Burnout doesn’t always look like a breakdown.
Sometimes it’s just a blank stare at your inbox. 
 

A heavy sigh after a school meeting.

That sinking thought: I can’t keep holding all of this.
 

If that’s you lately, I get it.

Advocacy work asks so much of us. And when you’re constantly fighting for services, clarity, or just basic respect in an IEP meeting... there’s barely space to breathe.
 

But here’s something I’m learning: the antidote to burnout isn’t always rest. Sometimes, it’s reaching for something that reminds you who you are outside of advocacy.
 

For me? That’s been fiber art.

I’ve started setting aside time just a few minutes some days to play with my hand-dyed silk remanents. 
 

I explore textures. I rethread needles. I create collages that don’t “solve” anything. But they soothe something. And that matters. 
 

Because creativity doesn’t just restore your energy, it restores you.

And no, I don’t do it to be productive.

I do it because it helps me remember: I’m more than my advocacy. I’m a whole person. And I deserve joy that isn’t measured by outcomes.
 

If you’re feeling the weight too, I hope you’ll join me for a gentle, honest conversation:
 

Half Hope, Half Exhausted: The Messy Truth About Advocacy Burnout
WHEN: Thursday, June 5th
⏰ 10 am Mtn. Time, 12 pm ET, 11 am CT, and 9 am PT.
WHERE: The Art of Advocacy Facebook page.

We’ll talk about what burnout really feels like and how tiny acts of creation can keep us anchored in a system that wants us spinning.

You don’t have to fix everything. You don’t have to hold this alone.

Let's be together tomorrow,

P.S.  If your version of “creative” looks like gardening, baking, or even rearranging sticky notes into a rainbow, I love that for you! 
This isn’t about being artistic. It’s about being human. 
Do you have a friend that needs to hear this message about burn-out?

Invite them to join you tomorrow on this FB live so that they can breathe a little easier, remember their own voice, and feel less alone in the work they’re carrying.