We’ve all been here as creatives. Running your own business, you are the boss, you set your hours, and how many projects you take on.
You’ve closed your books, but then the most amazing ideal client inquiry slips through your inbox, and you can’t say no.
But then this happens a few more times, and then pretty soon you’ve taken on too much and the burnout hits.
Sound familiar? I think we can all relate to this!
Here are some things you can do to find joy in creating again! Because lets face it, as creatives, we have the best job in the world, and there is so much joy in getting to create. But we also aren’t immune to burnout. Here are some things that I have found to be so helpful in feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the next busy season!
- Take a break, give yourself time to breathe. YEP I’m starting with the most obvious! This isn’t always possible of course. But take some time off if you can, schedule a long rest break after your busy season. Taking time to breathe and recover and feel inspired again is so crucial for creativity. You will have fresh eyes and a refreshed mind to thrive with your future projects!
- Create a fun project. Do a model call or find some friends and shoot for fun. Design and implement an idea that you’ve been wanting to try, try out a location that you keep wanting to explore, try out some fun and different camera settings/techniques. There isn’t the strong pressure to deliver a full set of client images, so you can really play around and experiment. PLUS you know you will get amazing shots this way and learn something new, which leaves you refreshed and inspired!
- Find balance in your personal life. When I’ve been at the computer for hours, my body craves m o v e m e n t. Make sure you are listening to your body and giving it what it needs! Take time to take care of yourself on a really fundamental level. It’ll make a big difference! If you are a believer, also check in with your quiet time and your worship time with God. There’s times I’ve felt anxious and just cranky. Oftentimes, my worhship and time in the word has been put on the back burner, and when I dedicate more time to just be at His feet, everything else falls back into place.
- Invest in Education. OH man, this. Every time I’ve invested in myself and education, my creativity just takes off. This can be with a one on one photographer mentor that you look up to, an online course, in person workshop. There are so many great ways to invest in education, and you will gain so much and leave feeling inspired.
- Explore new places. Take some time out to go explore and scout! Oftentimes for me new locations and new pieces of the land are inspiring, and different trees/rocks/etc inspire new prompts and angles and moods. This is a great way to both take time out from the office, but also go see some new things and rekindle that creativity!
Burnout is very real, and I hope that these tips help you to push past it, and to rekindle the JOY that comes with the amazing opportunity we have as creatives!
