Burnt Out on Passion MSC3401-2511 / Andy Edlynson Kadiran (00000115200)
talked a little bit about my passion on how I discovered it, why it's my passion, my experience through the burnt out phase and how I overcome it...
OPENING
Hello everyone,
First of all, I want to thank the GenZtrive community for giving me the chance to stand here and share my story with all of you. Today, I want to talk about something that I believe many of us in this room can relate to — burnout on passion.
For me, photography has always been more than just pressing a button on a camera. Even before I had the chance to hold a real camera, I loved capturing little moments in my life with just my phone. But it wasn’t until I joined my high school student council that I truly discovered this passion. A quote I heard at a boot camp pushed me to step out of my comfort zone: “The biggest failure in life is not participating.” That single line changed me.
What started as a random choice — joining the documentation division — turned into a journey that led me here today, standing in front of you, not just as someone who takes photos, but as someone who found love in capturing music and emotions on stage.
BODY
When I finally bought my first camera, it felt like a door opened for me. I started shooting school events, learning step by step, and realizing how much joy I got from freezing a single moment that people could look back on. But the dream that stayed in my heart was music photography.
Why music? Because my first real concert changed me. It was Fujii Kaze’s first Asia concert, and standing there, watching him live on stage after seeing him only on my phone screen for so long, I felt overwhelmed. The lights, the sound, the energy of the crowd — it was magical. That night, I made a promise to myself: I wanted to experience that feeling again and again, but this time through the lens of my camera.
Being a concert photographer has given me moments of fulfillment that are hard to describe. When an artist reposts my photo and fans relive those moments through my work, it feels like my passion has a purpose. But as with many passions, there came a time when I hit burnout.
A few months ago, I found myself lost. Most of my photography jobs were not music-related. What once felt like love started to feel like a chore. I was chasing something, but it seemed to slip further away. The only times I got to shoot music were when I volunteered — and those opportunities were rare. I questioned myself: was this still my passion, or just work I forced myself to do?
But then, something shifted. I realized that instead of waiting for chances, I had to create them. I changed the way I approached artist managements, reaching out, offering my work, and hoping for a breakthrough. One of my biggest dreams was to photograph LalalaFest 2025, with artists like Yung Kai, Keshi, Camila Cabello, and many more.
In the last week before the event, I lost hope. I stopped trying, thinking maybe it wasn’t meant to be. But then, after the festival ended, I saw an email from one of the artists3’s manager — an approval that I had missed. My heart dropped. I felt regret, but at the same time, I felt happiness. That email reminded me of something important: my passion was never gone. I just needed to rediscover it, and to trust that every effort I make brings me closer, even if the result doesn’t show immediately.
CLOSING & CONCLUSION
Looking back, I realized that burnout doesn’t mean the end of a passion — it simply means we need to pause, reflect, and find a new way to connect with what we love. Passion is not a straight path; it’s full of ups and downs, moments of doubt, and also breakthroughs that remind us why we started in the first place.
To my fellow Gen-Z in GenZtrive, I want to say this: it’s okay to feel tired, it’s okay to take a step back, but don’t mistake burnout for failure. Sometimes, the very thing that drains us can also be the thing that saves us when we learn how to approach it differently.
For me, photography and music are still my passion. And even though I’ve stumbled, even though I’ve faced setbacks, I’ve learned that passion is not just about the results, but about the journey we take and the people we become along the way.
So, let us not quit on what we love. Instead, let’s find new ways to nurture it, to balance it, and to let it grow with us. Because at the end of the day, passion is not just about what we do — it’s about who we are.
Thank you.
:)