“What do you do when you’re feeling burnt out?” I recently did a Q&A on Instagram, and this was the question that really got my attention. It was such an interesting question because I’d been feeling a bit burnt out when they asked it. And it got me thinking… how DO I deal with burnout?
My number 1 rule in my creative practice is to have grace on myself. No one can do everything at a 110% all the time. There will be “off” days, months, maybe even years. This doesn’t make you a lesser artist; it just means you’re cycling through one of the MANY seasons of being a creative.
After taking a breath and remembering that I am human and my creative practice will inevitably involve burnout at some point or another, I ask myself WHY I’m burnt out. Or rather is my burnout CREATIVELY-centered or LIFE-centered? Do I not have the desire to paint/draw because I’ve been overworking my creative muscles or because external influences are draining my energy? Often when dealing with burnout we’re far too quick to point the finger at creativity itself. But more often than not, it’s external influences that are causing our “artsy mojo” to just not flow.
Now sometimes it IS creative burnout. Maybe I’ve been working super hard on a new illustration, and I just need to take a break. In this case, I like to focus on filling my creative cup. Going for walks always helps me clear my mind and find inspiration in nature. Sometimes I’ll pop in a Ghibli movie and gush over the beautiful backgrounds. Another “cup-filler” is sitting down with an art book and reading someone else’s thoughts on creativity. One of my go-to art books is “Windows to Worlds” by Devin Elle Kurtz. It’s a MUST-READ in my opinion!!
When it’s LIFE burnout, I try to remind myself that creativity isn’t the enemy. There are external influences outside of my control that are pulling my energy and attention away from creativity, and that’s just a part of life. In these cases, I try to focus on seeing the good in life THROUGH my artwork. Sketching characters finding magic in mundane moments. Art truly helps me appreciate the beauty of life as a whole and helps me to be grateful even in the hardest times.
I dove more deeply into this topic in last week’s YouTube video, so if you’ve been feeling burnout lately (in art or life in general!) go give it a watch here! 💛