Creatives And Burnout
5 WAYS TO BURNOUT A CREATIVE
While your creative employees produce a different types of work and think differently, they’re also people. Odds are, if you couldn’t work in certain conditions, they can’t either.
Overwork them. Give them too much work for a long time, and don’t offer support or solutions to getting it accomplished.
Give them unrealistic expectations. Make sure all those tasks have impossible deadlines.
Foster unhealthy work environments. Never make clear goals, give feedback, or acknowledge their contributions.
Don’t all them to be creative. Micromanage all the mundane tasks. Bonus points if you can make it something don’t care about.
Create an environment where they can’t live out the fruits of the spirit. Make it hard to love, have joy, have peace, be patience, be kind, live generosity, be faithful, be gentleness, and have self-control.
SOURCES OF INSPIRATION FOR BURNT-OUT CREATIVES
Rest is the antidote to burnout. Resting both in God’s presence and resting physically allows us the space to think, dream, wonder, notice, and process inspiration around us that we turn into innovation, ideas, and creativity.
God’s world. God is the source of creativity, His creativity is infinite, and the world around us gives us JUST a glimpse into it. Find your next idea in God’s patterns, colors, and compositions, and find rest in the awe of how many there are.
Yourself. Take a look at things you’ve done recently and compare it things you’ve made years ago. You might find your ideas are stronger or your skill has grown. Be encouraged! Don’t give up. Keep going, and show yourself grace.
Others. I don’t care if it’s cooking, plumbing, running, or any other skill, when people excel at their gifting and are unapologetic about who they are, we can refocus our thoughts from what we make to who we were made to be.
Your Local Art Museum. You can’t swipe past art in real spaces. Go look at it in real spaces, soak in the shadows from thick paint and the angles when you stand in different places. Screens cannot replace physical spaces.
Firsts. Go do something new. It can be gardening, driving a different route to work, eating new food, or vacationing in a new city. If you feel like you’re in a rut, you might be. Spark ideas, expand your perspective, be a novice, and have fun.
KNOW THE SIGNS OF BURNOUT
PHYSICAL
Feeling tired and drained most of the time.
Lowered immunity, frequent illnesses.
Frequent headaches or muscle pain.
Change in appetite or sleep habits.
EMOTIONAL
Sense of failure and self-doubt.
Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.
Detachment, feeling alone in the world.
Loss of motivation.
Increasingly cynical and negative outlook.
Decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.
BEHAVIORAL
Withdrawing from responsibilities.
Isolating yourself from others.
Procrastinating, taking longer to get things done.
Using food, drugs, or alcohol to cope.
Taking out your frustrations on others.
Skipping work or coming in late and leaving early.