Keeping Burnout at Bay

It's probably fair to say that many of us Creative
Doctors do what we do because of burnout - either in an effort to recover from it or to keep it at bay by maintaining the balance in our lives.

Writing is my thing, but I haven't had much time to do it lately because the sideways pitch of my career has led me to a role that soaks up a lot of my creative juices. I feel a bit lucky that after 3 decades of clinical medicine and immersion in primary care mental health I can now stretch my creative muscles and use that experience to help create podcasts, blogposts, webinars and face-to-face teaching events. 

You can access much of my online activity eMHPrac page of the Black Dog Institute website. But you might like to head straight for the podcast about burnout that we made based on a webinar on the same subject. Happy listening!

Attention Writers! A chance to bring out your bloodthirsty!

Here's an opportunity you mustn't miss - but you'd better start that story right now!

Entries close for the 2019 Scarlet Stiletto Short Story Award on 31st August.

Never heard of it?
Run by Melbourne-based not-for-profit volunteers Sisters in Crime, the competition has been held annually since 1993 and has been won by a crowd of great writers, many of whom have gone on to build great reputations and have novels published . This year's major prize money is $1060 but its not the money you enter it for - its the glory.

What do you need to do?
First you need to be a woman (sorry guys).
Then you need to write up to 5,000 rivetting and possibly bloodthirsty words of crime fiction in a story with a strong female protagonist.
You can get all the details at the Sisters in Crime website.

For a bit of inspiration you might like to look at this story about the 2018 awards ceremony. There is hope for all of us. 2018's Scarlet Stiletto was won by Philomena Horsley, a medical anthropologist who specialises in autopsies.

You'll notice too that there are more prizes to be had than just the Stiletto. The one that appeals to me the most is the Writers Victoria Crime and Punishment Award  that comes in the form of a three month residency at the Old Melbourne Gaol. How inspiring would that be!

Go on - you can do it. We both know you've been plotting that crime forever!

Life is like a barstool....

Burnout is alive and well in the medical profession - in fact we may have invented it!

I wrote a blog post about the importance of having more than just medicine in your life recently and I thought it might be a good thing to share with my Creative Doctors colleagues.

Here's the link to the barstool stool post. It comes from a blog called Being Well, an open access blog aimed mostly at a mental health professional audience. It is linked to other password-protected things but you are welcome to read the blog without having to sign in.

Please find below a few shots of some Creative Doctors (and some of their friends) contributing to their own wellbeing at Performers Night at Camelot in past years. More information about the 2019 Performers Night on 15th August  can be found 2 posts back. If you'd like a spot on the bill this year or you'd just like to be in the audience, contact us at creativedoctorsaustralia@gmail.com. We'd love to see you there! 

Invitation to Participate in a Photographic Competition

Michael Lockwood, Creative Director of Out From the Mist, has invited Creative Doctors'  members to participate in this unique photographic competition featuring photographic representations of mental health.

The Bridge - Saturday 8th June 10.45am
Jan Orman

Entries are open to anyone with lived experience of mental illness or those close to them - including health professionals. Photographs will be judged using four criteria - lived experience, relationships, recovery and change.

The competition is being conducted on behalf of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Australia (MIFA).

For more information please use this link to go to the competition website

Save the date for Performers Night 2019

I'm back!
Sorry I've been away so long - been busy - you know how it is I'm sure.
It had to be something VERY BIG to get me blogging again and it is. Stop the presses!

We have a date and a venue for the 2019 Creative Doctors Performers Night.

Put it in your diary NOW:

7.00pm THURSDAY 15th August 2019 
CAMELOT LOUNGE (Have you been before? - its a great venue with lots of camels!)
Cnr Marrickville Rd and Railway Parade Marrickville

Yes, we have had illuminated hoops
at a previous performers night!

NSW

Entry is free for network members and all their friends and relations (thanks to our sponsor Judith Babich of Active Locums) and food and drink are available to purchase from the bar 

Please try to come along - even if you aren't one of the performers you will enjoy seeing our "performing doctors" (and medical students) sing, dance  (possibly with illuminated hoops), play musical instruments and do stand-up routines - maybe even all at the same time!
Our doctors are able, on this one night of the year, to do all the things they can't get away with on the wards or in the office.

RSVP If you'd like to perform on the night, or just want to tell us that you will be in the audience, please contact me, Jan, at creativedoctorsaustralia@gmail.com


And while I have your attention....


The NSW Doctors Orchestra; Musicus Medicus also has exciting performances which may interest you as well. Their next performance is at 2.30 pm on Sunday 16th June at the Concourse Concert Hall in Chatswood.
You can find out more from the Musicus Medicus website