A Mini Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Creative Burnout
- Adilla
- Jul 18
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 30
Passion can drive your creativity to a point where it could drain you if you don’t keep yourself in check. Working on your creative work could lead to burnout, and once you’re in burnout, it’s hard to get out of. So, keep watch of the signs of burnout before it takes over your life.
What is Creative Burnout?
Creative burnout is a state of exhaustion that affects not only the mind but also emotions and physical health, involving any creative activities. Unlike creative block, where it is a temporary feeling of being stuck from inspiration and ideas, it gets difficult to find motivation to start or continue an artwork.
The main difference between creative blocks and creative burnout is the exhaustion that comes with burnout and the time period of both experiences. Plus, the emotions that you feel when experiencing these two situations.
Signs Of Creative Burnout
Watch out for these signs when you feel overwhelmed by your creative work over a long, extended period of time:
Unwilling procrastination
Feeling overworked
Lack of motivation
Drain and uninspired
Keep in mind that creative blocks may have a similar experience but be less extreme, as a quick break can usually help you get out of it.
Why Are Creative People Prone to Burnout?
There are several factors that could lead to burnout. Here are the common factors:
High-Pressure Environment
Unfortunately, the creative profession comes with tight deadlines and long hours of work that could lead to prolonged exhaustion. When the demands of the creative work become too much, burnout is likely to happen.
Perfectionism
It's both a curse and a blessing to have. Seeking perfection can be good, but unchecked perfectionism can cause more harm than good.
Lack of work-life boundaries
Whether as a freelancer or in a corporate setting, creative work rarely stays within the standard 9 to 5; because of that, the line between personal life and work is often blurred. With no clear separation of work and play, it could lead a creative to burnout.
Emotional Impacts of Creative Burnout
Other than the effects of creative burnout, there are emotional impacts when a creative suffers from burnout.
Imposter Syndrome
A familiar struggle that creatives face. The self-doubt that they would feel during creative burnout could be so paralysing that self-criticism and negative self-talk lead to imposter syndrome.
Long-term Mental Health Risks
Creatives who have signs of mental health conditions could exacerbate them during a burnout or even develop new ones, like anxiety or depression.
Emotional Detachment
The feeling of burnout gives creatives a sense of numbness that debilitates their being. This could affect not only their creative work but also themselves as they struggle to connect with these emotions during a burnout.
How to Prevent Creative Burnout?
Knowing how to prevent burnout from happening is the best way to deal with it.
Creative Work Beyond Just Work to Recharge Your Creative Energy
Rediscover the joy of doing artwork just for the sake of it. Instead of focusing on the result, enjoy the process and experiment to find the spark and passion that you would have from your creative work.
Learning To Say No
It can be hard to reject opportunities that could showcase your talent and abilities, but it should not be at your expense. Check in with yourself if it's worth pushing your limits, which could lead to an eventual burnout. Learning to say no to projects could prevent overburdening yourself.
Stress Management Through Self-Care
Practicing mindfulness and taking the time to exercise can improve your mood and reduce stress. While this seems to be a common thing to do, we tend to forget that the basics of self-care do wonders for our creative brains and bodies.
3 Tips on Overcoming Creative Burnout
Once you are in burnout, it can be hard to get out. However, there are ways to overcome them better beyond just resting your mind and body.
Seek Support
Unfortunately, there are creatives out there who would prefer to be quiet when they’re struggling with something, whether internally or externally. Sometimes a simple confession of, “Hey, I feel burnt out lately,” is enough to get that first load off your shoulder, especially to someone you trust.
Look At Your Past Works
The impostor syndrome that comes with burnout can be treacherous. So, take the time to self-reflect and look at your past achievements. It could shift your focus to more positive thoughts and even bring some motivation back into your mind.
Start With Something Small
When you feel overwhelmed by your work, start with something small first. If you’re a designer, start with experimental, practised sketches. As a writer, you can start with bullet points or jot down words and sentences that pop up in your mind.
Creative Leadership: Preventing and Supporting Teams Through Burnout
Creatives may not always realise when they are nearing burnout. As creative leaders, it's crucial to help your team avoid pushing past their limits, which can prevent delays in project progress.
Recognise Signs of Work Burnout
When your team is showing signs of changed behaviour, like a drop in their productivity or performance, check in with them. While many factors could lead to them burning out, catching the signs early could prevent a potential burnout.
Foster a Healthy and Supportive Work Environment
Other than making sure their workload matches their capacity, encourage your team to have a healthy work-life balance. It is admirable to see your creatives working on their passion for long hours, but it is essential for them to have ample breaks and disconnect from outside working hours.
Empower Teams and Celebrate Success
Recognising the hard work of your teammates is essential. Set aside an hour each week to celebrate their creative achievements, showing appreciation for their efforts and keeping them motivated.
Tools And Resources to Help Prevent and Overcome Burnout
Do the Brain Dump Method
A method to unload anything that is in your mind without judgement. This helps free up your mental space and improves focus, as it helps to clear up mental clutter and reduce stress.
Manage Your Work with Task Manager
Consider trying out task managers that are available in creative project management tools to reduce workload overwhelm. For example, TESSR My Work showcases your assigned projects, giving a visual overview of your workload so you can predict your capacity for the coming weeks.
Try Using Mental Health Apps
Apps like Talkspace, Calm, and Headspace offer support, practices, music that reduces stress, and even sleepcasts that improve your sleep.
Readings For You to Consider
Key Takeaways on Creative Burnout & Mental Wellness
Creative burnout often shows up on you when you least expect it.
Recognising the early signs is essential to protect your creativity.
Preventive practices like guilt-free rest, setting up boundaries, and mindful routines are your first line of defence.
Prioritising your mental wellness as a creative person and a normal human isn’t selfish.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is artist burnout so hard to get out of compared to other work burnout?
Artist burnout can be deeply personal, as it is not only mental and physical exhaustion but also when your passion for your craft runs out. That feeling of passion can be difficult to get back for most artists.
Can creative burnout become permanent?
Fortunately, no. With enough rest and finding joy back in doing your creative work, you will recover, if not get better.
Would the food I consume also affect my recovery from burnout?
The food you consume can be a factor in why you are not recovering from burnout. Keeping a balanced meal is important to ensure you are healing not only mentally but also physically.
Author Bio
With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies like parodies of animated shows and plots for board games. She loves to read anything and everything from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Now an advocate for mental health and effective project management for the creative industry. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.
Comments