preventing burnout as a SPOONIE ARTIST // sketchbook sessions art vlog 

Thank you so much for talking about this! Most of the days I feel really tired and have trouble focusing, moreover my hands tremble quite often and it’s been discouraging. I struggle to have reasonable expectations for myself in this situation, but listening to other people who struggle with their health too and who try to be kind to themselves and manage their energy just as good as it’s possible in given circumstances is really helpful. Your honesty is heartwarming ❤

As a fellow spoonie I really appreciate you dedicating some of your precious energy to this topic. Thank you for being an inspiration and for making your beautiful art. I’m in love with the style you created for your animals!😍

i created my best work when dosed up when dealing with flu. I worked in a mild delirious state and can’t recall most of the process. A great feeling to look back at the work and know that it was done in a discombobulated state. lol

Hi Allison…first, I love your work. You have a nice way with your illustrations & it’s very enjoyable to watch your gouache painting process. I came by your intro to gouache series and it’s one of the best out there separating useful facts from misinformation. 👏. I’m a fellow spoonie since ‘13. You explained it well. I think one part of grace is not hiding or avoiding shame from our illness due to our lack of a generous supply of spoons. I am who I am but all things in my life have guardrails by this illness. So I’m glad you’ve shared your experiences while working as an artist. One thing that has kept me sane is first acceptance, then breaking down tasks to as small as necessary steps. So a painting may take a week or 3 days. I’ve given up on spoons, just for me. I find too many variables to be useful at this point. I describe it as having a broken, non functioning fuel gauge, running on fumes. Empty may, if I’m lucky, come with a warning but who knows how long before all comes to a lurching stop. And payback is a daily gamble. We’re all doing our best & I appreciate you sharing how you cope. I’m so grateful you have a supportive family so that you can do what you can within your spoon budget to continue to grow & thrive 😊. I’m very grateful my husband is doing the same for me. Subscribing as I have much videos to catch up on. Take care of yourself.

Your art totally vibes with me, there are very little artists whose art speaks to me the way yours does. Thank you for doing what you do, I am such a big fan of your art. It makes me happy and brightens my day.

I had a feeling you might be a spoonie when you were talking about doctor’s appointments the grief video. Like it was subtle but the way you spoke about them was similar to how I do, like they are a regular thing. This video and the grief video have been very helpful. I lost my dog recently. It’s been really hard.

Really enjoyed this one! I was happy to hear you speak more about chronic illness, as I think it will be super beneficial to others! Having Grace on myself is something that I am still trying to learn to do 😂 congratulations again on getting monetized!! 👏

Amazing art and amazing talk. Prayers for all dealing with chronic illness.

The 8-9 hour a day, 42h a week thing comes from a time when one person (the man) had to work a feed a whole family while the other person (the woman) manages the whole house hold and children. And nowadays we still use this time schedule even so it is highly outdated and often put even more workload on top.

I use a book of matches instead of spoons but Amen sister I’m glad there is a younger soul explaining this to people also. I have had a chronic illness for over 2 decades and hearing people say but you look fine!! Yes but live in my body ONE day. So thank you!!!

I was just talking to someone today about how I sadly can't relate to a vast majority of people with online platforms and large followings because of how my chronic illness affects my energy conservation, time management and productivity - thank you for making this ♥️

Allison , I can so relate to everything you spoke about. I was diagnosed with Epstein Barr when I was seventeen. I am so exhausted most of the times, that after lunch I need to lay down because I can’t even keep my eyes open. People that aren’t familiar with this don’t seem to understand how deeply it affects me.Some days are better than others, so I do the best I can with what I’ve been given. And honestly other than this, I am a pretty healthy person, so I’m very blessed in that regard. I just have to take it slow energy wise, and like you said use my spoons as best as I can. Than you for this video.❤

Hey, congrats on getting the channel monetized! Very interesting conversation and charming art, as always.

I really relate to this. Thanks for sharing.

The tiny breads look so adorable!!❤❤My favorite type of bread has to be sourdough too, I have one with added walnuts that I'm just obsessed with🍞

I very much relate with this ~ living with epilepsy and being in art school. Thanks for this reminder and love for us! Can't wait to see you grow more :))

Also I love these little delicate illustrations. What an adorable turtle!!!

spoons are great to explain how chronic illness can effect someone, just find it doesnt work for me since i really don't know how my brain will react to something i've done or something around me and decided to take a chomp into some nerves lol the spoons dont usually come back the next day or week sadly but I have yet to find a way to explain to someone how the MS effects a person then the spoon theory modified slightly love your seahorse🥰

Loved the video and loved the talk :) I am happy that you share different things and talk about important and life things!

I Adore the sea creatures spread 😍😍😍 I'm really glad that you figured how to deal with your chronic illness and I appreciate tht you shared this video with us 🌺🌺🌺

I feel the struggle. You make me feel that maybe I have chronic fatigue I have not addressed. We keep going ❤️

That was very enlightening to hear about, as it is not much popular to talk about such affecting illnesses in our meritocracy and to feel constantly like damaged/not functioning the right way and dont know how to explain others… It makes me so sad that something I really love and enjoy is so draining in the same time. I am thinking about should something we love actually GIVE us energy instead of take it away? What am I doing wrong when something I enjoy in the same time is so hard and draining? Too much pressure and perfectionism? For SURE, but what can we change to be able to do what we love and in the same time generating energy by doing it instead of loosing energy, like it should be, right?! Need to discover a way doing art without ANY pressure!

Hey Allison! I’m wondering if this video might get more views if you change the title to include “chronic illness” in it? I’m apparently invested in your RU-vid outreach 😂. But I can’t be the only person who would benefit from your art videos!

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. It was of great help to hear about the spoons. I typically think I have unlimited ammounts of spoons, but that's not the truth. Congrats on monetization btw! 🥳💯

I may have missed it; what sketchbook is this? I love the yellow; fits perfectly with the vibe of your art!

Ok sorry..I think I overshared on a sick day 🫣

Might I ask what programm or app did you use for your agendalist?

As a "spoonie" myself i appreciate this, but just think if i wasnt operating on a spoon deficit I would never had found this channel and this cute kid that is much more mature for her age. Ive been on a defit for a few weeks now so i go to art videos cause creating is not gonna work.

Gouache? I need to listen to my sporks more. I thought about trying to do a 5am work day but my own chronic illnesses don’t care about alarm clocks.

Back between 2000 and 2013 I used to be sooooo tired! I remember sitting in front of my old Windows ME computer trying to write stories (it was fanfiction which I was using as stress relief) but most days I felt exhausted and was having trouble actually staying awake. But by 2013 I started to have more energy. And these days I have a ton of energy! Do you want to know why ? I changed my DIET. By 2013 I was already free of what I call "goopy foods" which is stuff like ketchup, mustard, mayo, etc. But since then the foods I am avoiding has increased. I dont eat ANY highly processed foods anymore! I got off SAD (standard American diet). I avoid GRAIN. That is a big one!! Get off grain (which of course is a thing most people do not want to do). I went totally grain free in July 2019. I have the celiac gene. I did the 23 and me. Plus I have a CORN allergy! And corn is hidden on so many foods! Its crazy! Last Thursday I felt so exhausted all day - this crippling exhaustion. And you know why? Because the two previous days I had tried eating some organic apples. I ate 3 in 2 days. It totally wiped me out. And yes I have given up eating most fruits + veggies too. Many veggies contain plant toxins. They do not want to be eaten. Oxalates, lectins, nightshades. Check out Elliot at Eo Nutrition (unsure I spelled that right but do a search here on YT for "plant toxins and Viramin B1 - he should pop up). The more memtal work you do the more B1 you need! Stress eats up B1 too. Plus certain other foods destroy B1. Also veggies these days are sprayed with stuff. Even the organics. Many of those sprays contain corn derivitives (plus who knows what). I suggest you try carnivore diet + supplements. Check out Dr Berry. He talks of the "proper human diet". What are we? Are we meant to be carnivores or herbivores? We have forward facing eyes like a lion to hunt, we have a rotating shoulder to throw rocks at food animals, our gut does not produce B12 (herbivores have guts that make b12), carnivores have small stomachs (and I mean the actual stomach size - not if a person is overweight with body fat) and herbivores have huge round stomachs - look at a horse or cow - huge stomach! Then look at a healthy 20-something year old at the beach in a bikini. What stomach do we have? There are other things too... Plus there are vitamins. In order to absorb iron you need copper! If your diet is lacking in copper you can eat tons of ground beef but the iron in the meat will not be absorbed. Copper is mainly found in foods like liver. Organ meats. In the very old days people would eat nose to tail. They would eat everything. That stuff has nutrition. The muscle meat lacks lots of it and stores these days sell muscle meats. So our diets are lacking. These are things I have learned over many years as I slowly learn what conditions I have: celiac, autism (used to be called aspergers), ehlers danlos syndrome (EDS), CPTSD, anxiety, MCAS, corn allergy, chemical sensitivity. Basically I eat grass fed beef + lamb plus organic prunes. And I drink GT's organic synergy kombucha. I do try other foods on occasion - like other fruits - but mostly it doesnt work out well. Bananas gave me horrid ear ringing plus I found out they were the cause of my lower back pain that I had for years! 😮 who would have known? I take lots of supplements. Like the multi nutrients from Gluten Free Society. Its CORN FREE. The majority of products on the store shelves have hidden corn. Which is a huge problem for me. I am not trying to advertise products here but trying to point out how troublesome these issues can be..esp with a corn issue. He has a youtube channel too: Doctor Peter Osborne. He is a top nutritionist and I have learned a lot from him. I also supplement with essential fatty acids (Vit D + K), calcium + magnesium, B1, Iron + copper, Iodine (corn is hidden in the iodine added table salt) + manganese. As long as I stay on my crazy diet I have tons of energy. On Friday (when the air finally cleared up from that smoke from Quebec) I was out walking from 11 am to 3 pm. Than on Saturday I was out walking from 9 am to 3 pm. On Sunday I was out from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. And on those days when I came home I ate (I did these walks on empty stomach - try doing intermittant fasting - I do drink the kombucha when I am out - and note this brand comes in GLASS bottles plus it is FREE OF CANE SUGAR + no fake sweetners). After eating I started to do my art. Drawing. Coloring. Painting. I just started a sketch book plus I am trying to learn watercolors. And while out I am taking photos to draw later too.. But my point is I have gone from being exhausted to being an endurance athlete. And I dont get sick anymore. No colds or flu. I still react to airborne fumes. Air freshners, perfume, smells from other people cooking foods... I react to that. My blood pressure is normal. And I rested yesterday from the long walks: relaxed out in the park × tried drawing what I saw..but most days I go for long walks. And athletes need more nutrition than the average person. Because doing all of that exercise needs more stuff. I have no problem doing a half marathon in walking. Note I do not run. But years ago when I was living on stuff like bread, pasta (ate pasta every day!!), sweet bakery, etc I could barely walk 1 mile. I was tired going up a hill. Your health is in the gut. Its the microbiome × what you eat. And saturated fat is GOOD for your brain and joints. I also notice a huge energy boost on the day following when I eat lamb shanks - because of the fat in them. I also take the lamb fat and then use it to cook the ground beef. I eat about 1.5 pounds of ground beef a day. I do not tolerate eggs or dairy so that is why I avoid it.. But many people who do carnivore eat eggs, full fat dairy, real butter, meat. I am not rich but by not buying all that other stuff (which I cannot eat as it makes me sick) I put my grocery money towards grass fed meats... I dont know if you want to hear this stuff or not but here it is. Most people with EDS cannot walk anywhere. Its the meat × fat keeping my joints good! Esp the fat. So what you avoid is just as important as what you actually eat / use. Happy Independence Day!! I hope someday you can find independence from your spoons / fatigue. The concept I am more familiar with is the allergy cup. By the way, I have not actually found doctors I see in person helpful at all. Badically they have NO CLUE what my problems are. I had to tell my primary care doctor that I thought I had EDS and then she sent me to two different doctors (including her buddy to see if I was lying to her) to get it diagnosed. And yes they both said I had it! So the majority of improving my health I have done on my own + by learning from many doctors here on YT. Try going grain free. Its a big step and its hidden in so many spots but try it. Try a whole foods diet. Try keto. Try carnivore. Or ketovore. My diet would be ketovore as I do eat the prunes + the kombucha does contain fruit juice. And take supplements... I am not sure how eating the wrong foods with the wrong stuff can create that awful fatigue but it does. And its horrible! Oh and that is also why I dont eat ANY poultry! I react very bad to it. So if you do decide to try this crazy diet you may want to avoid poultry at first. Those birds are fed horrible stuff plus its the stuff they wash the meat with too in the slaughterhouse. Very corny stuff. Uggh.. Wow. I like wrote a novel here! 😂 But I hope this helps (and a side note: I LIKE wheat and pizza and stuff - I just cannot EAT it anymore as it makes me so sick)... 😢 But you wont know until you try it.

I like the general message here... but I do wonder, how is this financially sustainable? I can only speak from my experience of having tried to build my art business for 5 years with ADHD, migraines and chronic pain. I have to say that working 20 hours a week would be amazing for my body but I simply can't afford that. I have to work so much more than that to be able to pay the bills. I'm growing tired of people saying that we should rest when we're exhausted. The system is broken all over the world and it's not on us to fix it. It's not our fault that capitalism is running us into the ground. Yes, be gentle with yourself. But also know it's not your fault if you burn out. All of that being said, I love your art and recently discovered your channel and have been really enjoying your videos 😊