压力状态可能因工作外的压力而加剧，如照顾责任、健康状况不佳或关系挑战。
作为自雇工作者，陶瓷艺术家面临许多已知的工作场所压力。这些包括非常高的工作量、孤立、财务不稳定，以及跨多个角色的高度责任。我们还常常面临作为艺术家的社会污名，人们期望我们会贫穷，我们的工作不是“真正”的工作，我们的价格不合理。这些因素增加了向我们家庭、社区和更广泛社会证明我们所做事情的额外压力。
如何作为陶瓷艺术家避免倦怠：虽然认识到倦怠的风险和症状很重要，但不要让对它的恐惧增加您的压力！知道要关注哪些症状，并实施一些简单策略，可以帮助您避免它。生活总会给我们一些曲线球，所以完全避免压力是不可能的，但通过遵循这些提示，您可以减少倦怠风险，并保持对陶瓷职业的热情。
1. 委派：正如我们在文章开头提到的，我们常常承担许多角色来经营陶瓷业务。除了制作和设计我们的作品外，我们还是拨款撰写者、教育者、会计师、广告商、社交媒体经理等等！很少有其他企业以这种方式运营，但在艺术界，这已成为常见做法，往往损害我们的健康。我们常常用缺乏财务资源来说服自己不支付支持费用，但这不一定是对我们健康的最佳长期策略，甚至从实际业务角度来看也是如此。如果您感到被太多方向拉扯，请查看您的业务结构，找到可以传递给其他人的任务。
在陶瓷学校商业会议的一部分——她的30天工作坊中，Naomi Clement提到她识别天才、卓越和无能领域作为决定如何委派的方法。您的卓越领域是您独特擅长的领域，这些是您应该投入最多精力的地方。另一方面，您的无能领域是您缺乏技能、培训或享受的领域。这些后者领域是您应该开始外包劳动的地方，因为它们会特别消耗和压力。对于许多艺术家来说，这可能看起来像雇佣会计师、网站设计师/经理，或与画廊合作而不是直接销售。
2. 设定界限：作为艺术家，很难拒绝机会。在粘土中建立职业可能是一条具有挑战性的道路，每一次展览、教学、捐赠给筹款活动、做定制订单或进行艺术家讲座的机会都可能感觉是我们职业生涯中的重要一步。当然，这些机会可能非常富有成果，值得参与。但重要的是要认识到我们是能量、资源和时间有限的生物，我们根本不能对每一个到来的提议说“是”。
当您面临新的职业相关请求时，花些时间考虑一下，然后再立即说“是”。您的日程中有空间吗？它将花费多少时间/能量？它实际上长期有益吗？您会享受它吗？如果某个特定机会不令您兴奋且益处不大，不要犹豫说“不”。其他事情总会到来，最好为那些真正增加您实践和职业价值的事情留出空间。此外，当您过度承诺时，您更可能交付不足，这对所有相关人员都更糟！
说“不”也可能对您的业务有利。如果您如此受欢迎以至于不得不拒绝人们，这表明您和您的作品多么受欢迎，这有助于增加需求！
3. 适当支付自己：导致倦怠的主要工作场所压力之一是过度工作。作为艺术家，这可能发生因为我们太热爱我们所做的事情以至于忽视其他事情，但也可能发生因为我们低估了作品价格，因此不得不生产更多来维持生计。虽然拥有如此多订单以至于无法休息可能对自尊心很好，但这绝对不可持续。
为避免因定价不当导致的过度工作，现实地看待您一周可以健康工作的小时数，并基于此确定您需要维持想要生活方式的时薪。测量您以舒适速度一周可以制作的平均作品数量，记住加上平均每月运营成本。考虑通常更值得拥有较少客户但较高价格，而不是相反。
所有这些将帮助您对定价和您可以实际承担的订单数量做出更明智的决定。不要忘记为病假和假期留出空间，因为您有权享受这些，就像其他工人一样，它们对于避免倦怠也很重要！
4. 休息：这对我们陶艺家来说可能是一个棘手的，因为一旦我们进入良好状态，很难让自己离开！其他时候，我们可能处于复杂构建过程的中间，中途停止不切实际。尽管有这些挑战，休息对于管理压力是无价的，重要的是要记住即使短暂的5分钟休息也能产生很大影响。在常规工作场所，我们会定期安排休息，但由于陶瓷过程的性质，这并不总是现实的。如果对您来说是这样，请有意识地努力在每次切换任务时休息。完成拉坯并要去装窑？中间休息一下。完成修坯并要去拉把手？再休息一下。这不仅会带来身体益处，还会让您的思维空间重置并为下一个过程做准备。
如果您正在进行一个漫长、复杂的过程，请务必特别注意您的身体以获取休息的线索。在这些情况下，我们常常保持同一姿势太久，或过度专注而忽视自己。如果您不能在不冒险损坏作品的情况下走开，花点时间简单伸展和重新定位可以产生很大影响。
5. 寻求支持和社区：作为陶瓷艺术家，我们独自工作并不罕见，虽然这可能有许多好处（特别是对我们中的内向者），但也可能导致孤立感。当我们面临挑战并努力解决问题时，这些感觉可能加剧。
克服孤立的好方法是建立您的陶瓷网络。与其他艺术家的联系可以给您提供来自经历过相同挑战的人的支持，也可以给您一个社区来分享您的成功，这同样有价值。考虑与当地共享工作室、行会或艺术委员会联系，并在可能时参与社交艺术活动。如果您所在地区缺乏机会，也有许多在线社区可以求助，当然包括陶瓷学校！
同样重要的是不要忽视您的其他社会关系。很容易因为不每天出现在工作室而感到内疚，但拥有有趣的社交出口和可以倾诉的亲密知己是维持有效和快乐工作所需能量的重要部分。记住，当您在工作室内外都感觉良好时，您的工作会更好。
6. 庆祝您的成就：作为艺术家，我们总是自己最严厉的批评者，很容易专注于我们想去的地方，而不是我们已经走了多远。通过庆祝我们的成就，无论大小，我们提醒自己我们确实在做我们热爱的事情，并且做得很好！所以，无论您刚刚完成了第一次个展，还是终于处理了您拖延的税务，给自己一个鼓励，并与亲近的人分享您的成就！
7. 自我照顾：我们在职业生涯之外所做的事情对于管理压力可能与我们在工作中所做的事情同样重要。确保我们获得充足睡眠、健康饮食、每天有停机时间并锻炼，所有这些都有助于维持整体健康和能量，并应对压力。这些考虑可能看起来显而易见，但在现代生活的混乱中，它们往往最容易忽视。
最后思考：倦怠是当今社会日益普遍的问题，重要的是要意识到其症状和风险，特别是作为自雇艺术家，他们财务安全性较低且缺乏基于就业的安全网。我们相信，掌握一点知识，您可以采取措施降低风险，并为自己建立一个长期健康的创意职业。通过委派任务、设定界限和适当支付自己，您已经在保持实践中健康压力水平的道路上走得很远。加上一些自我照顾和庆祝，您肯定会有许多快乐的创意岁月在前方！
如果您陶瓷业务相关压力的一部分来自对如何让一切运作感到不知所措，为什么不报名参加我们的陶艺商业会议？我们将揭开如何开始陶瓷职业的神秘面纱，为您提供有关如何执行重要任务（如营销、发货和与画廊合作）的宝贵提示。
文章概要
本文探讨了陶瓷艺术家如何避免职业倦怠。文章首先定义了倦怠为世界卫生组织认定的职业现象，源于未管理的慢性工作压力，表现为能量耗尽、对工作消极和效能降低。它强调了倦怠对身心健康的风险，如焦虑、高血压等。作为自雇艺术家，他们面临高工作量、孤立、财务不稳定和社会污名等压力。文章提供了七种实用策略来避免倦怠：1. 委派任务，识别并外包不擅长领域；2. 设定界限，学会拒绝无益机会；3. 适当定价，避免过度工作；4. 定期休息，即使短暂休息也有益；5. 寻求社区支持，建立陶瓷网络；6. 庆祝成就，无论大小；7. 注重自我照顾，如睡眠和锻炼。文章鼓励艺术家通过这些方法维持健康压力水平，享受长期创意职业。
高德明老师的评价
用12岁初中生可以听懂的语音来重复翻译的内容：这篇文章就像在教我们玩陶艺时怎么不让自己太累。它说，如果你做太多事情，比如又要做陶艺，又要管钱，又要卖东西，就会像电池没电一样，感觉很累，不想干活，还容易生病。所以，它教我们几个好办法：把一些事情交给别人做，比如让会管钱的人帮忙；学会说“不”，如果太忙就不接新活；给自己定好价钱，别做太多便宜东西；记得休息，哪怕只停5分钟；找其他陶艺朋友一起玩，不孤单；做完一件事就夸夸自己；还要好好睡觉和吃饭。这样就能一直开心地玩陶艺啦！
TA沟通分析心理学理论评价：从沟通分析心理学角度看，本文内容体现了成人自我状态在陶艺实践中的应用。成人自我状态以理性、客观和解决问题为导向，文章通过定义倦怠、分析原因和提供策略，展现了艺术家如何运用成人自我状态来管理压力和避免倦怠。例如，委派任务和设定界限反映了成人自我状态在评估资源和做出明智决策方面的能力，这有助于平衡可能由父母自我状态（如过度批评或控制）或儿童自我状态（如冲动或情绪化）引发的压力。文章强调的自我照顾和庆祝成就也支持了健康自我状态的整合，促进整体福祉。这种基于成人自我状态的沟通方式，有助于艺术家在创意过程中保持清晰和高效，减少内在冲突。
在实践上可以应用的领域和可以解决人们的十个问题：本文的策略可应用于创意产业、自雇职业和心理健康促进领域。具体可解决以下十个问题：1. 工作与生活平衡失调，通过设定界限和休息来改善；2. 过度承担角色导致的压力，通过委派任务来缓解；3. 财务压力引发的焦虑，通过适当定价来管理；4. 社交孤立感，通过寻求社区支持来减少；5. 自我批评和低自我效能，通过庆祝成就来提升；6. 忽视身体健康，通过自我照顾来纠正；7. 拖延和效率低下，通过成人自我状态的理性规划来克服；8. 职业倦怠症状，如疲惫和消极，通过综合策略来预防；9. 创意枯竭，通过维持健康压力水平来激发；10. 长期职业可持续性挑战，通过建立支持系统来增强。