When Passion Turns Into Pressure
What you loved now feels heavy. When passion becomes your paycheck—or your personality—pressure creeps in. Good news: you can keep the craft and lose the chokehold. Here’s how.
Spot the Shift
- Making = marketing = monitoring—no room for play.
- All output, no input; you rarely consume art for joy.
- Pricing panic; you say yes to everything and resent it later.
The 70–20–10 Creative Mix
- 70% Stable Work: Pays bills; clear scope and timelines.
- 20% Stretch Work: New skills, slightly scary, portfolio-worthy.
- 10% Pure Play: Unpaid, unserious, unposted. Protect it fiercely.
Boundaries That Save Your Craft
- Scope before start: What’s included/excluded; 2 revisions; rush fees.
- Office hours: Replies within 24–48 hours; no midnight edits.
- Rate rules: Minimum viable rate; discount only for joy/impact, not pressure.
Pipeline, Not Panic
- Keep a simple board: Leads → Discovery → Drafting → Review → Done.
- Batch admin and marketing into two weekly blocks.
- Ship small, often—one page, one sketch, one riff.
Refuel on Purpose
- Artist dates: museum, bookstore, long walk with a playlist.
- Study craft basics; copy masters for practice (don’t publish copies).
- Rest cycles: intense week → light week; protect sleep.
Final Thoughts
Passion lasts when you pair it with structure and play. Say no more, price fairly, and keep a corner of your craft that belongs only to you.
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