Stop Funding Your Own Burnout: Designing Commissions That Don’t Drain You

You don’t get a medal for exhausting yourself in the name of community. A brilliant artist in my world recently asked a question that so many of you will recognise. Let’s call them Kenny. Kenny runs socially engaged projects. They work with communities over weeks, sometimes months. Workshops turn into conversations. Conversations turn into drawings. Drawings become objects. Objects evolve into sound pieces. Eventually, it all lands as an installation with sculpture and layered audio. It is rich. It is generous. It is complex. And the budget never quite matches the reality. Kenny finds themselves topping up production costs. Paying for extra studio time. Covering additional fabrication. Giving more hours than were funded. Holding the emotional labour that was never costed. They asked me, should I scale up to bigger institutions with bigger budgets, or should I reduce what I deliver? If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Here is what is really happening. If you’ve ever felt stretched thin by a commission that looked generous on paper but drained you in reality, this one will land. I break down how to design modular versions of your practice, how to cost invisible labour properly, and how to stop reflex over-delivering just to secure the opportunity. KEY TAKEAWAYS Many artists, especially socially engaged artists, end up producing three projects under one fee - Community workshops. Research and relationship-building. Drawings, objects, sound, sculpture. Installation. Coordination. Care – And when the budget only stretches for one strand of that work, they quietly top it up themselves. - More hours. More energy. Design the project to fit the budget, not the other way round. Always pay yourself properly, and if the full ecosystem of your practice costs more than the fee use one of the 3 options Ceri shares to bring balance back and avoid burnout. Designing modular versions of your practice means you stop pouring the whole symphony into every commission and instead offer clear tiers that match the budget, so the work stays true without draining you. BEST MOMENTS “When you consistently top up a commission with your own time and money, you are not being noble. You are subsidising someone else’s remit with your personal capacity.” “What you can't do is quietly over deliver and hope someone notices.” “Open your last project, calculate how many unpaid hours you gave, multiply that by your day rate, look at the number, then ask yourself, would I agree to that again knowingly?” HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at [email protected] This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/