Wow, here we are!
Welcome to Bye-Bye Burnout :)
I somehow feel like I’m 17 again and making my first livejournal post.. Oh god..
No, I promise it won’t be like that. I won’t be sharing details about my dating life or anything overly personal.. Well, that’s a bit of a lie.. I do plan on being a wee bit vulnerable and sharing some intimate experiences, but I swear to keep it pro-fesh.
I plan on using this space to promote positivity, discuss mental health and shed some light on a topic that I personally feel doesn’t get discussed nearly enough, and that is burnout. I will be relating it more towards burnout within the music industry, but a lot of what I share will easily crossover into other roles and industries, especially creative ones. Burnout after all, can be felt and experienced in many ways and it is important to mention that every environment and circumstance is different.
For those that don’t know me, my name is dondrea. I’m originally from a small town located in southern Ontario, Canada, where I grew up playing and writing music. I became obsessed with soundtracks and TV/Film music curation. My forever dream job (besides being a musician), was Music Supervision. If you’re unfamiliar with what that is, it’s basically someone who creatively assists with finding and licensing music to picture (TV, Film, Ads, Promos, Trailers, Video Games etc). Music Supervisors are hired by either the production team (the studio/network), or the Directors and/or Showrunners - and they oversee all things music. It usually falls under the roll of an independent contractor or freelancer.
After making my way to Toronto post college life, (shout out to Music Industry Arts!) I ended up becoming a Music Supervisor at the early age of 22. I worked on hundreds of episodes of television and a number of independent films such as; Degrassi: The Next Generation, Degrassi: Next Class, Netflix’ Spinning Out and much more.
A decade later, I now live in Los Angeles and have recently left my career as a Music Supervisor. My choice to do so came from the desperate need to feed my soul and find a deeper and more purposeful meaning to my life.
Which leads us to this very moment!
It’s been about 2 months since I’ve stepped away and I haven’t looked back. I left my career without a single back-up plan. No plan B.. No other job lined up.. The driving factor for my leave was because I experienced some intense burnout pretty early on in my career. It lasted years, and although I tried to press on and prove to myself and to others that I could handle the stress and workload; I couldn’t. I needed to remove myself from a situation that was no longer serving me, and I’m proud to say that I finally did..
Once a week or so, I plan on sharing updates as to where I am on this wild journey, as well as the specifics that led me here.
It’s going to be a hodgepodge of details about Music Supervision, as well as lessons I’ve learned along the way. If you’re interested in entering the field, this will be a great place for you to get some honest feedback from someone who’s experienced it first hand. I also plan on spreading some positivity throughout these newsletters, so some of what I share might sound a little hippy-dippy, but feel free to take what you want and leave what you don’t.
Also, please note that I’m not a prolific writer, so my spelling and grammar will need to be taken at face value. I’m learning to be less of a perfectionist in my life, so if that sort of thing bothers you, you’re welcome to go elsewhere.
On top of being a bit of an open book, I plan on using this platform to share music, images and literature that inspire me. Maybe they’ll inspire you too.
Ultimately, I’ve made a pretty drastic change in my life and my goal here, is to share what I’ve learned with those who are interested. My intent is that it gives you some hope, insight and courage. Even if you get nothing out of it, but are along for the ride, I welcome you!
Taking risks is scary. Change is scary. Being brave is difficult, overwhelming and confusing but the truth is, we all deserve to live our best life. We do that by practicing and making time for self-care and self-reflection.. By exploring and making time for play.. By getting to know our authentic selves and not be afraid to ask questions. It’s about taking risks and embracing all of our flaws.. It’s about unwiring our minds and living life more consciously. It’s about tapping into our higher selves and ultimately choosing a path towards joy and bliss…
xx
Music to inspire you this week :)
Looking forward to hearing more about your journey Dondrea. I too struggle to find balance and often feel burnt out. Not a day goes by that I don't think about calling it quits and closing my company. Struggling to find the purpose of it all. Sounds like you have the discernment and courage to take the leap and are much happier for it. So glad to hear it :)
🤍 from LILIE 🤪
glad you're on this path, i'm takin notes