The Burnout Loop (listen to your mother)
Why almost every artist I know is burnt out, broke and tired of the BS. And should listen to Ilke Schwartz
First off… for my Canadian mommas… Happy Mother’s Day. I’m going to spend time with my mama today and I’m sending love to all the moms out there… my mom is always the first to tell me to slow down, make sure I’m taking some time to rest… so today’s article is dedicated to her.
Love you, Mutti! Let’s go.
I’ve spent the better part of a decade watching talented artists quietly disappear.
They were (mostly) all super talented.
They just they burned out.
The music industry has spent years rewarding:
overwork
exhaustion
constant availability
algorithm addiction
self-sacrifice disguised as passion
And for a long time, if you talked about recovery, wellness, nervous system regulation, or sustainability in music culture… people looked at you sideways.
Back in 2018, an Australian magazine called me “The Rock Doctor.”
At the time, I was talking about artists more like athletes:
training, recovery, performance, routine, community and sustainability.
Personally, I think we were too early.
Because now nearly every musician I speak to is overwhelmed.
They’re stuck between:
creating art, building content, working jobs, promoting themselves, trying to survive financially and somehow still being expected to stay inspired through all of it.
That’s simply unsustainable.
So we built something different.
The MFL Sustainable Musician Club is a recovery-first creative community for artists who want:
more energy
more consistency
better routines
stronger creative momentum
real community
sustainable careers
And we’re opening the doors through a free 30-Day Creative Burnout Challenge.
No online guru nonsense.
No fake hustle culture. None of this pay to play, playlisting hype or algorithm content craziness…
No pretending burnout is “part of the process.”
Just artists helping artists build healthier creative lives onstage and off.
Maybe the timing is finally right for you too…
Join the 30-Day Creative Burnout Challenge 👇