We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Morgan Simmang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Morgan, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
As a 25 year old Muralist and Artist- my offering, alias my art, to this world appears in large portions. Art shows, print releases, mural creations, etc. Giving large portions of myself constantly is a recipe for disaster.
There’s a wild and amusing side to being an artist such as unfiltered creation, then comes along humanity wanting a piece of it all. Gladly, I want to share it. However, now come pressure to innovate on a timeline and balancing artistic vision with commercial viability, etc.
Burnout is often defined as emotional and physical exhaustion, in response to the overwhelming factor of operating at a high work rate that’s not being successfully managed. As mentioned above, ‘giving large portions of myself constantly is a recipe for disaster’. That disaster is referred to as fight or flight mode, which causes the, drumroll please, ‘burnout’. No motivation to do what was originally started. As many know; art is emotion, art is sensation. Imagine an artist going fight or flight mode. Not wanting to finish what initially was coming from the heart and soul of the artisan.
Artist’s cannot be rushed nor they shouldn’t be rushed/pressured to create. In my story, burnout will present itself discreetly when I apply the pressure to innovate. Nevertheless, I pump the breaks on creating and put myself in check. Due to the fact that there’s no quality art being made by my hands if I do so.
My first experience with burnout happened July 2023, following my very first art show with my 6 piece oil painting collection, “Observation to Conversation”. I gave myself a 3 month timeline for this two-day event. During these three months, I organized finding a venue, creating the art within that time limit (first red flag), installing the art the day of, setting up a mini bar; where I served the drinks during the event (control freak) and had forced my lovely partner to do the videography and photography both days of the event (second red flag and yes, he still loves me).
I joke calling myself a red flag and control freak because it’s hilarious looking back on it. I wanted everything to go perfectly. No matter how much control I felt I had on the event, the aftermath still unfolded. I didn’t ask for help (technically couldn’t pay someone to do it, so I just did it). The worst part is that I only sold two pieces out of the collection. They weren’t even the oil paintings, they were prints of the paintings. After all the work I put into creating this and my ONLY goal I gave myself for this art show was to sell ALL of these pieces to the public, friends, colleagues, etc. That one goal “barely happened” and I beat myself up for the pieces I created. I went into burnout mode for the next 8 months. No urgency or motivation to create. I went into flight mode. Mentally-exhausted was my middle name. I felt no emotion when looking at my studio for those passing months. I took that time for myself and just recently began to evaluate what it could look like if I were to begin creating again.
Now I’m back on the drawing board after spending time away from the canvas and paint brushes. I think the burnout washed away when I realized that I’m on my own timeline, beauty comes from patience, and anything I create is one-in-a-million. What I realize now is that I gave myself a short and unhealthy deadline, I can ask for help, and I actually do have more time to create art, always. That whole experience was all a lesson learned about how I prefer my next art show to transpire.
That first art show needed to happen. I had to “fail” and I had to experience burnout. Looking back on it, almost a year ago, I’m so proud of myself for bouncing back from a burnout. I realize not everyone does, I’m grateful I have one of the comeback stories. Slowly but surely.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a visual artist and digital illustrator. I create without borders from greeting cards to murals, from digital illustrating to oil painting. My goal is to create all types of art through the eyes of a professional artist, fútbol player and coach, and just your ordinary people person. I currently have art work displayed at three different locations in the greater Los Angeles area in Southern California. Follow along my journey for more information!
Art exhibition in Summer 2026. Stay connected with me and my upcoming events @MORSEKEART.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Patience 2. Love for yourself
3. Respect for your journey
Those three qualities came to me very quickly because in this world, we all have to be a bit more gentler with ourselves. Long term you will thank yourself. May you embody patience, love and respect for yourself through this maze we call life.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I created an album on Apple Music, “Healing Frequencies”, it holds some of the best Miracle tones and Solfeggio Healing Frequencies MT. Listening to that, along with some deep belly breaths for a good 20-30 minutes when I’m overwhelmed seems to ground me dramatically. Caution: might make you sleepy, which is good and it means you need it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @MORSEKEART
- Linkedin: @ Morgan Simmang
