Work won't love you back

❤️‍🔥 But celebrate it anyway - as life-affirming and a fuck you to capitalism. [#205]

On creative work, burnout, and why we keep doing it anyway.

I enjoyed Mark Deuze talk on wellbeing and creative careers. Two hours of stories and studies, plus a Q&A and invitation to carry on the conversation at the pub.

The paradox: Passion vs. wellbeing. What makes us happy can also make us sick. He has an interesting perspective on it all as a former journalist, media professor, and bass player of Skinflower.

I liked what he said about the labour of love and our intrinsic motivation to create work. “Celebrate it as life-affirming and a fuck you to capitalism.” Many of us have chosen a freelance life because we want to escape the system.

Burnout is a global problem that affects all industries.

It’s the system and structure of the industries themselves that make people sick.

The people who are left standing aren’t necessarily the best—but the ones who are the most fit to function in that sickening system.

Or to put it another way: “Only the bastards remain!”

Where does the pressure to overwork come from?

Playing the name game. We started naming ad agencies after people pre-80s. Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA. The cult of founder—it puts pressure on the individual and celebrates workaholics.

Separating yourself from your work. Creatives tend to over-identify with work. Mark showed us a clip of Sam Neill from The Show Must Go On—Ben Steele’s documentary shining a spotlight on mental wellbeing in the entertainment industry.

Sam has a healthy approach: “I do acting, but I don’t think of myself as an actor.” I like that. He goes to work (a bit problematic when you wfh), but I try to see writing and journalism as something I do, not am.

It’s an individual way of dealing with it that actually works.

The power of collective support. Amazing to see all these logos on his slides—media orgs based on emotion. Someone was pissed off about something and wanted to change it.

A reminder we’re a force for good. People want to do good work—we don’t hear enough about this in the news.

He hopes these media orgs will start to speak together. Individually, there’s only so much we can do. The Independency Community Coalition is an excellent idea—a group of freelancers who want to create a better future for us all.

Burnout is an ongoing issue—we’ve been talking about it for years, so why write a book about it now?

Generational shifts. Gen Z expect more from their employers—they want to be paid well and taken care of, but not to work all hours.

Afterwards, I had a chat with Jane B Singer, former professor of Journalism Innovation at City St George’s. I mentioned Julieta had started uni and her comments about wanting “a good job” that pays well. I don’t think self-employment looks exciting enough ;)

Jane sent me a DM this morning:

‘Transactional’ was the word I was searching for last night to describe the current generation of students, btw. I think they are too ready to see both their education and their career as a transaction, one in which their primary role is essentially a customer. Don’t think that’s the best approach for having a fulfilling professional life, tbh.

Good point. Maybe we’ve all been a bit brainwashed by Big Tech. Back to the language thing again—we’re all users now.

N x

🔗 What I’ve been reading this week 🔗

Five things reshaping media + one thing I’m doing to get back into reading for pleasure.