Sidebar: The System That Creates Overwhelm (and How We Unknowingly Keep It Alive)
Overwhelm isn’t just a personal issue — it’s a feature of the systems we work in.
In academia and the arts, scarcity (a constant sense of “not enough” — not enough time, resources, or opportunities) isn’t just about money or materials. It’s baked into the very structure of how work is assigned, valued, and measured.
How Scarcity Shapes the System
Too much, never enough. Expectations rise faster than resources. More is always added, rarely removed.
Value through exhaustion. The people most celebrated are often those who “go above and beyond” — even when it’s unsustainable.
Prestige through competition. There’s an unspoken hierarchy where busyness equals importance.
Fear as a motivator. Budget cuts, limited positions, and shrinking opportunities keep everyone working harder to prove worth.
How We Support It Without Realizing
Most of us entered these systems with big dreams and a deep commitment to the work — so when the bar moves, we move with it.
We say yes to the extra committee “because someone has to.”
We take on another project to avoid letting a colleague down.
We prepare to perfection (the belief that only flawless work ensures safety or worth) because we’ve been told that anything less is unprofessional.
These actions come from dedication — but they quietly reinforce the idea that the impossible is normal.
How We Perpetuate It
Scarcity culture (a system where overwork and overextension are modeled, rewarded, and passed down) survives through imitation:
Students see us running on empty and assume this is what success looks like.
Younger colleagues follow our example, taking on more than they can sustain.
We reward overextension in others, because we’ve learned to equate it with commitment.
Why This Isn’t About Shame
We didn’t invent this system.
We inherited it.
And many of us have survived within it by adopting the very patterns that harm us.
Naming the system isn’t about blame — it’s about seeing it clearly enough to make different choices.
Because when we stop glorifying overdrive, we create the space to imagine something else: enough time, enough support, enough room for artistry to flourish.