Creative Burnout: When Passion Simply isn’t Enough
It’s wonderful to be a creator. To be able to produce something that eventually goes out into the world for others to admire, react to, and engage with can feel like a huge blessing. However, creative burnout is very real and can affect any one of us, and unfortunately, it is often overlooked or ignored. We tend to think of creatives and digital media creators as people who work on their craft out of love, and there is a huge misconception that one’s passion is enough to carry a person through their entire artistic career or journey. But burnout is more than just having your creative spark fizzling out.
As a content creator on Instagram and a former graphic designer, I know all too well the turning point when the passion fades, and is replaced by procrastination and constant dread. Why is it that where you once were overflowing with creative ideas, you’re now dragging your feet, feeling that the act of creating is total drudgery? As creators of all kinds, what can we do to ensure that we’re able to keep producing quality art and content at a sustainable rate without burning out?
What causes burnout?
For creatives, such as artists, designers, writers, and the like, burnout can happen when you’re feeling the need to constantly be creative but are not growing or progressing creatively. As such, it arises when you’re feeling like you’ve stagnated. It can also be because of negative feedback: feeling like what you’re producing isn’t good enough can be discouraging.
As a content creator on social media, burnout may happen due to a variety of reasons, including constantly trying to keep up with the algorithms on apps, or receiving negative comments from others. It could also be due to a falling engagement rate, or a decreasing follower count, despite trying your best to put out engaging and high-quality content.
For creators of all sorts, it might be because you’ve been comparing yourself to others. The comparison might lead to low self-esteem, and we can become frustrated with ourselves and jealous of others. You might’ve also forgotten your purpose, or why you’ve fallen in love with a particular craft in the first place.
Signs of burnout
Procrastinating and dreading doing work or making creative content: You might feel unmotivated and tired, or you might even be getting the Sunday Scaries –– dread, and the act of dragging your feet to get something done, can come in many forms.
Feeling stuck, and like you’ve stagnated: Stagnating and feeling that you’re not as creative as you used to be is also a symptom of burnout. Creativity requires one to innovate frequently and to bring fresh ideas to the table. If you’re feeling dull or finding your work repetitive, you might be heading towards burnout.
Feeling irritable and/or down in the dumps: Burnout affects more than just output; it can also affect one’s mental health and mood as well. Dreading going to work or finding no purpose in one’s creative projects can lead to stress, as well as feelings of depression and anxiety.
Preventing and recovering from burnout
Take some time to unwind: Adequate rest is crucial to keeping your creativity flowing. Continuing to keep working through burnout can lead to poorer performance and an even worse mood, so take some time for yourself to truly rest and relax. Try unplugging for a few days and feel the difference after!
Be mindful of what you consume: Find inspiration from other creatives and content creators whom you like. Sometimes an extra dose of inspiration is all we need to keep going and growing creatively!
Take control of what you can: Learn how to say ‘no’ and ask for help. Turning down extra work so that you have the extra time to rest can be useful, and so is being able to reach out to someone you trust, to tell them that you’ve been feeling burnt out lately. Depending on who you speak to, you’ll find that there will be people who are more than willing to give advice, help you with your projects, or simply listen to your problems.
Assess your skill level and challenge yourself (a little): It does help to reflect on why you’re feeling burnt out in the first place. If it’s because you’re stagnating creatively, perhaps challenge yourself to do something outside of your comfort zone. Try to expand the range of content or art you produce, and perhaps consider making something entirely different or in a new style, or even to make something special your niche.
Constantly evaluate your creative work: Catch yourself before you burnout –– after all, prevention is always better than cure. Constantly assess how you’re doing, so when your performance or mood starts dipping you can take the steps necessary to pick yourself back up on your feet. Being aware of the early signs of burnout means it gets easier to treat it when it happens, too.
Find your motivation and never give up: It’s easy to forget why we’re doing what we’re doing in the first place. Sometimes, we get too caught up with our projects and responsibilities that it all begins to feel like a huge chore. Journal, reflect, talk it through with someone –– whatever works for you –– just remind yourself of your passion and your love for what you’re doing.
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