Let me recap here the happenings of Q1 2024, as I believe you all deserve some update on why I am being inactive: I am experiencing a bit of burnout.
I guess this is not the happiest post here, nor is it too informative. But, I still hope you can gain and learn from it, so here I go.
Realization of the Burnout
This is, I believe, the toughest part. As a chill artist, I’ve got my routine down pat, built up over the years. I have plans, a schedule, and even dedicated “me-time” for composing and sketching the next batch of beats. Plus, I always aim to be ahead of the release curve. Just as an FYI, I have 2 draft videos on YouTube and another 18 beats ready for future LPs and EPs. Not bragging, but the point is, that I’ve built and followed this path for the past 7 years. But I hit the wall and realized that I hadn’t sketched the song in half a year. And I have Koala Sampler on my phone. Or a set of Pocket Operators (33, 128, etc). I could literally make beats on the fly. Still, my mojo is missing. Again, it took me months to realize it wasn’t something else causing this. Maybe I just took on too much and need a break.
Coping with Burnout
The logical question arises: what did I do during the time I used to spend crafting beats? Honestly, a ton of things.
In general, my personal life underwent a big shift. My family and I moved to Vienna, which involved crossing borders and was a major change for all of us. We’re spending a lot more time together, facing challenges but also enjoying the transition. We all see it as a positive step forward and I am very thankful for having them by my side.
On top of that, my new workplace is incredibly challenging, in the best way possible. It’s demanding, but I can see the impact of my contributions. It motivates me to excel, but it also shifts my focus away from music much more than my previous job did.
Website Revamp and Content Creation
Then, I decided to turn my attention to my website as well. One goal is to update it with engaging (I hope!) articles, including lifestyle content like this one or my cherry blossom photography in Vienna. I haven’t forgotten about informative “wiki”-style articles either. But I also dug into making the website load faster by adding AMP (for a better mobile experience) and revamping the layout entirely at the end of 2023.
In addition, due to changes in Spotify policies, I’m shifting my focus more towards YouTube and social media presence. This requires adjusting my existing page templates as well, which I’m tackling slowly but surely.
Rock Band Revival
Outside of that, I’ve restarted activities related to my rock bands. While there won’t be any live shows happening soon, we did launch websites for both T21CB and Dark Cherry. With T21CB, after a 7-year hiatus, we released a new LP and even started remastering older releases. As for Dark Cherry, we’ve recorded 6 songs (all performed live back in 2010) in the past 18 months, which is also a great accomplishment for us. Big shoutout to my guitar master Jigsaw for joining me on this awesome journey!
Future steps
The Latte Chill project is definitely coming back! But as a self-critical artist, I want to make sure my beats truly hit the mark. I’ll return in full force when I feel my creative spark reignited and can translate those feelings back into music for you.
Recently, I’ve been exploring some new mobile music production apps. Don’t get me wrong, Koala Sampler remains my number one. However, the burnout experience pushed me to explore fresh options. I’m hoping a change of pace, with some arpeggios, a softer vibe, and a touch of electric and pad flourishes, might offer something new. Will I find it? Time will tell, but it’s definitely got me digging in and excited!
Thank you for accompanying me through my little article on my burnout as a musician. I hope you found it interesting. If you have any similar, drop me a note on my social channels how you are faced with it.
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