Burned out?

[zmatalucci]

I have noticed in the past that doing an office makeover can re-ignite some passion into the workday. I think sometimes burnout can come from the pure monotony of doing (or looking at) the same thing every day. For some of us, changing up our work environment might be all that we need to give us a fresh outlook on things. Paint the walls a new color. Design a cool wall wrap for your office.

He night be on to something!!! Good idea!

 

[Colin]

Any of you guys ever get burned out? Like sometimes its more of a chore than enjoyable to be doing what you are doing? Been feeling that way lately.
You guys ever get this way?

Gosh ya. I recall some time ago posting a thread here about the possibility of photography being a career change (but I quickly realized that that would be a tough go, and wouldn't pay the bills).

I think that what exhausts me is not the work itself, as almost every job is different in some way for variety, I think it's the way the industry has gone, being so damned competitive and cut-throat, and how the computer has literally ushered in people who have absolutely no concept of the most important component - DESIGN.

That, coupled with being ground down by customers on price, and having 22 years of experience fully ignored in favour of their nephew-art. And then there's the rush jobs that don't get picked up when they said they were needed; the stolen artwork/layouts; price seekers going through the yellow pages asking: "How much is a _______?" ....without giving any details of the job. I wish I had a dime for every time I got the call that said: "Ya, how much to letter my boat?" In stead of screaming bloody murder, I have to take a deep breath and go through the long list of questions in order to come to a price. And even then they'll stop me part way through and repeat: "Can't you just give me a price - just a ballpark?"

The other thing that brings me down too is the slow times (like now). I find that when I'm busy, I feel much better.

So I think that if we had a reasonably steady diet of appreciative customers who left the design and color choices up to us, didn't bicker over the price, didn't leave their sign needs to the last second, paid on time, and if somehow the people who had the design skills of a chimpanzee weren't allowed to be in the trade, I'd be a lot more content.

I won't hold my breath.

 

[Marco]

got a headache the size of TEXAS, bigaaas migrane this minute.

 

[James Burke]

Back then, I was a machinist. I started feeling better when I made the decision to change field of work. When back to school and don't regret it for a second. Althought I do miss the smell of freshly machined steel!

My story as well. I left it for education (teaching), and then launched my own biz. Now that my work is slow over the winter, I've found myself back in the shop, and it feels like a noose around my neck.

 

[round man]

I have been at this business 32 years ,..the last decade has been so bad compared to the first dozen or so years that I have decided to get out. I'm not saying I will not do signs anymore but alot like Techman if the customer is price shopping I'm gonna send them packing without a thought. Technology has become so proliferate and made it possible for so many people to compete in an arena where before it (technology) many would not have even been considered as competitors much less given the chance to compete.At one time being a sign man was revered as a special trade,..nowadays it is considered a commodity like frozen hamburger . The clients know there is way too much competition out there and they use it to their advantage and price shop,..once upon a time this was not the case,..long before the perpetuated vinyl jockey's myth of the drunk undependable brush mechanic who had to take a drink of whiskey in order to hold a brush still enough to paint a steady line,..this industry has misportrayed what was once an honored trade for so long I do not feel any loyalty to it . They are not going to get any better as the next generation is going to grow up hearing about the sign man who couldn't spell and used cheap short term vinyl that always rolled up after two years ,.....I can paint signs part time on my terms and the rest of the industry can kiss my,........

 

[Steve C.]

I get burned out on just about everything from time to time, Even my lovely
little grandchildren. It's hard to take a hiatus form your main
source of income though. I think the suggestion of rearranging your work
space is a good one. I'm a slob sometimes and I let my area get to be a
real mess. I don't even realize how it can bring you down 'til I finally clean
it up. Amazing what a difference it can make.

 

[btropical.com]

My buddy quit window tinting and signs/ burned out to Repo cars was good till he decided to buy his own truck and put a lift under it he struggled for 6 months till the bottom fell out . He wasted a year without a big income now he is at the end of his rope . He should have kept window tint/signs while he was doing repos he would be afloat right now . Diversify !
John even if you have to do volunteer to work at a soup kitchen do something different rewarding you well feel better .
We bought our Taco Trailer just so we could do what we like which is cooking . It is so fun to have to make tacos and burritos and fried oreos , we had a big kick because a kid bought 2 pickles at a show we did . Its the small things .
We also tow for the sheriff and that is pretty fun allways something different , we picked up a car last night of a crack /meth head prostitute , sure was funny when the one cop said to the other "hey you dropped your anal beads " and the hooker yelled out "I never use those "

http://www.sheriffcitrus.org/public/ArRptDetail2.aspx?bnbr=10117884

Diversify

Hey and by the way John at Deaton Designs has done an awesome job on my Jarrito Burrito cartoon for the Taco Joint ! Show them a pik John