WING"TIPS" # 29 Battleing ''burnout''

[wingman]

I know some may not understand this wingtip BUT when you do taxidermy EVERY day year after year it is easy to burnout IE lose desire creativity etc. I personally like to mount a Personal bird to combat burnout BUT sometimes when your behind in time or finances you HAVE to produce, One trick I have done and often do if I an feeling the ''DRAG" is to change my tactics, Instead of putting two birds together in a day I prep 4 birds, meaning I get 4 birds skinned washed and in the gas before the end of the day. This includes getting the heads dremeled and painted, driftwood or bases ready, wires cut etc. I clean the shop and look forward to  just putting birds together the next day The next day I basically ''assembly line them'' The following pics show a day like I just described 4 wholesale mallards. I am battling with burnout at the moment so I did take a day, Saturday  to put together a peacock for my showroom and the work week goes on........Anyone else ever get burned out?

[wingman]

And two more 

[jeremy]

Funny you should mention it, ive been on a non stop bird marathon for the past 2 months trying to keep up on customer birds while trying to mount many of my own for a upcoming sportsman show in March. Plus working a fulltime job its getting tedious and I think ill take Fri off and take the wife shopping in the city. Instead of mounting a wood duck. Thanks for the idea.

 Dang that peacock rocks by the way.

[crankin]

wingman i love your work! that peacock is awesome the wife has been trying to talk me into buying and mounting one just like that for  her living room, i just might have to give in, now to find one with a train like that and mount it with your quality...lol

[taxos]

yeah, I know what you mean. I´ve got a fulltime job and a part-time taxidermy business, which leaves almost no time to mount birds for my ow collection, even though i only collect small birds!

I really like the two pieces of cardboard on tha HUGE  peacock tail LOL!!

[daniel]

IM NOT SURPRIZED YOU GET TIRED OF IT THE NUMBERS OF BIRDS YOU TURN OUT WINGMAN ALLSO A LOT OF THE SAME KIND AND BEING AT IT FOR SO LONG HOPE YOU FEEL BETTER AFTER THE PEACOCK NICE BY THE WAY THE BEST DANIEL

[wildwings]

Good Post like always. I actually was getting a little burned out so I decided to work on my comp pieces. I guess the best thing for me is that I do everything not just birds so once I get burned out on birds I switch to gameheads or fish are kinda of a relief. Still personally theres nothing better on a wall then a nice colorfull bird mount. Also I love the guys that post the shop pics it gives me hope 1 day I can move my business from the house to a studio. Then I will be able to look out windows instead of stare at concrete bricks.

[grouseandwaterfowlpark]

Hello yes I to get tried of mounting birds then I remind myself that I could still be a siding contractor on homes as I that did that for 16 years then it suddely  seems all better. But I do break up my routine

Best Regards Dan Snyder

[wingman]

Thanks for the responses, Yes Dan I may'' burnout'' from time to time BUT Like you I  do understand that there are a lot worse ''alternatives'' Like a ''real'' job  I love my job but just like any other job at times it gets old.

[stuffinducks]

Good post Wingman,

I can't imagine what it would be like full-time, but us part-timers like me...I get burned out to. Almost everynight Mon - Thurs after my 6 am to 4:30 pm real J.O.B., I get prep work done to mount birds on the weekend.

I try and mount up 2 to 3 birds per weekend (Friday - Saturday), unless I'm hunting or working my other part-time job (Utah Air National Guard/weekends - 1 a month, plus deployments on top of that) I figure I got way to many jobs, plus Husband, Father, and what ever else comes along!

But I would't change a thing! I LOVE IT!  Eugene, I like what you said about changing things up or get a new spark. Mine change would be Glass case mounts, flying groups, hybrids or like you said...mount one of my birds once in a while.

Hell, Right now I'm atleast 18 to 20 months out on birds and people are still bringing their stuff to me even when I tell them my time line. I guess the like the "quality mounts" or something. I can't figure it out.

Eugene - you put out quality mounts and I love your "wingtips" thanks for taking the "TIME" to post up

Later,

SD     

[mimes]

Yeah i get a little burned out too. I think back to the time when i had no taxi shop and used that free time to hunt and fish. I have a full time job, married with a 3yr old boy, hunt & fish (when the wife and other resposibilities allow) and then do taxi one night a week. Some weeks i really cant wait to get in the shop, others i kinda dread it. Like wildwings, i do deer, fish, mammals, so that breaks it up some. Personally, kinda wish i could go all waterfowl, but do not get the numbers i need to break even. Hey wingman, to combat the burnout, you could invite one of us rookies over for a week, get some free work out of us, we could get some training, it would be a win win situation! Anyways.....gotta get back to the real job that pays the bills! Thanks again for all the "wingtips"!

[Limbhanger66]

I am impressed with the quality of your birds in relation to the quantity you put out. I am just a beginner, so it is hard to imagine having 4 mallards lined up like that ready to go, or a peacock with a perfect 5 foot tail and only two little pieces of tape on it. You ever heard the saying about the monkey humpin a football........thats me Keep up the nice work.

[daniel]

i agree with mimes im more than willing to come and help you out for 2 wks i will even sleep in a tent and cook my own food  the best daniel

[KMA]

Eugene, I was warned about the dangers of Burnout early on - but of course I didn't listen the first few years.  How I guard against burnout:
1) I switch species a lot....big group of ducks, then pheasants, then turkeys, etc...that helps to break the monotony.
2) I like to get involved in building habitats for different pieces ....provides a nice change of pace.
3) I have to make deliveries to other shops each month and I enjoy getting out to visit and even work with other taxidermists.
4) I pull a "special personal" project to work on (see below)

* I have been mounting this same exact pheasant pose for one of my large bird preserves for the past 3 weeks now....and yes, I'm sick of it. Thankfully my Barnacle Goose showed up just in time for me to switch gears, avoid burnout, and work on a personal bird. Great post as always.

[SteveP]

Thanks Eugene,
It's this kind of help and advise that is truly inspirational. You, and others on this forum, deserve respect and praise for the constant, unsolicited help and encouragement. I wish I could name everyone (I hope you know who you are) that give so unselfishly to help others, like myself, to try to reach your levels of success in taxidermy, especially with birds.

As a burned out electrician (I always wanted to be a professional taxidermist even before puberty), I hope to apply your advise before I need it.

Thanks again,
Steve Powers