From Burnout to Balance: My Artist's Story

I am so grateful that I get to do this for a living and while I could write about how lucky I am to be a full time artist…I'd rather share some honest truths about how I got here and share why we all need to say no to the things that no longer serve us…

 

 

I stole this quote from Mad Men and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say, without work, I had absolutely no idea who I was.

 My career was my life.

As a Business Development Director for hectic design agencies in London, I thought I thrived on pressure and loved the thrill of deadlines. Deep down I actually dreaded it all.Anxiety, overwhelm and most likely ADHD made everything 10 times harder than it needed to be.

 But this was a life I had been building for nearly 18 years, and I was good at it! Who wasI without it?…

 

Finding a path back to art…

My journey as an artist began as a child, finding sanctuary in creativity alongside my mother, who taught me the joy of self-expression. I studied creative subjects to degree level, however my career took a very different path, one that left me burnt out by the time I was in my late thirties. 

 When COVID pressed pause I felt I could finally breathe again, and it created a path back to art. Finding a flow state with abstract painting that allowed my busy mind to operate as one with my body was revolutionary. With each creative outlet I felt more centred, with a deeper sense of self acceptance and forgiveness. 

 

Then our beautiful baby girl Gracie was born… 

...and she instantly obliterated time.

 But in my head I still had the same hours in the day. I am a workaholic and I have built my life on philosophies such as ‘work hard, play hard’ and ‘fake it till you make it’ and basically you can have anything you want if you just work hard enough. 

I was more exhausted and overwhelmed than ever.

Something had to give and for me it was the life that forced me to be someone I wasn't. 

 My new little being was now my priority and I wanted to build a life around her needs, which included being a mum she could be proud of. 

So I quit my job at the start of this year and began planning the launch of Abstract by Krissy.

Painting has become my healing journey—a space to be raw, vulnerable, and wholly present. As I build my art business I still find myself heaping on the pressure to do more, but I also have more space to be me, say no to the things that no longer serve me and find more balance in my life. 

 

Why we all need to say NO more:

 Saying “NO” gives you time to assess what it is you really want; to find out who you really are.

 

 ✨ What you like.

✨ What you don't like.

✨ Where you find your energy.

✨ What your "why is" 

✨ and so, so much more.

 

Whilst healing is hard, I promise you can learn more about yourself in a year than you ever thought possible (even if it feels like failure at the time).

But that is all for now, I hope my art brings you joy. I hope my words brought you comfort. Know you are not alone.

Krissy xx