Le Burnout

The French use that word too. “Je suis en burnout”. 

Mais panique pas. I’m not here to make any dramatic announcements, but do you mind if I lean on you for a moment? I don’t usually do this, but I feel like it could help to air out my thoughts. 

Surely I can’t be the only one. Teetering on the edge. Overcomplicating everything. Barely keeping one’s head above water with everyday commitments. Isn’t that the new norm? I should probably be checking into one of those relaxing and remote recalibration retreats that I’ve had pinned to my vision board for the past decade. But alas, I’m a stubborn Capricorn that refuses to slow down and sit with my feelings. 

If I’m honest, what helps me avoid meltdown mode is simply to embrace the delightful distractions of this world. All the curious rabbit holes that can redirect stress and turn into something creative. Who has time for a burnout when there’s an entire archive of vintage “Do Not Disturb” hotel signs to sift through?!

Lose yourself in the work of an artist the world forgot. Let the fantasy of fashion lift you out of a dark place. 

Speaking of fashion fantasy, this year’s Met Gala theme was a particularly welcome distraction that prompted me to dive back into the endless untold stories of historical, indisputable Black style. In my early blogging days, I stumbled upon the sapeurs, a subculture of extraordinarily dressed dandies from the slums of the Congo and learned about the African Women who dress like Victorians. And it didn’t take much in my online quest for self-education to figure out that credit was long overdue for America’s Black Couturiers. I’ll never forget that full circle moment of visiting the townhouse of Dappen Dan, Harlem’s Hip Hop tailor. That was pretty awesome. 

See what I did there? Distractions can be pretty useful for getting off track, particularly if that track is heading towards a burnout. Let us not be afraid of leaning into distractions and letting them take us in unexpected directions before leaning into despair. 

So anyway, thanks for indulging me in the impromptu therapy break you didn’t ask for. Here’s to saying things out loud to each other. 

Now back to your regularly scheduled program: a quick note for Keyholders that this month’s Paris Writers & Readers Club will take place on Wednesday, May 28th in Paris (and online). Our special guest is Elaine Sciolino, former New York Times bureau chief in Paris and author of numerous best-selling Paris books, as well as her latest, Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World's Greatest Museum.

And in other news, we’re approaching the one year anniversary for the opening of Messy Nessy’s Cabinet! Stay tuned for invitations to celebrate with us. In the meantime, after being near-emptied over Easter break, I’m relieved to say my shelves are full of treasures again, including new works from Maïssa Toulet and a cornucopia of other nostalgic Parisian curiosities I’ve been busy sourcing.

And there’s one controversial piece in particular that suddenly seems to be serving as quite the conversation starter this week as the papal conclave begins.  

That’s all for now, I’m off to spend an evening rediscovering one of my secret Paris addresses for a well-deserved mid-week date night. 

Stay curious,

Nessy