Hustle Culture is Toxic
Hustle culture is a term used to describe a mindset where above all else emphasis is put on constant work and achieving goals. This is often at the detriment of personal wellbeing and a work-life balance. I am very guilty of having a hustle and bustle mindset. I do have an innate need to create though but there’s always got to be a balance. I realised the other day that I can’t hustle forever with constant work, marketing and need to stay relevant. I’m in my early forties at the moment and the thought of stressing and over doing it until retirement (68 for me) fills me with worry. Yes I’m a long way off retirement but in all fairness I might not even make it there if I don't do something.
Don’t get me wrong I love what I do and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. That said, feeling drained because I'm going full guns into work everyday is unsustainable and makes me feel unhealthy.
The need to always be working
I am and always have had a good work ethic. But in the age of social media pressure and the need not to be forgotten by the algorithms I have felt trapped by this work ethic. Indeed, I feel if I don’t post all my progress will be lost. It’s a vicious cycle really as it’s my main source of marketing. Still, not a healthy attitude to have.
Similarly, I need to take whatever work comes in. A no brainer, I know if I want to earn money and eat actual food. I obviously do enjoy what I do but I’ve always felt that if I take on too much work I’ll water down my creativity for clients and my output won’t be so good.
I’m coming to the realisation lately though that I need to work smarter and not be needing to work all the time. In any case, coming home stressed and carrying on working into the night will burn me out eventually, which won’t be fun. Whether that’s feeding the social media machine or private commissions… something has got to give.
Redefining my work ethic in illustration
I’ve always considered myself lucky in many respects to illustrate as a full time freelancer. I already understand that my work life balance is a lovely perk. Mainly because I get to do morning school runs and afternoon pick ups for my two kids. That’s worth its weight in gold. I have in the past neglected my kids in favour of that need to hustle on social media and with commissions. It’s sad to say and I regret that lost time with them.
Balance is key when working for yourself. When the balance is tipping with the weight of work I always try and reset the scales again and rest. I need rest. We all need rest. It recharges our batteries and for me gives me the much needed rest bite I need to do my job properly. I need a clear headspace to think about concepts. I’m a conceptual illustrator and when my brain is overloaded ideas don’t flow as well.
I could always set boundaries too and say no to work. I could do that but I won’t. What I will do is find when I have spare time in my work schedule (not life schedule) and see where I can fit it in. If I physically can’t do it then it’s up to the client whether they wait to use me or not. I keep a pretty efficient Google calendar anyway so it’s easy to see where I have gaps in my time.
Making a shift
It’s pretty clear to me now that the whole hustle culture is a very real problem, and honestly toxic. Clearly I've been right in the thick of it. Loving what I do is one thing, but running myself ragged trying to keep up with everything – the work, the marketing, the constant need to be visible – just isn't sustainable, especially thinking about the long haul and my health. I've realised that I can't keep going at this pace and expect to be healthy and still enjoy my work and life in the years to come. While I'm not about to start turning down work, I definitely need to be smarter about how I manage my time. Maintaining that balance is essential, not just for my creativity and the quality of my work, but for my own well-being and making sure I don't miss out on the important things in life: my kids growing up. It's about shifting from constantly hustling to working in a way that allows me to thrive in the long run, both professionally and personally.