Side Quester of the Month: Neil Bardhan
Philadelphia's Neil Bardhan shares how nature helps him curb creative burnout
Every month Side Quests features an interview with a creative professional on how they manage their work-life balance and how they keep their creative juices flowing.
This month, I’m featuring my good friend Neil Bardhan, a man who virtually every creative in Philadelphia (and the eastern seaboard for that matter) knows and admires. He’s a writer, comedian, improv artist, and bonafide breakfast sandwich expert (he literally wrote the guide to the best breakfast sandwiches in Philadelphia for the Philadelphia Inquirer).
He’s also the hilarious host of a property listing game show on YouTube called Neil Estate!
In this interview he gives us an inside look into his work, the signs he recognizes as he approaches burnout, and how nature helps feed his creative soul.
You can learn more about Neil on his website and be sure to follow and support Neil’s work on Instagram (@)Knilegram and subscribe to his newsletter, What is Neil DOING?
Side Quests: How would you describe your job? What do you love most about your career?
Neil Bardhan: I often say I'm an arts nonprofit administrator. I'm the Director of Applied Storytelling at First Person Arts. I get to teach corporate workshops and design community engagements where everyday people tell stories from their lives.
(Side Quests Note: You can hear everyday people share their stories at First Person Arts by attending their events or listening to their podcast #US!)
NB: I'm also the Executive Director of Broad Street Review, an arts and culture digital media outlet that covers the greater Philadelphia region. Then I also take on the occasional freelance gig in writing or other fun.
My creative life includes comedy, writing, photo collage, and probably other things that I've forgotten.
SQ: What are the signs that your creative reserves are getting low? When do you know you're reaching a point of creative exhaustion?
NB: I feel dread and disdain. I get jealous and play the comparison game.
SQ: What are some Side Quests you like to go on to feed your creative spirit?
NB: I'm always rejuvenated when I find a new novel that kicks me out of my funk. Every few years, I run into a book that shakes me up and reminds me that reading and writing can be fun!
It's cliche, but travel helps, even if it's to a relatively unexciting location for a brief period (maybe, especially that kind of trip!).
Closer to home, I also love a little outdoor walk with my wife. We love to find spots along the way on road trips, or new trails within about an hour of Philly. There are more of those than we would have thought! 2020 got us into the Natural Lands preserves, and I could visit one of those every day and not get tired.
SQ: If someone takes your Side Quest, what's something you hope they get out of the experience?
NB: Specifically for the Natural Lands spaces, I think what I hope people see is a reminder of how complex human history is, even in a relatively short span of a few centuries and in a small area like one forest or farm. There's so much to learn about these gems and to think about when it comes to how humans have interacted with nature.
If you or someone you know has some great strategies to help curb creative burnout that you’d like to share with Side Quests, feel free to reach out to me by commenting below, responding to this email, or emailing kaelanipalmisano@gmail.com.