Keeping it real

We have all heard this advice before: We can’t continue to be productive and creative if we exhaust ourselves, or if we fail to restore our energy and our spirit.

We are slowly but surely nearing the end of the year and after so much creative work put in, it is inevitable to experience fatigue, especially as a creative.

Speaking for myself, this time of the year, I am mentally exhausted, but I still have four pages to fill.

You know, there are just those times when we are pushed to the limit, dry as a bone and desperate to flee to Rundu Beach for the summer.

This being somewhat the year things got back to normal in the events space, it has been eventful and has kept most of us on our toes, with sleepless nights ensuring that we create content for our beloved audiences.

I am content with the work tjil has put in thus far and, in the same vein, I am happy for so many Namibian creatives for the outstanding work they’ve delivered.

I wish I was typing this knowing that I have a flight booked to an exotic destination for a short holiday, but unfortunately, we still have a few months to go, so I will hang in there.

I’ve noticed that some artists are also experiencing mid-year fatigue. I will not mention names, but last weekend was jam-packed with concerts all weekend long. I happened to cover some of those events and I observed some musicians - who are known for delivering top-notch performances - giving us basic sets.

The nature of my work requires me to be super pedantic, so I easily pick up these things.

I am not disappointed in these artists because I understand what they are going through. My advice is for them to regulate the number of gigs they accept. There is no point in being “booked and busy” yet delivering mediocre performances. It does not reflect well on your brand and it might result in you actually being booked less.

I get that money from shows makes up a big chunk of an artist’s income, so it's never going to be easy to say no to gigs. My wish for artists battling fatigue at this time of the year is to pace yourself or to take some time off, recharge and get ready for the festive season - which is around the corner.

Take care of yourself, and I hope you enjoy this edition.

[email protected]; @MichaelMKAY on Twitter