Burnout

Created for Yardworks 2026

This mural unfolds as a theatrical meditation on burnout, a moment where creativity and exhaustion coexist in the same breath. Inspired by the artist’s own experience last year, the work captures that unsettling state of feeling “creatively dead while still trying to build the bloom around you.” It’s a feeling many self‑employed artists recognise: the pressure to produce endlessly, the difficulty of saying no, and the quiet toll that accumulates beneath the surface.

The mural was created during Yardworks Glasgow, a festival known for its openness to experimentation and its supportive community. Arriving with unexpected anxiety, the artist found those feelings quickly dissolved by the people around them, although problems with the lift pushed her to the limits. That sense of collective care is woven into the work: a reminder that creativity doesn’t thrive in isolation, but in environments where artists can breathe, explore, and reconnect with joy.

Ultimately, Burnout becomes a portrait of recovery, a visual acknowledgement of vulnerability, and a celebration of the renewed energy that comes from making space to play. It stands as both confession and catharsis, marking a refreshed beginning for the year ahead.