Burn Out. Purpose. Passion. Finding Your Creativity After Losing it.

Burnout is real.

I love SCAD’s quarter system—the fast-paced environment, moments of heavy grind, and pressure to create masterpieces to increase the speed of my workflow and challenge me mentally. I thrive in this setting. However, by week 10, I can’t lift a pencil. I cannot look at a screen or paper without wanting to hurl myself onto the floor and cry from the lack of creative juices.

It is frustrating. My entire life, I loved to create, but as soon as I began to challenge myself academically with art, that's when my burnout started. In high school, my school didn't offer many art classes, but I took all five that were available, including two AP courses: AP Draw and AP Design. I would work myself into insanity, hours of straight creation with no breaks until I completed a project.

After completing a project, I would inevitably crash. I'd find myself lacking motivation for anything else. Yet, in classic high school fashion, I couldn't stop; I'd move on to the next project. Sometimes, I'd have multiple projects simultaneously, requiring me to balance everything at once. It became crucial for me to learn how to prevent burnout, understand its causes, and take measures to avoid it.

Take a Break:

If you told my high school self to take a break, I would have ripped your head off. In my early twenties, I understand the importance of breaks. From physical issues like eye strain from working in the dark or staring at a screen, to the mental obsession of getting a necessary task done before another, there is beauty in refreshing your mind.

My professors have always told me, “your brain is most creative when it’s relaxed,” which couldn’t be more true. When I’m stressed, creation feels like a chore. It’s draining rather than fulfilling; making me resentful rather than thankful for the God-given talent.

For me, the standard work for two hours, take a fifteen-minute break doesn’t work. It takes me an hour to get into “the zone” to be productive. Depending on how I feel, I could work for three hours, break for 15, then get back to work and repeat until mealtime or time to mentally clock out.

I know that idea in your head is killing you, and you need to work it out of your system. However, if you work the idea out until you physically can’t anymore, you risk making yourself hate that idea. I have fallen into the trap too many times. Keep a journal on hand at all times. If you have an idea, jot it down because you will forget it. Then work it out in segments so you enjoy the process. You’ll thank yourself in the long run because you will be able to work on a task you enjoy, have something to look forward to in between medial tasks or breaks. It’ll help you reengage after a break too, which I sometimes struggle with.

However, breaks are complicated. What do you do during a break besides the endless scroll or snack? It’s a matter of finding activities other than working to bring you joy and fulfillment.

Find other creative outlets:

I go through waves of variety when it comes to different outlets—crocheting, sketching, plein air drawing/painting. All require minimal creativity because I’m using them to decompress and relax while still exercising my creative mind lightly. There are different levels of intensity to each with their purpose, but for me, I use them as tools to help me take breaks from work.

Crocheting I got into recently again. I was interested in it initially in middle school, then again recently. It isn’t as brain-numbing as I thought because of the counting of stitches and complexity of crochets, but it is fun nonetheless. I have small trinkets I can be proud of and keep my creative brain active without the pressure of creating a masterpiece. It can be a helpful tool to help me unwind from Work Gabriella to Personal Time Gabriella.

For those unfamiliar with plein air, it is drawing or painting from life, outside. Take your paint, pencil, charcoal and go outside and draw nature. It’s quick, practice studies. I like going to the park near my house and painting the lake and trees. I study how the light interacts with the environment, the atmosphere of that particular day, and how the seasons impact the land. This is also really great to maintain your skills in drawing or painting. But it keeps your mind engaged and helps pump you with creativity through inspiring nature.

Find Non-Creative Outlets:

Your health is important. Ask any of my friends, I am a gym rat. From my diet to sleep, I carefully craft my schedule to maximize my health. I have always been sickly, but it wasn’t until I started becoming active and taking control of my health that I saw improvement. My energy is at an all-time high, no more midday slump, and, surprisingly, my creativity spiked. Do not get me wrong, there are days when I would much rather rot on the couch than go sweat in a stinky gym, but afterward, I feel better. I have mental clarity and sleep better because I’m more active during the day. Sleep is rejuvenating. One in three Americans do not get enough sleep according to the National Institute of Health. My creativity blossomed when my sleep and energy levels improved through physical activity, so it has been in my routine for two years now.

Gardening is another hobby of mine, though I’d argue also creative, but for this purpose, I use it as a break from creation. I love gardening. You learn about the relationships between the soil, plants, bugs, animals and the circle of life each plays a role in. There is something fulfilling about harvesting your own herbs, vegetables, and fruits. It also is a tasty hobby.

Reading has its benefits for creating and finding inspiration from stories or research, but reading for your own enjoyment is important. What do you enjoy reading? Fiction? Fantasy? Sci-Fi? Non-Fiction? Biographies? Memoirs? Textbooks? The possibilities are endless! This will not only give you time to relax and melt into the world of your book but also help you improve your comprehension, focus, and concentration. After a certain app revolutionized social media and obliterated attention spans, cracking open a book can help you reset and be able to sit and enjoy something for longer than a few seconds.

Time to Rot:

It is okay to want to do nothing and find activities that do not require brainpower or making decisions. As artists, we make decisions constantly. Decision fatigue is pretty consistent for us; by 4 pm I’m nearing my limit so I try not to start any project after 2 pm to avoid not being able to make decisions. Hobbies like crocheting or gardening may not be great for this, but reading, going to the gym, walking, watching a show, or a movie are great for this time.

During this time, what you consume is just as important as more engaging activities. I do not like to dwell on sad, stressful or angry topics, so during this time, I try to engage in stories that are overall happy but do have some hardships that are necessary for the story. Negative topics for shock factor do impact your brain. You become numb to topics and need to search for more crazy topics to receive the same level of dopamine hit. Being aware of this, creating variety in media you consume will help you create balance.

Another thing I find important is putting the phone down. Algorithms constantly pushing you want you want to see sends you down a rabbit hole of the same concept. Seeing the same style of art confines you to a box when art is meant to flourish. It’s like trapping wind in a box.

You can survive without your phone for an hour. Put it down, sketch, reset your brain and you will be shocked with how much it’ll help you boost your creativity while working. Thirty percent of teenagers admitted to forgoing desired opportunities because they spent excessive time on their phones. Don’t let that be you; go out and do what you love. Opportunities don’t come around often but your phone will always be there. The quick trends, clickbait headlines, and constant negativity will contribute to burnout. Get ahead of it, limit the screen time, and you’ll notice a world of difference.

In conclusion, you are in control of your life. You make the decisions on how to live your life, but understanding what causes you to burn out and what brings you joy will help the quality and fulfillment of your work. Gardening, controlling my health, and creating are just some of the aspects of my life that have helped me overcome burnout, reclaim the passion I have for creating, and loving myself. Reigniting that spark is so important. As I am on the cusp of graduating, I have learned to appreciate these moments of learning and realizing what is important in life. SCAD's fast-paced environment has instilled in me an appreciation for quick turnovers. However, it has also taught me the importance of incorporating a slower-paced routine to maintain balance and prevent resentment towards my work. Find what you love, try something new, find a community, put the phone down and explore the opportunities the world has for you.