Welcome to Mitxoda Weekly #47!

Like my age, I need a little rest.
So please enjoy today’s pre-recorded edition of the Salon, airing at 4pm Brussels time.
And take a moment to discover the latest fantastic tracks I had the chance to listen to,
my small gift to you during these tiny holidays.

See you later, alligators!

Mitxoda

I’m packing my bag for a few days away. A little escape, somewhere with no notifications, no endless tabs open, no constant stream of “Hey, can you just…” messages.

And as I zip that bag closed, I realize I have to say this:

We are all weak. And that’s normal.

Not “weak” in the way the world sometimes spits it at you. Not broken, not incapable.

Just human. Humans have limits. And when you push those limits long enough, you burn out.

The indie world, especially for those of us juggling our art, day jobs, collaborations, and the occasional sleepless night on Bandcamp, can be a furnace. The heat comes from everywhere: deadlines, self-imposed expectations, social media pressure, unpaid bills, endless DIY tasks… And the thing about being indie is that you can’t simply hand it off to “the team”. You are the team.

So here’s my point: burnout is not a badge of honour. It’s not proof that you’re “dedicated” or “serious”. It’s not a gift to your art, your community, or yourself.

If you want to stay here, making, feeling, thriving, you have to preserve yourself.

Here are 8 ways to keep your heart in it without losing yourself, DIY style.

1. Build Rest Into the Process

Don’t treat rest like a guilty pleasure you “earn” after working to exhaustion. Schedule it into your creative cycle, the way you would book a rehearsal or a gig. Have days when you play music without recording a note, just for the joy of it.

2. Create Art With No Audience in Mind

We spend so much time thinking about streams, likes, comments. What if you made something no one was ever going to hear? A song recorded on your phone, a painting that stays in your notebook, a poem written on the back of an invoice. This is your “pressure-free” art zone.

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3. Rotate Between Projects

If you feel stuck, switch to another medium for a while. A guitarist might spend a week messing with photography. A writer might learn to play a tiny synth loop. The goal isn’t mastery, it’s to remind your brain that creation can be playful.

4. Join (or Start) a Low-Pressure Collab

Sometimes the cure for burnout is to step into someone else’s groove. Join a jam session where you’re not the leader. Send a beat to a friend with zero expectation of a final track. Let collaboration remind you why you fell in love with music in the first place.

5. Step Away From the Timeline

Scrolling is fuel for comparison and exhaustion. Every “success story” post can make you feel like you’re falling behind. Try a week without posting or checking numbers. Let your art grow in the dark for a bit.

6. Find Your Listening Ritual

We talk a lot about making music, but listening can heal too. Set a time each week to sit with an album start to finish, no phone, no distractions. Let the artist’s world absorb you completely. It’s like a reset button for your head and heart.

7. Take Breaks Before You Need Them

Don’t wait until you can’t get out of bed to stop. Take small, frequent pauses. A half-day off after an intense rehearsal. A long walk after finishing a mix. Your future self will thank you.

8. Celebrate Small Wins

We chase big milestones, but the small ones keep you going: finishing a verse, learning a new chord, connecting with one new listener. Mark those moments. They matter.

On my side, I’m stepping away for a few days, and I’m inviting you to do the same, in your own way, at your own pace.

Because if we want to keep making music that’s alive, we need to stay alive inside it.

Don’t burn out. That’s no gift to you, or to the art you love.

Take care of yourself, indie friends.

The music will wait for you.

And when you come back, you’ll be ready to set it on fire, the good kind.

And keep the indie spirit alive. Even without me.

Stay Fun, Stay True.
Love on You,
🖤 Mitxoda

END 😆