Why Your Creativity Feels Drained — and How to Recharge It

Burnout is a significant concern among professionals in creative fields, and many creatives are left grappling with the issue without the right information, resources, or tools to battle it. With new surveys presenting alarming statistics of burnout each day, it is vital to take a moment to learn more about the condition and better promote well-being at work.

According to the How is Finland doing? -study conducted by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, at least one in four Finnish workers is at an increased risk of burnout in 2024. This study, together with the Working Life Barometer by the same institute, report an overall decline in welfare at work and an increase in experiences of burnout in recent years. At most risk are younger generations (Gen Z and Millennials), women, and remote workers. In fact, severe burnout has doubled among workers under the age of 36 in the past 5 years.

Taking these statistics into consideration, it is clear that more awareness, discussions, and advice surrounding burnout are very much needed. This article aims to provide assistance, particularly to people in creative professions battling burnout and strives to do so by explaining what creative burnout, its main causes, and remedies for it are.

What is Creative Burnout?

To put it simply, creative burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion specifically related to creative work. The condition occurs as a result of long-term stress and fatigue brought on by work-related stressors.

Although a known phenomenon, creative burnout takes many creatives by surprise, and it can be hard to identify as burnout for creatives can take many forms and each individual experiences it slightly differently. There is, however, a set of common symptoms that can work as a starting point for recognizing the condition.

Common Symptoms:

Stress & Anxiety
Relentless stress and anxiety are tell-tale signs of creative burnout which is often characterized by work dread and inability to handle work-related stressors.

Mental & Physical Exhaustion
Creative burnout often entails feelings of overwhelm and both mental and emotional fatigue brought on by stress, overexertion, and ruminating on negative thoughts for long periods of time. Eventually, this stress and fatigue will start producing physical symptoms.

Lack of Motivation
Chronic stress and fatigue significantly lower dopamine levels and due to the diminished levels of these feel-good hormones, people experiencing creative burnout might feel uninspired and like they’ve lost the passion they had for their craft. These hormones give a sense of reward and motivation that helps people feel enthusiastic. Too much stress can blunt reward sensitivity which can lead to task and project completion no longer giving satisfaction or feelings of accomplishment.

Excessive Procrastination
Although putting off work when feeling tired or stressed is normal, excessive procrastination for longer periods of time may be a sign of creative burnout. Excessive procrastination is often hallmarked by increased avoidance behaviour which translates into ignoring deadlines and postponing important work to the point of struggling or failing to be able to complete it.

Reduced Creative Output
People experiencing creative burnout are most likely running on empty and will have trouble maintaining their normal work performance. They might struggle to carry out even the basic work tasks and feel like their energy and creative reserves are completely drained, making it difficult to get inspired, ideate, and create.

Increased Self-Doubt
Creative burnout often manifests itself as the breaking down of creatives’ self-esteem as work-related stress and anxiety take over their outlooks on work. Stuck in a loop of negative thoughts and feelings, people experiencing creative burnout might feel like they’re lacking or not “good enough” even despite having produced good creative work and having received praise for it. Creatives experiencing burnout might find it difficult to feel proud of their work, and together with other symptoms, this might lead to creatives struggling to care for their careers and feeling like their output is pointless.

Heightened Irritability
In a constant state of exhaustion, stress, anxiety, and self-doubt, frustration is inevitable. Creative burnout might lead to feelings of irritability at the slightest provocation and a temper that is hard to control.

Detachment
A kind of numbness often starts to set in when experiencing stress and mental exhaustion for extended periods of time. This emotional numbness is a defense mechanism against prolonged stress and worry.

Heightened Susceptibility to Physical Ailments
Stress and mental and emotional exhaustion are known immune system suppressors when experienced for longer periods. Thus, people suffering from more severe burnout might eventually start experiencing ailments such as frequent bouts of cold and flu, loss of appetite, insomnia, fatigue, headaches, bowel issues, or muscle pain.

What Are the Main Causes of Creative Burnout?

Burnout can be experienced by people in any profession, however, there are many challenges unique to creative work that make creatives particularly susceptible to burnout.

By recognizing these challenges, creatives can better understand the root causes of their work-related stress and address them more effectively.

Primary Causes:

Work Overload
Creative work demands high levels of cognitive functioning that can easily lead to mental fatigue if not practiced in healthy ways. Additionally, creative industries are often overworked and have tight, overlapping deadlines, and since many creatives work as freelancers, gig economy pressures and irregular incomes can further push creatives to constantly hustle for opportunities and accept projects beyond their capacity. Furthermore, overwork culture is prevalent in the creative sectors, and overworking is often romanticized as a sign of dedication or genius leading creatives to sacrifice their downtime for work.

Work-Life Challenges
Creatives frequently work from home or other remote work settings which often makes it difficult to separate work from personal time, blurring the line between work and home life. On top of this, creative work often relies on bursts of inspiration that can rarely be created on demand which can lead to irregular workflows.

Perfectionism
Creative work usually involves personal expression, making it emotionally taxing as creatives are often emotionally invested in their work. Creatives also generally possess a strong desire for originality and high standards (often due to the personal investment) which in many cases result in heightened self-criticism and fear of failure. If not managed correctly, setting up high goals and challenging oneself can turn into setting unrealistic expectations, not being able to navigate mistakes, setbacks, or constructive feedback, and not allowing oneself to feel confident which can lead to stress and exhaustion as well as other burdening outcomes such as imposter syndrome.

Social Media
The rise of social media has in many ways exacerbated the competitive mentality that resides in creative industries where creatives often feel like their careers rely on carefully crafted portfolios which have now moved online. Platforms showcasing curated highlights of others’ successes can drive creatives to fall victim to the comparison game, amplifying feelings of inadequacy. Additionally, due to the expectations brought on by digital marketing needs and hyper-connectivity, creatives often feel pressure to constantly produce and share work online which increases their workload and mental strain.

Unhealthy Working Routines
Much like for everyone else, creatives’ mental and physical well-being is reliant upon healthy ways of life. However, unfortunately, late nights in a dark room in front of a screen fuelled by unhealthy food without exercise is an everyday reality for many creatives resulting in the deterioration of creatives’ mental and physical health.

Conflict of Personal Expression & Market Demands
Creative work largely involves catering to commercial trends which can go against many creatives’ artistic visions, leading to frustration. Additionally, clients and collaborators may not always share the creatives’ vision which can prove challenging, and creatives may feel powerless and unappreciated when their work is altered, often through multiple revision rounds.

External Pressures
Creatives face many external pressures connected to creative work brought on by its place in societal and financial structures. For example, creative work is belittled in many societies and societal undervaluing of creative professions can leave creatives feeling unsupported and unacknowledged. Financial stress also disproportionately affects creatives as creative sectors are often hit hard during economic downturns.

How to Overcome and Prevent Creative Burnout?

The good news is creative burnout is not a permanent condition and is completely preventable and treatable.

By being aware of effective creative burnout recovery and prevention strategies, creatives and organizations employing them can foster a healthy working life that lowers the risk of falling victim to the affliction.

Strategies for Recovery & Preventative Measures:

Practice Healthy Ways of Life
First and foremost, ensure that the basics are covered in terms of mental and physical health, and incorporate regular exercise, healthy eating, and sufficient sleep into daily routines. A healthy lifestyle stabilizes and elevates mood, reduces fatigue and stress, boosts productivity, and improves memory, focus, and creativity. Habits and routines also help bring balance into everyday life.

Rejuvenate Creativity
Reignite the spark for creating by trying out different creative outlets. Work doesn’t and shouldn’t have to be the only outlet for creativity as being hard-drivingly creative at work is different from being creative just for fun. Try new creative hobbies and soak in the joy that experimenting brings.

Switch Routines
Stimulating one’s mind by switching working routines helps to stay creatively engaged, alert, and feeling more energized. Work in different environments, try new working methods, seek perspectives from other people, collaborate on ideation, and engage in peer-learning – all these methods help feeling refreshed at work.

Take Breaks
Many creatives have internalized the idea that they have to stay hyper-focused on their work – even when feeling tired and uninspired. However, it is more beneficial to alternate between focus and structured distractions. Instead of forcing yourself to work through fatigue and demotivation, schedule and take regular creative breaks. It will help to restore motivation, prevent mental fatigue, and improve overall well-being. Exposure to diverse experiences also expands cognitive frameworks and enhances creativity. Take a short walk through a new area, try a new snack, or if rest is needed, take a power nap. When possible, take proper time off from work and focus on unrelated activities to start afresh.

Go Back to Basics
When feeling creatively overwhelmed and burnt out, going back to basics can be incredibly helpful. Focus only on a few priorities at a time, and break down tasks and goals into smaller, manageable sections to make the workload more digestible. Getting to tick through subtasks also allows for more frequent feelings of accomplishment. For example, use a Post-it note that only has space for five tasks each day. You can then break these five tasks into smaller sections that you can start working through. This approach reduces pressure and makes progress feel more achievable. In addition, it can prove very beneficial to build a flexible working schedule that focuses around the times you are most productive and creative. Allocate different tasks for different days or hours of a day so that your most demanding tasks are attended to when you are alert and focused.

Set Boundaries
Work-life boundaries of creatives are often blurry. To prevent overwork and burnout, learn to set healthy boundaries and say no. Avoid responding to work-related messages and emails during off time, set out-of-office auto-responders, and restrict your time on social media – these are great boundaries to start with.

Limit Content Consumption
Be mindful of the quality and quantity of the content you consume, especially on social media. Is the content nourishing, inspiring, and fostering curiosity and personal growth? Or is it draining and anxiety-inducing? Manage your information diet by curating which media you consume and on what schedule.

Exercise Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness and meditation can help clear mental clutter and reduce stress, allowing for more creative thinking. Both these methods can also enhance ideation as they reduce habitual responses and promote cognitive flexibility.

Communicate With Your Team
Burnout stems from overwhelm. A simple conversation with a higher-up or another team member could save you months of creative burnout. Tasks can often be switched, pushed back, or momentarily taken off you until you’re back to full health.

Seek Support
Simply telling someone how you are feeling and what you are experiencing can be extremely helpful. On top of this, if you are experiencing severe burnout, you most likely won’t have the energy or thinking power to be able to help yourself. Voice your struggles, turn to friends and family, and don’t be afraid to seek professional help from occupational health doctors and psychologists.

Monitor Well-Being
Regularly check on your energy levels, mindset, and mood through constructive self-reflection. If feeling unwell, review your work environment and schedule, and make adjustments where needed. This will help in developing healthy routines fit for you, catch early signs of creative burnout, and nip issues in the bud.

Give Time for Recovery
During these times, it is essential to show yourself some self-compassion and give time for yourself to bounce back. Acknowledge that it is okay to take breaks and that your worth is not defined by constant productivity.

Burnout can be a very serious condition, and in severe cases, it can permanently alter brain function. However, recovery is fully within reach through proper care, time, and changes in working routines and methods.

If you wish to read more on burnout or assess whether you are currently experiencing it, you can explore the resources or fill out the tests – BAT-23 and KEDS – provided below.

Fill out the work-related BAT-23:

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