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What is creative burnout? and why does it matter as a creative business owner?

According to Mental Health UK burnout is defined as ‘a state of physical and emotional exhaustion’ which occurs ‘when you experience long-term stress’. All stress isn’t necessarily bad for you. In fact a certain amount of stress motivates you to stretch your abilities and learn new skills.

However, the problem comes when stress exceeds a person’s capacity. When their resilience reserves have been exhausted, but the demands keep piling on, there’s nothing left; something has to give. As a creative your business relies on your capacity for creativity. And often when the symptoms of burnout are building its our creativity that is affected profoundly.

The candle cannot continue burning brightly unless there are sufficient resources that keep being replenished

Wilmar Schaufeli

People experiencing burnout are not simply exhausted or overwhelmed by their workload,’ says Maslach, ‘They also have lost a psychological connection with their work, which has implications for their motivation and their identity.’

Therefore, Work-life balance is offered as the solution, but as Samantha Forges explores in her article on burnout in the arts industry as creatives running a business from our passions how can we draw the line between work and recreation?

As a creative business owner it’s within your power to define what work, and life, looks like for you. So how on earth to you prevent and/or manage burnout as a creative business owner?

Symptoms of Creative Burnout

Just as our tolerance of different stresses varies from person to person, everyone’s experience of burnout can look different. But there are similarities and themes to look out for so you can take action before things go , too far, south.

Common things I hear, from creatives business owners experiencing burnout:

• I’ve got so many things to do it’s overwhelming, I’ve no time to actually create!
• I’ve got no creative ideas anymore. I sit staring at a blank page and…nothing
• I’ve not got what it takes; I’ll never be a success like [X]
• I’ve only got X number of followers, my work isn’t good enough

Other signs of creative burnout to be on the lookout for:

• Increased irritability and pessimism
• Changes in sleep habits and energy levels
• Changes in appetite (loss of appetite, comfort eating, eating more fast-food than you normally would)
• Avoiding certain tasks, even things you’d normally enjoy
• Feelings of failure, shame & hopeless
• Increased time spent procrastinating

The good news is…

You haven’t dried up your well of creativity, you’ve just overworked your creative muscle a little

And much like a muscle sprain from exercise, with the right TLC you’ll be fighting fit again in no time. So, you’ve noticed signs of creative burnout, now what?

Why not grab a copy of my super quick energy health check, full of prompts to get you back on your creative feet again in no time

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7 tried-and-true methods to avoid (and recover from) burnout as a creative business owner

It’s all too easy to ignore signs and symptoms of stress and creative burnout, in the frenetic, distraction-filled world we live in. I know I did. guilty as charged! I learned this the hard way in the early days of my creative business. But it doesn’t have to be this way. So here’s my tried-and-true methods for avoiding, and recovering, from creative burnout. Let’s dive in.

1. In the words of Joey Tribbiani…How’you doin?

How are you feeling? Not the ‘I’m fine’ you tell Aunt Flo, I mean, really feeling? The stuff you probably keep to yourself

This will, probably, feel uncomfortable.

Tune into your inner voice- how does it sound? Angry, defeated, critical?

Feelings and emotions are trying to tell you something. Like a toddler- when you ignore them, hoping they’ll go away, they get louder and louder, until you HAVE to pay attention to them. Awareness is the first step to improving.

A mind full of negativity will only cloud your judgment and invite the burnout to stay longer

2. Even creative business owners need to rest and re-energize!

While it may feel like a luxury you couldn’t possibly afford right now taking the time you need to rest & reset is essential to preventing creative and business burnout – you wouldn’t run on a sprained ankle now, would you. So put your feet up, watch a feel-good film, go for a luxurious massage – whatever floats your feel-good boat. Your business won’t fall apart if you give yourself time and space to decompress, rest and go exploring – inspiration for the next creative spark is just around the corner.

💡 Create a self-care recipe for yourself-it’s easier to do this in advance, than try and think of stuff when you’re at the point of burnout.

3. Give Yourself Permission to Make Bad Art

When you take a hobby that you love and turn it into a job, that’s what it starts to feel like- work. It’s quite an adjustment to make for fledgling creative business owners.

I know I fell into this trap when I started my first business. Everything I created had to be profit-making (it wasn’t, but that’s another story) and it didn’t take long for it to feel like a chore.

So I avoided it- the one thing that my business couldn’t do without, was the thing I was putting off. Because all the fun had been sucked out.

💡 Suddenly I realised what was missing- fun!

Now I make sure to schedule time for playing creatively, and it’s made my work better for it. Scheduling fun doesn’t sound, well…fun, does it. I will be discussing more on creating boundaries later.

Get messy, have fun, create for creating sake! Share it on social media: people love noseying behind the scenes; or keep it just for you. Either way –

Whether it’s good or bad is beside the point. Just make something.

Austin Kleon

4. Simplify & Streamline, Baby!

Now, this is one of my favourite topics because we all know how many things are on the to-do lists creative biz owners and entrepreneurs

I bet you’re sat there thinking well that’s all well and good for those who have the time!! And it’s not exactly the sexiest part of being your own boss, let’s be honest. And I’ve got to admit that this was me too, once upon a time.

That was until one day I decided I’d had enough of feeling like a headless chicken. Enough was enough!

I love a good to-do list. But at the start of my business my to-do list had to-do lists! They were everywhere, in note books, on post it notes and digital too. Computer files were the same –saving things willy nilly, wasting hours searching for them, or forgetting about them completely. And my least favourite of all time- doing something I’D ALREADY BLOODY DONE. AGGGGGHHH!

Ain’t nobody that can function properly like that!! And if I wasn’t functioning neither was my business. There had to be a better way!

So in my usual all-in style simplifying and streamlining my workflows and business became something of a side-passion.

Sure, setting up a filing system/process that works takes way longer than you’d like, and sometimes it’s trial and error. And maybe I’m just a geek about these things- okay I’m a total geek- but once it’s done I PROMISE it’s worth it.

5. Boundaries are essential for avoiding creative & business burnout

Basically there aren’t enough hours in the day are there? I don’t know an small business owner anywhere who feels they have enough hours in the day.

Today’s modern life is chaotic and full of distractions – social media, email notifications, texts and 24/7 worldwide news coverage makes it incredibly hard to focus or switch off.

All these attention grabbers leave us feeling drained, and unmotivated. Which can be a big problem when you are your own boss, especially when you’re starting out and are already distracted by so many things to learn, do, master and so many opportunities everywhere you look.

Boundaries for social media

As much as you you love it or hate it, social media is a tool used by the majority of small business owners. One problem is that it’s so easy to get distracted and veer off course by the latest trend or ‘shiny object’ and feel like:

a) you’re missing out if you’re not jumping on the latest reels trend

b) despite jumping on the latest trends, you’re not getting much traction and it doesn’t feel authentic to you and/or your business

On top of that – who hasn’t gone to watch a reel or two and found themselves an hour later still on an endless video loop? If such a person exists I’d like to know your secret!

Obviously social media moguls aren’t daft – they design the platforms and features to do exactly that – the aim of the game is to keep you on the platform as long as possible.

Another problem is falling into the comparison trap – a common problem for pretty much all artists & creatives I’ve ever spoken to. Our inner critic just loves to compare our work, how many followers we have, how much engagement our posts get etc etc with other artists, creatives and influencers are getting.

Boundaries for yourself

• Stop waiting for motivation or creative inspiration to strike you and set a schedule for your habits.
• Schedule rest & playtime too
• Use social media as much or as little as YOU feel is right for you. There’s no rule that says you have to be on social media.
• Be mindful of how much content you’re consuming and what impact it’s having on your internal dialogue.
• By all means follow trends if you want to, but only those that feel authentic to you and your business, and ignore the rest.
• To avoid losing hours to the social media scroll, have a goal/purpose in mind when engaging on social platforms. Know how much time you plan to spend on the platform for that purpose, and stick to it.
• Be aware of what accounts your following and engaging with – comparing yourself to a seasoned Instagram account when you’re just starting out won’t do you any favours. Don’t compare your chapter 1 to their chapter 20

It doesn’t matter what you are trying to become better at, if you only do the work when you’re motivated, then you’ll never be consistent enough to become a professional.

James Clear

Boundaries for nearest & dearest

With your business and creative goals in mind, let the people around you know why dedicating time to your business is important to you. Sharing with them know what they can do to help, and when you’ll be available- downtime is important too. Without doubt if you don’t value your time, no one else will.

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6. There’s more to life than work

This follows on from boundaries, for yourself and others.

As a *ahem* recovering workaholic I know how easy it is to be consumed by work, especially in the early days of your business. There feels pressure to be seen to be working all the time, because if you’re not working you’re not earning money. Which actually doesn’t have to be the case – that’s where passive and multiple streams of income come into play. Alas, I’m skipping ahead.

The wheel of life

The wheel of life is a holistic tool for looking at life-biz balance. It covers the six areas of wellness –

• Psychological
• Emotional
• Personal/social
• Hobbies & Leisure
• Occupation
• Spiritual/Soul

7. Find Your Support Tribe

Don’t struggle with the burdens of business alone. Talk to friends and loved ones. While they might not know exactly what you’re experiencing, as a creative business owner, but it can still lighten the load.

The online creative community is a beautiful place of help and support. Connecting with other creatives can give you a much needed boost. And can be great for future collaborations too. You never know where it might lead.

Find yourself a mentor – someone a few steps ahead of where you’re at now. Who knows what insights and tips they might share.

Places to find like minded creatives –

• Online Membership Groups, such as Flourish with Bonnie Christine & Stacie Bloomfields Creative’s Powerhouse Society
• Facebook Groups, like Create and Grow with Gingiber and Art Licensing with Mable Tan
• Group Creative Challenges, such as Sketch Design Repeats #3x3designchallenge
• Co-working sessions, like this one from Creative Enabler
• Might Networks, like Learn with Steph Fizer Coleman and UPPERCASE Circle
• IRL

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Top Takeaways for dealing with Creative Burnout

• Don’t be giving yourself a hard time now, if you find yourself at burnout point already. This is not a sign of weakness, ya’ hear.
• You are where you are, and you’re doing something positive about it- that’s courage my friend.
• Looking after your emotional and mental wellbeing means more energy left for creativity.
• Showing up repeatedly means progress – honing your craft takes time and effort.
• Make time for play. Create for creatings sake
• Make life easier with workflows and systems.
• All work and no play makes a grumpy, uninspired artist. Give yourself permission to rest and recharge.
• Re/connect with the things that matter, and that light you up
• FInding support and connection with like minded creatives can be invaluable

Now repeat after me: experiencing burnout as a creative biz owner does NOT mean I am a failure

Rather, it’s an opportunity to boost your resilience, to bounce back stronger and more creative than ever! Watch out world … fierce creative coming through!

A mind full of negativity will only cloud your judgment and invite the burnout to stay longer

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