Burnout is a harsh reality in the art world that many creators face. It's not just about running out of ideas; it's about feeling drained, uninspired, and questioning your artistic journey. If so many artists face this challenge, how do they usually deal with it? The million-dollar question: how do you get out of burnout? In my research, I have found different ways in which artists deal with burnout, and I want to share this.
C. Finley: Take a break with nature
C. Finley is an artist and curator who was in a burnout state, physically and emotionally. She was stressed when organizing her Every Woman Biennial in 2019, back-to-back solo shows, various art fairs, curatorial projects, and other commercial jobs. It seems like she had everything in her.
It is clear that she loves what she does, so giving up is not an option. Therefore, she took 3-day breaks in between projects. In those 3 days, she would go outside and explore nature. This being the desert, the mountains, or the beach.
You don’t have to take it to this extreme, as it might not seem accessible to everyone. However, a walk in the park does the trick as well. This method is effective since it:
-> Boosts Creativity: Changing your scenery by going out into nature can stimulate your creativity. Research has shown that spending time in nature can increase our attention capacity, creativity, and our ability to connect with other people.
-> Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Spending time in nature has been shown to help relieve stress and anxiety, improve mood, and boost feelings of happiness and well-being.
Jamian Juliano-Villani: Engage in an activity that is unrelated to your work
Jamian started as an assistant and has now become a recognized figure in the art scene. This success led to society’s increase in the demand for her work, which caused her to be burnt out.
Her method of coping is to do other things unrelated to her field. She would go craft Easter baskets and make friendship bracelets. This can be anything creative or not creative at all. In terms of non-creative activities, she suggests doing things outside of your routine like going to the zoo. Doing something unrelated to what you do works because it:
-> Gives you a Fresh Perspective: Dabbling in different creative fields can provide a fresh perspective and new sources of inspiration. It allows you to step out of your routine and look at things from a different angle. Say you went to the zoo and saw a beautiful parrot that prompted you to draw.
-> Recharges your Creative Batteries: Activities that exist purely for creativity can be a great way to recharge your creative batteries. They allow you to express yourself freely without the constraints of work-related tasks.
Nathalie Sejean: Change the mindset about your work
Nathalie had to write a screenplay for her work. Yet every day she felt empty and couldn't get herself to write anything. She struggled with burnout and quickly became shameful. Her only job was to be creative and write things down yet she couldn’t.
She changed her way of viewing burnout. In an analogy, she explained that creativity is a hidden muscle. You didn’t just run out of creativity, you just overworked the creative muscle. You forgot to stretch it. You repeated too many times the same movements, over-developing sections and weakening others. And you probably didn’t nourish it with supplements. Therefore, creative burnout is not a fatality, it’s an injury.
Thinking this way can help your creative burnout recover. You can do it by taking breaks and going easy on the movements. Just like you would on a real muscle. In the same way, you can’t be physically fit if you don’t experience muscle pain, you can’t be a good artist if you don’t experience burnout. Creativity is a process and we have to accept that burnout is an inevitable process to improve as an artist. Burnout helps us take care of our health!
Now, it’s your willingness if you want to take the advice or not! Ultimately, you are the only one who can get yourself out of burnout. No one is going to ask for help for you. You need to actively seek help and have the desire to improve your situation. You can do it!