This is how I have felt lately.
Dry.
Barren.
Void of life.
Not personally, or spiritually. But creatively.
I know there are a lot of people who read this blog who create things for a living. Some of you cook, some of you write, some of you design logos and webpages and advertising spreads, some of you write music, some of you take photos.
Many of you do this for someone else. You do this for a living. In essence, you “sell” the fruit of you own imagination (for a paycheck) to a corporate entity whom then “sells” it to the market. Now, I am not bashing the system. This is the way it works. It’s a great gig if you can get it.
The only problem for me is that there are times in my life where the pressure of creating-for-a-living wipes me out. I have nothing left in the tank for me.
I have always believed that it is crucial for those of us who create-for-a-living to have things we are working on that are only for us . . . not for public consumption (at least not immediately). I love having side stuff to work on . . . I’m a writer, so for me it’s short stories, articles, book proposals, lyrics, etc . . . scraps of ideas eked out in Moleskins and word docs. For you it may be any number of other side projects.
The last few months at work have been super productive. Lots of cool content being created. Lots of creative meetings where we are coming up with ideas for videos, books, activities, year-long Bible studies, month-long Bible studies, and so on. We have done some of our best work ever. The future is bright.
But it has left me with no energy, creative or otherwise, to create for me.
It makes me tired.
My question for those of you who create for a living is, how do you deal with this?
Do you get burned out?
Do you ever feel like your best always goes to someone else?
How do you recharge your batteries?
How do you keep the well from running dry?
When I was in the Marines, they taught us how to counter an ambush. When you are ambushed, contrary to human nature, you don’t turn and run the other way. You turn and face the ambush and fight through it. Part of me thinks the best way to deal with burnout is not to ignore it or to flee from it, but to face it, to force yourself to create, even if it is seemingly small and insignificant. It’s the old adage, “fake it until you make it.”
I’d love to hear what you think.
Filed under: Reflections, Writing | Tagged: burnout, creating, creative writing, graphic design, photography, writer's block, Writing
can you create in a non-written style? like down to your roots…like when you were a kid? maybe try a completely different way of being creative to give your creative writing sort of a vacation. maybe it will spark something. sort of like brainstorming from all angles and then reeling it in i guess.
Great idea! Creating in different mediums . . . Why didn’t I think of that?
For me, two things.
1. Not to sound hippy, but the greatest source of creative inspiration is creation. Go out side, breathe deep. There’s something unbelievably comforting in knowing you’re ideas will never suprise God, and creativly speaking, He’s a great role model.
2. Your fight through it thing is right on, but may I suggest what yo already know. You wanna write, read people who write well. Listen to music. Watch movies. Absorb. Take it all in. You can’t ALWAYS be creating.
After these things set yourself some simple creative goals that are easy to accomplish, when you begin to see yourself nailing it again, snow
ball effect.
Great advise from a true creative genius. Thanks, buddy!