We were lucky to catch up with Vignesh Seshadri recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Vignesh, thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
As someone who was burnt out for a long time, I think the most important thing in dealing with burnout is looking inward, being kind to yourself and doing things just for you. Burnout usually happens when external factors beyond your control keep stressing you out. But listening to the emotions that come up within you and actually feeling them help you not keep grinding for the heck of it.
It might sound small but journaling has been huge for me. I write 3 pages of unfiltered thoughts first thing in the morning (called Morning pages for anyone who reads the Artist’s Way) and it has changed my outlook on work and creating things.
Also, going back to what brought you joy as a child always heals your soul. Think back to an early memory of what made you happy as a little kid. Be it drawing with crayons, finger painting or even playing old video games. Try to add a little bit of that back into your life and watch stress melt away!
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m an award-winning multidisciplinary creative, illustrator, filmmaker, engineer and satirist. The most exciting part of what I do is always the next thing because I don’t know where it’ll take me. I’m currently learning game design to make a video game, so wish me luck!
I grew up in Chennai, India, before immigrating to the United States. After working a decade in some of the top ad agencies in the US including Droga5 NYC and W+K Portland, I’m currently freelancing, based in Los Angeles.
My writing and illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker, and he created a series of illustrations for St.Vincent’s most recent album, Daddy’s Home. My ads have won numerous awards including Cannes Lions, D&AD and the One Show.
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?
Adaptability and improvising.
One of the things I’ve learnt throughout my career (and in life) is that things will go wrong literally all the time and you will need to adapt and make decisions on the fly. Preparation can only take you so far, but if you can stay on your toes and improvise, it will help you get to the finish line.
Willingness to learn new things
No one knows everything. If you don’t know something, and you like it, go into learning it with the sense of bright-eyed wonder and excitement of a child. You’ll have fun and also learn a new thing!
Being a decent person.
This one is simple but people tend to forget it. Be a nice person! Treat people how you would like to be treated. People work better with people that they can see themselves hanging out with. It makes the work so much less stressful and way smoother and they usually recommend you to their friends! Every single job I’ve gotten is because of a friend/colleague recommending me, so trust me, it works!
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I touched on this in the other question but The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron has changed my entire outlook on art, work and life in general. It has unblocked me and helped me find joy in my work again. I highly recommend it to anyone even if you think you are not an artist.
One of the main things that I learnt from the book is recalibrating the focus from external factors (what other people think, what the algorithm wants, what my peers say) to focus on yourself, your feelings, your emotions and your opinion. It might sound painfully obvious but it is a valuable lesson that I learnt the hard way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vigneshseshadri.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vigsesh/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/vigseshadri
Image Credits
Vignesh Seshadri & Kathryn Kvas
