Ep 7 - Dealing with Creating Burnouts

In Episode 7, Saurin grapples with creative burnout. He works hard, even though creative joy remains elusive. The thought of work suffocates him, and thinking about the future is daunting. Guided by Chapter 6, Verse 17 of the Bhagavad Gita, he delves into the significance of achieving balance in his daily life and the need to prioritize self-care above his work commitments.

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Bhagavad Gita for the Creative Soul

• Produced by The Voice Bank
• Concept & Writing: Saurin Desai
• Executive Producer: Rashmi Sundaram
• Director: Sundar Sethuraman
• Voice Artists: Sheetal Sawhney & Saurin Desai
• Special Advisor: Kushagra Singh (Writer, Spiritual Speaker & Yoga Teacher)
• Sound Designer: Sushant Sonawale
• Music Composition: Sushant Sonawale & Ameen
• Recordist: Agnel & Sushant Sonawale
• Recorded at Crescendo Studio, Mumbai

Chapters

• 1:15 Main Segment
• 2:27 Shlok-
• 6:35 End Credit

Transcript

00:00:00 Sundar
The Voice Bank presents Bhagavad Gita for the Creative Soul. Conceived and written by
Saurin Desai, narrated by Sheetal Sawhney and Saurin Desai.
This interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita is not scholarly or literal, but personal and creative,
with no intent to hurt the sentiments of any individual, community, or religion?
00:00:26 Sheetal
It is said that the Bhagavad Gita has answers for all and all the answers. Join writer and
seeker Saurin Desai, as each week he grapples with thoughts and challenges related to life,
work, and creativity, then explores the timeless wisdom of the Gita to discover how to
harness creativity with grace, understanding, empathy and timelessness.
00:00:59 Sheetal
Welcome to Bhagavad Gita for the Creative Soul. This is episode 7, ‘dealing with creative
burnout’, and Saurin is figuring out how to build and maintain a sustainable creative
practice.
00:01:17 Saurin
I had some lovely flowering plants I nurtured with great care and watered them twice a day
and eagerly awaited the day they would bloom.
00:01:26 Saurin
The plants grew well, but as you may have guessed, did not produce any flowers.
00:01:32 Saurin
I felt disappointed and frustrated until I discovered the concept of over tending. I realized
that excessive watering had depleted the soil, caused root rot, and attracted pests. The
solution? I had to give the plants the space and time to grow and thrive naturally.
00:01:52 Saurin

Now you might wonder what have flowers and plants got to do with creativity and work?
Well, until recently I felt like an over tended plant, putting in a lot of time on my work, but
there was no creative joy.
00:02:07 Saurin
The burnout felt as if a dense vampire fog had engulfed my mind and was turning me into a
zombie. There I just fulfilled my dream of merging zombification with vampirism.
00:02:20 Saurin
And I dreaded work simply thinking about my future was suffocating.
I found a path in the following verse.
00:02:33 Sheetal
युक्ताहार-विहारस्य युक्त-चेष्टस्य कर्मसु
युक्त-स्वप्नावबोधस्य योगो भवति दुःखहा ॥ ६,.१७॥

00:02:50 Sheetal
Chapter 6, Verse 17
One who maintains balance in eating, recreation, work, and sleep can reduce their physical
& mental sufferings through the practise of Yoga.
00:03:07 Sheetal
‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit root word ‘yuj’, i.e., ‘to yoke’, ‘to unite’, or ‘to connect’.
Yoga thus refers to the practice of connecting with one’s inner self, with other souls, and
ultimately with the Supersoul or divine consciousness.
00:03:34 Saurin
This verse emphasizes the importance of moderation in daily routine.
00:03:38 Saurin

Only when I achieve balance between all the crucial elements of my life will I have the time
and space to connect first with myself and then with my higher self.
00:03:48 Saurin
Buddhism has an approach called the middle way that focuses on moderation and balance
in all aspects of life.
00:03:56 Saurin
Before attaining enlightenment, the Buddha tried extreme forms of austerity like fasting and
self-punishment. But he discovered, it not lead him to inner peace.
00:04:08 Saurin
So, with balance and middle weight as the mantras, here's what I've been trying my best to
work upon.
00:04:15 Saurin
Rediscovering my bliss: I've been working with the principles of Dharma and Ikigai. And even
though this might seem like oversimplification right now I'm focused on doing and being
whatever feels blissful.
00:04:31 Saurin
It might be as simple as reading a book, watching a movie, having a cup of coffee, or even
doing nothing.
00:04:39 Saurin
Taking care of my physical health: I've been suffering from minor aches for years, but usually
I do nothing until the pain is unbearable. But now I'm being more proactive. The moment I
feel discomfort, I look into it.
00:04:57 Saurin
Spending time with family and friends: I know I'm supposed to spend more time with them.
But it's like the cigarette warning most smokers know but ignore, I continue ignoring.
00:05:08 Saurin

Seeking support: This is another obvious 'critical to-do' that is usually on the 'do when I feel like it'
list that I have in some forgotten notebook.
00:05:16 Saurin
Setting realistic expectations: I avoid having expectations from others, but most of my
expectations of myself are unrealistic, bordering to the point of stupidity.
00:05:28 Saurin
Giving myself a break: I've been taking more time out for myself.
00:05:33 Saurin
To conclude, I'm working on prioritizing myself over my work. Is it working out well? Not so
far, but time will tell.
00:05:42 Saurin
I had looked into overcoming creative blocks in the last episode, and while it is related to
Creative Burnout, they're not the same thing. Moreover, a creative block can be resolved
relatively quickly, whereas creative burnout often requires more significant changes.
00:06:00 Saurin
Thank you for your time and attention. The greatest gift you can give me.
00:06:04 Saurin
I am Saurin Desai, and each week I delve into the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. Together,
let's create a community of creative souls on this journey of self-discovery and growth. If
you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to reach me at gitacreativesoul@gmail.com.
00:06:26 Saurin
And from this moment onward, I am on a quest to build and maintain a sustainable creative
practice and banish burnouts from my life.
00:06:42 Sundar
You were listening to Bhagavad Gita for the Creative Soul.

Produced by The Voice Bank. Conceptualized & written by Saurin Desai. Voiced by Sheetal
Sawhney & Saurin Desai. Directed by Sundar Sethuraman. Executive producer: Rashmi
Sundaram. Special advisor: Kushagra Singh. Music by Sushant Sonawale & Dhirendra.
Recorded by Tejas Jadhav and Agnel George. Sound Designing & mixing by Sushant
Sonawale. Recorded at Crescendo Studios, Mumbai. Text copyright Saurin Desai. Sound
recording copyright: The Voice Bank.