Creative burnout

minasieb·Oct 05, 2023

I struggle a lot with balancing my own personal creative energy and what I put into my "professional work". I take what I do very seriously and have much pride in it! Any advice for keeping this creative energy safe? Anyone feel like this too?

rachelserwetz·Oct 06, 2023

Hi @minasieb, burnout is unfortunately all too common but that doesn't mean we can't turn it around. I recommend controlling your daily routine (set time to hydrate, take a walk, journal, etc), set boundaries at work (turn off work notifications when not actively working, manage deadline expectations with managers, etc), and consider if the role, industry, or environment is misaligned with you. For more help, listen to this guided meditation and check out our website where we have tons of free resources- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNBUViNnBE4&t=256s and https://www.iamwoken.com/resources PS, I’m Rachel. If you want to discuss further, check my profile to book a call to dive deeper into your goals/challenges.

teresaman·Oct 06, 2023

I resonate with this so much! I've been a designer for over 10 years but have felt a lack of creative fulfillment for years, and that's because I haven't put time into anything creative that's not related to work.Here are some things I've decided to experiment with / try from here out:- painting, it's been over a decade since I've painted- culinary knife class, as I read cooking to be such a wonderful creative outlet for me- screen printing- film photography- eventually, pottery and creative writing!The hardest part me in the above is to carve out intentional time around it. So one thing that I'm excited to do is to get my friends involved so it's both hanging out with them as well as pursuing something creative, in a fun and lighthearted manner.

minasieb·Oct 12, 2023

Yes! I’ve found painting totally helps me be creative in a more relaxed sense 🙌🙌

Iynna·Oct 08, 2023

I am curious if this thread can help / inspire you! https://elpha.com/posts/xhwyleii/how-do-you-incorporate-creativity-into-your-professional-life

dawns·Oct 09, 2023

How about finding ways to nurture your creative energy like a living and growing thing, rather than keeping it safe like something static that can eventually run out? So maybe trying out things that are playful, joyful and bring lightness into your life. @teresaman's ideas are a great place to start. I would add an outdoorsy exercise like hiking, climbing, swimming or team sports to the mix, to spark your creative brain with the wonders of fresh air and physicality.

christinezhu·Oct 09, 2023

I get this. I think it's common for perfectionists/people who have a high bar for their work.I found a lot of helpful insight from Rick Rubin's "The Creative Act". Particularly the concept to "Lower the stakes". "Consider moving forward with the more accurate point of view that it’s a small work, a beginning. The mission is to complete the project so you can move onto the next. That next one is a steppingstone to the following work. And so it continues in productive rhythm for the eternity of your creative life. All art is a work in progress."This change of framing helped me immensely, hope it helps.

Georgette·Oct 10, 2023

Hi @minasieb 👋 I am feeling this too! I just hit my first year of freelancing and am looking to re-motivate myself. I'm a content marketing freelancer and I find that it's taken a lot out of me to balance creativity and making cash. (Why does that sound so harsh written out?)I think for me, right now, I'm working on reviewing my why. Why did I start in this field?That's been helping me return to my own goals for why I started my own thing and what clients/people I want to work with.Intention has been my guide as I try to re-asset myself in my vocation. I've been focused on meditation, reviewing my current goals, and checking in personally. With the latter, I try to assess when a project makes me feel a certain way and ask myself why.I hope this helps! And I'm always down to be an accountability buddy as you work to getting out of your burnout 😄

hannahlloyd·Oct 10, 2023

Late to this but yes, I feel you! I am an artist in my "spare" time, of which I have very little. Some things that have helped me over time to sustain some kind of practice: • I've never actually read The Artists Way but some of the concepts have been really helpful to me – keeping your "well" full by getting exposed to art in galleries and museums and getting out in the natural world, using journalling to reflect on my feelings and get unstuck. I really enjoyed this Youtube series by an artist who completed the book recently: https://www.youtube.com/@apple.cheeks• Having more than one medium to work in. I started out with oil painting mostly, but it's time consuming to set up and clear away so I also learned to use Procreate and physical mediums that are simpler to just pick up. Not sure • Finding ways to feel like a "proper" artist like setting up an Etsy shop (which I open/close depending on how busy I am), doing markets, and submitting for Open Calls. Exhibiting my work is a huge boost! • Taking classes to hone my skillsI recently took a career break and spent a lot of time making art, which was amazing. It also helped me realise that (for now!) I'm not ready to be a full time studio artist, and that I'm actually ready to get back into a full time tech role. I know that's not an option for everyone, but taking the opportunity to take my brain back from my job and put my creative resources into my art practice was so fun and so affirming.