The Art of Recharging: Balancing Creativity and Burnout
Ever had your creative mojo take a sudden vacation, leaving you in a pit of creative despair? Picture this: you're on a roll for ages, designing and crafting like a pro, and then wham! The inspiration well runs dry, and you start to wonder if it's packed its bags forever. Scary stuff, right?
We all experience creative burnout from time to time, it’s the state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion around creativity.
Because creativity can be unpredictable depending on things like sleep and stress levels, symptoms of creative burnout can easily go unnoticed until true burnout occurs. But fear not, there are plenty of ways to spot burnout before it leads to complete creative drain. It’s important to understand what causes creative burnout and what to keep a lookout for.
Causes:
Perfectionism is typically the number one cause of creative burnout. Too many of us push ourselves too hard and always expect perfection.
Stress is major player in creative burnout. Taking on too many responsibilities and setting unrealistic expectations of ourselves is a surefire way to stifle your creativity.
Self-doubt is another leading cause of burnout. Self-doubt and negative thinking can also lead to imposter syndrome.
Things to look out for:
Putting things off for long periods of time because you don’t feel like you have enough mental energy.
Struggling to do simple things that are usually a piece of cake for you.
Constant exhaustion over long periods of time even when you’re getting plenty of sleep.
Comparing your art, work, creativity or productivity to others in a negative way.
Finding yourself endlessly scrolling or binging but not creating much.
Feeling frustrated or irritated more than normal.
Overcome the Challenge
Creative burnout can be seriously stressful for us creatives. It' makes you feel powerless, like there’s nothing you can do. Luckily there are several things you can do to shorten or even overcome your creative burnout.
Taking a physical and mental break from your creativity for a few days is a way to escape and start fresh when you return. Do things you love like visiting with friends or family, reading, hiking, cooking, watching movies, gardening, etc.
Do some positive self-reflection and take a look around you to try and root out the causes of your burnout. You can journal, talk to a friend about what’s happening, simplifying your studio or schedule, etc.
Facing creative burnout head-on and admitting you’re struggling with it is a great way to bounce back. Share your struggle and get support from others who can help you out or be an understanding listener.
Take a look back at your work and creative journey. You’ve probably come a long way since you started and looking back at your progress is a great way to curb self-doubt and inspire yourself.
When you’re ready to start creating again break it down and take small steps. Don’t worry about writing that book, just write a chapter. You don’t need to design the whole garden layout today, just go plant one bush.
Prevention
We all know how awful creative burnout can be, it’s no fun for no one. So instead of waiting around to fix the problem after you’ve hit bottom try prevention first. It’s much easier to avoid burnout in the first place when at all possible.
Mindful productivity is defined as being consciously present in your work while you’re doing it. It’s about acknowledging and accepting your feelings/thoughts while engaging in creative activities and will help you build a sustainable work environment for yourself.
Take a physical and mental break from your creativity for a few hours every now and then.
Manage your habits and routines, it will help you feel healthier and more balanced.
Always manage the quantity and quality of content you consume, it is vital. Ask yourself: Is it nourishing, inspiring, fostering curiosity and personal growth? Or is it draining and stress-inducing?
I’d love to know, tell me in the comments below…
How do you overcome burnout in your creativity?