Create Without Burnout

Creative burnout is tricky to navigate. How can we create without burnout? In the flow of creation, we get deeply in touch with our feelings, find vital knowledge to help us understand the world around us, and provide for ourselves spiritually, intellectually, or even financially. Perhaps because it is so meaningful, the creative process can become hectic and draining. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Burnout is something that every creative has dealt with, and it’s something that science can help us understand. Here are five ways you can stay creative without burning yourself out: 

Beat Creative Burnout and Become Interdisciplinary

When we get creatively burnt out, it can be revitalizing to create from a different perspective. It’s all too easy to get hung up on the labels you’ve marked yourself with as an artist. We might pursue one or two avenues of artistic expression that we have some natural aptitude for, and try to put amateur artistry behind us. But there is too much potential to gain from being an interdisciplinary creator to leave it off the table. Too many young writers tell themselves they can’t paint, and too many young painters tell themselves they can’t write. If we put ourselves in a box and restricted ourselves to only writing upon the cardboard, we might be able to make the box very beautiful, but eventually we’d run out of space.

Make Creation Part Of Your Routine

It can be tempting to only create when inspiration strikes, or when we’re scrambling towards a deadline, but our brains don’t keep the things we binge in high regard. If our number one goal is to stoke our creativity, the best thing we can do is make creativity something that is mundane and accessible to us. Even if you can’t make the time every day to create, it behooves you to set a date in your schedule to have creative freedom. By being creative on a regular and reliable basis, you’re sending the signal to your brain that creativity is a safe, ordinary, and comforting thing for you to do. 

Live A Life Well Lived

Being creative is more than just making the time to create. It requires the framework and inspiration that comes from a full-bodied life. The unfortunate truth is that in order to create without burnout, you cannot expect your creativity to be the only reason you got out of bed in the morning. In order to be a functioning creative, you have to operate as a functional human being who nourishes themselves through work, relationships, and a greater purpose.

“Life isn’t a support system for art. It’s the other way around.” – Stephen King

Recognize What Stresses You Out 

Although we may primarily associate burnout with being creative or productive, according to the World Health Organization, burnout is a stress-induced condition.  To create without burnout, you might have to first acknowledge all the factors in your life that are causing you distress. For some people, this might be the simple result of overworking or malnourishment, but we each have our own unique responses to our environments, and the things that specifically stress you out the most might not be immediately obvious. Your stressors might not even be something that’s happening in the present moment, it could be a memory that’s stuck in your craw, or an anxious worry about the future. To see a truthful picture of your stressors, you will have to take into account your full story, without begrudging yourself for your traumas. 

Cope With Your Stressors

Once you’ve recognized the aspects of your life that are bringing you distress, the next step is to cope with them. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Recognition is only the first step towards healing, and the process of getting there (although exhilarating and necessary) can be circuitous and exhausting. Once you understand the elements of your life that are bringing you stress, it’s your responsibility to give yourself resolution and comfort. This could look like self-soothing once you realize that you’ve been triggered, honestly expressing your needs, or even reaching out to a mental health counselor. Learning to create without burnout is important, and it starts with good self care.  We have an article here that will show you how you can reduce stress with creative writing.

Integrative Counsel proudly offers virtual Art Therapy with Quinn. Quinn uses virtual art therapy to treat individuals with OCD and Anxiety, as well as those undergoing a major life transition or adjustment and are  experiencing grief. Click here to schedule your virtual art therapy session!

Sunny Ebsary is an educator, multi-modal artist, and writer specializing in the intersection of myth and mental health. Sunny’s writing walks the line between poetic and logical, giving readers a chance to interface with the mind and imagination. Sunny’s been putting pen to paper since he was a child, writing everything from albums, novels, and plays, to essays, interactive games, and of course, many articles! While studying both psychology and writing, he realized his real passion in life was helping others unlock their creative spark. Whether he’s leading a D&D game, directing a production, or diving deep into the brain, you can be sure Sunny will be ushering you toward finding meaning in your life.