How to Overcome Creative Burnout

“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”― Sylvia Plath, American poet and novelist

Sitting by your desk until the slow sunrise spreads through your blinds and falls into your room with pen or brush in hand―it’s been hours and your canvas is blank and your word count is zero. It’s every artist’s nightmare and every writer’s dread: in other words, it’s creative burnout.

The term “burn out” originated in the 1970s by Herbert Freudenberger, an American psychologist. Freudenberger defined it as “a state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by one’s professional life.” Creative burnout is a similar concept that relates to creative work such as the arts. It’s the irritation that runs through your veins when you have all the words in the world but can’t find the means to write. It’s the overwhelming stroke of paint that frustrates you to the point of procrastination. It’s the absolute worst inconvenience and we’ve all encountered it at some point in our creative journeys.

Often caused by overindulging yourself in projects, the lack of breaks and the persistent strive for perfection: encountering creative burnout is not uncommon. Here are a few ways you can overcome and prevent it:

1. Give yourself breaks

Take a minute―or a few days―and give yourself a chance to see your project through rested eyes. Often, we spend prolonged periods of time working away, from dusk until dawn, on our latest WIPs without realizing it and inevitably end up frained. The adrenaline of experimental pieces and novel ideas are a little bit too consuming: always remember to let yourself breathe. It’s okay to press pause!

During these breaks, take care of yourself and find time to relax: watch films, read books, go on a walk―you might find inspiration shimmering in places you haven’t thought of before!

1. Progress not perfection

Perfection―the state or quality of being perfect. We are all guilty of striving for it, especially at one in the morning when the wrong shade of paint hits the canvas and all the ‘faults’ strike through under lamplight. Be ambitious but remember to be kind to yourself. After all, good things take time. Remember to enjoy every second of what you are creating and that the greatest works stem from little accidents.

1. Make ‘ugly’ art

Grab your favourite medium, play your favourite song, and draw! Don’t be afraid to create something that isn’t visually attractive―sketch it out to be a starting point for you to dive into. Learn from it! Write chapters with no plot, type out directionless dialogue, construct peculiar characters: you are only detained by the charge on your laptop.

Abandon the constricts of perfection and projects. Create something you didn’t initially plan or normally wouldn’t experiment with. When you find yourself unmotivated or discouraged, remind yourself why you find joy in what you do. Be fearless and courageous―be an artist.

1. Always be kind

Be kind to yourself. You are your most relentless critic and your greatest supporter: treat yourself with kindness, always. If a project isn’t turning out the way you intended, then it’s alright. You can always begin again!

Your art isn’t exempted from this either: be kind to your craft. It’s a skill you’ve refined and developed with long nights, laughter, and joy. It’s a hobby that you will take with you for years to come―in a week, a month, or a year, you will look back at all your work and smile at the progress you’ve made

Lastly, always remember that you can work through any obstacle. After all, there’s always a backspace key and a bottle of white paint. Never stop creating! It’s the artists who bring this world to life.

Whether it be writing, painting, or sculpting―pursue it, refine it, enjoy it.

Dana Ahmed 12E