creative burnout - do you need to be creating all the time?
So by the sounds of it quite a few of you are feeling a bit creatively burnt out???
In my first newsletter I put a call out to see what you might want me to cover in up coming send outs. What came back was a surprising amount of questions around creative burnout and how to overcome creative blocks! When I thought about this further, it struck me that they may be quite closely related these days. With the constant pressure from the social world to produce large volume’s of content that your following find entertaining and engage with, it’s no wonder creatives are experiencing burnout as well as suffering from blocks.
Days later, I read a great exert from a newsletter by James Smith (a personal trainer) which said the following:
“I've been away for a couple months actually studying, reading and learning how to make better content. I've been challenged, frustrated and some days pretty pissed off with my inability to apply what I've been learning.
But despite the emotional battles I've faced, lessons have arised.
SO HERE ARE THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED
- I focussed on just one thing, YouTube, for several months. I then realised, much of what I need to apply to that, applies to everything. Because how you do one thing, changes all things.
- You can't expect to turn up every day, you won't. But what I do is this; I segment time to being creative. Even if I sit in a room for an hour doing nothing, it's OK if I am not creative, but what isn't ok is filling that time with procrastination instead.”
If I apply these points to our world of creativity, the key message I take is creativity is universal. If we are being creative in one area of our lives but it’s not say, in the area of our business, thats perfectly fine. Creativity is like a muscle, if it’s getting a work out by things that interest you, then it’s gaining strength which can be used across all areas of your creativity.
…and allow time for your creativity. Creativity flourishes when its given the right environment; air, space, wonder, playfulness…..
so with all of this in mind, how about this week, we look to a different area to be creative! Which brings me to this weeks image. This amazing painting is by Misa Gelin and it was gifted to me by my wonderful friends for my 40th birthday this year. Every morning I look at the colours on the canvas and think of the ways i’d like to use them creatively in other projects i’m working on. This week choose an artwork of any medium and think about why you like it….does it inspire you to be creative???
Remember to have fun…over and out!
