Substainable to be a maker ?

[zuperninja]

When I was 20years old, I cofounding OpenFab, a Fablab in Brussels. For 4 years, I share everything to this community. Time, sweat, laugh and money. I didn't have time for a job that will pay for my expense. I was totaly emerged in this project. It was my only conversation subject, before falling asleep, my mind was making plan on how to solve the problem with member's project, and when I didn't want to do project management or pay bills on my computer I will go learn and share skills.

It wasn't a straight path during this 4 years, sometimes I had money, because i was gaingning in skills and had opportunities to make money by doing some commission work. But anytime I had money, i will first payback my friend and then give it to the fablab. Thanks to a supporting group of people, I was able to have a place to stay at night and food in my plate everyday. For the rest, I didn't care as long as I could keep this community alive, and that my friends have everything they need to live. I was totally immerse in the artist's myth.

You already know where this is going, right ? When i turned 24 I was in a total exaustation state. I moved back to my parents house for my health safety, put some literal distance between me and the fablab. And start doing some behaviour and cognitive therapy. After 4months, I was able to work for the fablab again, with a timer. (that i still use).

After 2 years of doing 5hours of fablab's work in the morning, and self care during the afternoon, a proper job found me. I did it for 1 and an half year, full time. Adding this to the work i wanted to do for the fablab. Fortunately, my day job was teaching adult how to use anything related to computer. So when they were learning how to do a sheet on excel, I could work for OpenFab. You know multitasking. I was back into my workaholic habit, but this time i had money. The behaviour therapy only was not enough for me to stayed balance. I started medication

I turned 26 years old. And it hit me. The only aspect of my life that was interesting was my work. I had nothing else. I wasn't feeling alone, i had my family, my gf and friends, a full agenda and meaningfull project. But my brain wasn't happy. I quit my dayjob, took vacation from the fablab and went to live in thailand. There I learned how to take my time, well... you don't really have a choice there... so.

I had a little conversation with M.B. a few weeks ago. And he does the same thing as me. Part time in thailand and part time in europe. We live in the same city in thailand and work with the same groupe of people in Belgium. And funny enough, we have the same way of seeing this. when we are in thailand, we don't want to talk about work and be always in a full networking mode. The word inhalation came into the conversation. that's what i do. When i'm in thailand, this is my time to breath to inhale. When i'm in Brussels in the FabLab, i exhale. I'm working full time, efficient, clear minded and give every little bit of energy that i have. During the inhalation phase, i eat, i hang out with my friends, i make stuff that doesn't have an impact. I don't have to worry about money or time.

But, today, i'm facing an other stage in my life. I need money to start a family and live in Europe near my loved ones. I was talking about all of this with an economist friend who works on finding a fair way for people to live.

Gift economy.

Patrons.

Parti-time

[nicolasdb]

I know this feeling, we will find out, we are close of something ;)

[zuperninja]

We are not aloooone !

Yes, i have somethings a want to try, thats the why of this article :) but not finished yet :)

Le dim. 9 sept. 2018 à 16:46, Nicolas de Barquin notifications@github.com a écrit :

I know this feeling, we will find out, we are close of something ;)

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