Student Blog: Ruby's Survival Guide for Burnout in the Arts!

Burnout is normal in the arts! 

I’ve only been a college student for a week, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t already worried about burnout. I love my musical theater program and I love my classes, but burnout can happen even with things that you love. 

It's important to understand that freshman year in any program is a deep dive into the basics and technique of your field of study. Your voice lessons and dance classes will be very technique based. You may even be assigned to sing an Italian aria instead of a fun upbeat audition song from your favorite musical. It's going to feel hard, but you didn’t go to college because you wanted it to be easy. Choosing to get a degree in a field of study like the arts is brave. Instead of choosing to move to New York and start auditioning right out of highschool, you chose to work hard for 4 years and learn as much as possible. Everyone has their own path when it comes to this career, and there is no right answer. But, for those who chose the college path, burnout is real, burnout is okay, and burnout is normal! 

So… when you start to feel burnt out in your program, remember these 5 things! 

1. You deserve to be in your program! Don’t compare yourself to others. You earned your spot and worked all of your senior year to be accepted. 
2. You don’t need to be Broadway-ready in college. When you start to feel frustrated, remember that you’re there to learn and prepare for the professional world. You don’t need to already be a professional! 
3. Casting in college is not a reflection of your talent or on your potential! College programs have different needs when casting a show. You’re already in the program, which means you would probably be great in a show! Maybe the year you don’t get cast they wanted to make sure their seniors were seen by agents. There are always reasons, but those reasons probably aren’t about your talent or skill. 
4. It's okay to take a class outside of your field of study. Sometimes a random class that you find interesting can help with your burnout! Learning new things outside of your major helps you become a more well-rounded person and artist. 
5. Make new goals for yourself to make classes feel new and exciting. This week in dance, try setting a flexibility goal, and next week focus specifically on your technique at the barre. Setting challenges for yourself on a day-to-day basis can make class fun! 

Remember… you don’t need to be Broadway-ready right now, but you do need to work hard! Treat every day like a blessing and a challenge all wrapped into one, and hopefully, your days will feel burnout-free!