“I have encountered burnout about four times in my career drawing Nexus. The first time it happened it was devastating. Like any first-time occurrence, you’re left not knowing how to deal with it. I had a tremendous feeling of guilt that I am unable to preform, that I’m letting people down.
I solved it by realizing that I was breaking down because mentally I couldn’t go on anymore. This is simply the clinical way of looking at it. There was something wrong; I had to listen to what my mind was telling me. Instead of feeling guilty and making it even worse upon myself, I had to look at what happened and not be so hard on myself.
I was so hard on myself back then that I literally almost killed myself over the work, and then the guilt came on top of not being able to work. Having survived it, I look back and realize that it happened for a reason; and it wasn’t a bad reason. I shouldn’t feel bad for having had it happen to me.
I’m at a loss to explain how others can resolve it. Just take your mental health very seriously. We’re so hard on ourselves…just be aware that these things are going to happen.”
— Steve Rude