Being a creative can open more doorways than you might initially realise. Being able to think creatively and apply it practically is sought after across multiple industries and is often in high demand. However, with this high demand, a lot of artists, designers, and creatives struggle with creative burnout. If you’ve ever experienced it before, you’ve probably found ways to manage it, or at the very least learnt what to avoid to stop it from happening again. Today, we discuss what creative burnout is, early warning signs and ways to manage it.
What is creative burnout?
Creative Burnout is an increasingly common, but often ignored, state of intense emotional, mental and physical exhaustion. For many people outside the creative industry, it’s frequently misunderstood or underestimated. Creative burnout often results in prolonged overextension of creative energy, ultimately leaving people drained and with decreased passion and drive for their craft. When you hit a wall on your creative journey, that is often the sign of creative burnout. However, this shouldn’t be confused with a creative block. Creative burnout affects a person’s mental and physical well-being, as well as their mood, not just their ability to generate ideas.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptoms that are commonly found with creative burnout include physical and mental exhaustion. The odd thing about this sort of exhaustion is that it doesn’t go away with rest, as it is more of a mental state. As mentioned earlier, creatives may experience a lack of motivation and passion for the area in which they work. This can then be the catalyst that progresses to feelings of dread, feeling stuck, negative self-talk, and physical symptoms.
Unfortunately, a lot of these symptoms are found far too late, and the damage is already done. For self-employed creatives, this can hurt their business and mental health. Suppose you are working in-house for a company. In that case, this can directly impact the company’s performance, meaning that many creatives ignore these symptoms due to feelings of guilt or fear of repercussions.
Something for any creative starting out to remember is that creativity comes and goes; it’s not always switched on. So if you do find yourself questioning why things just aren’t clicking, take a moment and ask yourself if this is just a phase or if it’s something more serious.
What causes creative burnout?
The worrying reality of creative burnout is that it is largely preventable if the proper measures are put in place. However, without knowing what could cause it, you can’t put those measures in place. Some of the most common causes don’t come from the creatives themselves but the people around them. High workloads, tight deadlines, and unrealistic expectations can build up stress, leading to anxiety. This often causes creatives to worry more about repercussions than their work.
Where can these factors eventually lead? When external pressures are put on a creative person, they might start to question how much they enjoy their craft. A lot of creative people start as hobbyists, using creativity as a way to decompress, relax or disperse their creative energy. But when that creativity pays the bills, it can often feel more like a chore if there are more cons than pros. In the world of marketing, content creation holds a large percentage of what captures an audience. It is also often the most overlooked area that gets criticised the most when things aren’t performing as they should.
Thoughts like “Am I not good enough?” and “Why is nothing working?” can lead to a drop in a creative’s mood. With the constant demand for new content, they may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of ideas needing to be produced.
So, how can you recover from creative burnout?
If any of the above hits home for you, then it’s great that you’ve recognised the symptoms and are looking to change it. We’ve listed a few ways to handle it below.
- Take a break – Stop what you are doing and try journaling to put your thoughts on paper. This can help to purge negative thoughts. This can also help unblock your creative thoughts and open up to more ideas. We also encourage going outside or away from your workspace.
- Try experimenting – Try something new in your industry to break away from the norm. You might discover a new perspective that sparks creativity—something playful and pressure-free.
- Review why you started – Look back on why you started this creative journey. It helps you reconnect with your purpose and remind you why you do what you do.
- Set boundaries – Establish clear boundaries and know when to say no. Assess your availability before agreeing to a project to prevent burnout.
- Stay focused – Your creativity can sometimes lead to distractions and overwhelm if you take on too much work. If you have an idea, write it down and make a note to revisit it at a later date.
- Get social – Connecting with others in your industry can give you a boost and a way to stay inspired. Plan to work around these people if you’re in a rut to bounce ideas off of. If there isn’t a community of people to rely on, seek them out and create a community!
- Write down the creative process – Create step-by-step checklists to appreciate how much work you have actually done. Creating a reel, blog, or graphic involves a lot of behind-the-scenes work!
Help and Support
Creative burnout can also lead to some more serious impacts on a creative’s mental health, so we’re linking to Creative Lives in Progress‘s fantastic article on places to seek help and advice. If you are struggling, reach out for help and take time to prioritise yourself. If you keep putting your work before yourself, you will eventually end up burning out. Follow us on social media for updates on our marketing and media blogs!