I’m sick and tired of always being sick and tired
Creativity in the Face of Chronic Illness
Hey Omni!
Staying creative and sticking with your goals is difficult enough when juggling responsibilities and the general hubbub and demands that come with everyday life, but when you are afflicted with chronic illness, it can feel like you’re living in “hard mode.” Whether you’re a professional, hobbyist, or just starting out, the uncertainty of living with chronic health issues can make the road to realizing your ambitions feel like a rollercoaster.
After having a few rough months myself, I thought I’d talk about this often-overlooked topic in the industry and share my tips on how to keep creating when nothing sounds better than crawling into bed.
Whether you have a deadline for a project, a goal to release a song or EP, or just want to finish a track you’ve fallen in love with, finding a sustainable pace can be tricky. Finding it and sticking to it while the ever-looming threat of a flare-up hangs over you can make it feel impossible. But with some introspection, self-care, and way more patience than I ever thought possible, I’ve cultivated some tricks and tools that help me finish tracks and remind myself how much I can accomplish, even on zero-energy days.
Acceptance & Finding Your Groove:
It can be hard to accept and work within limitations, especially physical or mental ones. But limitations can also give you a framework to grow from. Wanting to create, work on a project, or even just mess around on your guitar—but lacking the strength—can be deeply disheartening. However, honoring where you’re at and what you’re currently capable of can be a powerful tool if you take the time to figure out what works for you. It’s all too easy to overdo it when you live with a chronic illness, especially when you’re working on something you’re passionate about. I’ve learned that embracing your limitations and any accommodations you may need can help you build a sustainable pace so you can create the music you want to create. Find your groove, and don’t hesitate to accommodate yourself.
Hushing the Rush & Setting Your Pace:
In a world of “go, go, go,” feeling rushed is something we can all relate to. When you live under the pressing shadow of a flare-up, that feeling that you’re lagging behind and need to rush to catch up can add undue stress and anxiety to your practice. Letting go of the constant pressure to “rush”—whether from the industry or ourselves—can create space to find a sustainable pace. I’ve found that incorporating rest into your craft is key to building a sustainable pace for yourself. Although that can be more easily said than done…
Giving myself wiggle room to adjust and tweak my workflow—even my goals—to fit my needs has helped me push forward more than once. A lot of productivity advice emphasizes rigid discipline and sticking to goals and schedules no matter the cost. When I tried following these methods, if I missed a deadline or had to change a goal, I felt like I was falling behind. Sometimes it felt like starting from square one if I was laid out for weeks. I’ve found that when living with uncertainty, I get more done and feel more accomplished if I bend and flow like bamboo rather than cut down the whole forest because some trees aren’t perfectly straight. You are your craft, and your craft is you—it’s up to you to build it so it’s balanced with your unique needs.
Small Gifts & Keeping Track:
Now, in less philosophical and more practical terms, here are some tricks that have helped me keep going, even on low-energy days.
Taking notes before and after sessions has been incredibly helpful and can show you how much you’re actually doing.
Jotting down a line or two about your initial goals for the session and then describing what you ended up doing or learning can show you tangible progress that keeps you motivated.
Taking notes on tracks you’re working on can also be incredibly helpful, allowing you to see—or, in this case, hear—your track in a different light.
Taking stock of how you’re feeling and tailoring your sessions to your energy levels is something I wish I had started doing sooner. Not every session will produce a masterpiece, but even during a flare-up, small tasks can set you up for success when you’re ready to tackle that chart-topping hit. Organizing files, making sure projects have a bounce, or ensuring each track is labeled properly are small tasks that generally require minimal effort but have a big impact on future sessions. I like to think about it as giving myself gifts for later. Little steps add up to big changes.
Finding Your Balance:
Being an artist or working in a creative industry while living with chronic health issues can feel daunting and, sometimes, even impossible. Finding the balance that works for you takes effort and is ever-changing but building that for yourself can help you achieve ambitions you had only dreamed of. I went from struggling to finish a single track to getting my first sync licensing contract and releasing multiple songs I’m proud of, just by truly listening to my needs. You are your art—honor your unique needs, and in doing so, you honor your craft. Although it may feel like it sometimes, chronic illness does not have to hinder your creative dreams.
Here are some resources you might find helpful. And remember, don’t overdo it! Rest is an integral part of life and will only feed your art in the long run.
Stay healthy, Olivia
Recommended Resources
Girls Twiddling Knobs Podcast: Ep #71 - Producing an Album through Chronic Illness w/ April Rose Gabrielli
FlyPaper: Thriving as a Musician with Chronic Illness
Luna: Managing Creativity through Chronic Illness
Call and Response
This month’s prompt:
What part of your process have you been struggling with lately and what can you do to simplify it or accommodate yourself? Remember to celebrate your accomplishments in this month’s Control Room Challenge.
Let us know in the comments and be sure to interact with other folks who comment, you never know where you’ll meet your next collaborator!
 | A guest post by
|