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Creative Burn-out tips?
How do you deal with burn-out? Specifically creative burnout. I feel like I'm running out of ideas for my story.
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12 answers
Updated
Thomas’s Answer
1. Take a break.
2. Distance yourself from your work.
3. Connect with nature.
4. Pursue creative passions outside of work.
5. Allow yourself to daydream and brainstorm new ideas.
6. Set realistic goals for yourself and take smaller steps to progress towards them.
7. Break your routine every once in a while and try something new!
2. Distance yourself from your work.
3. Connect with nature.
4. Pursue creative passions outside of work.
5. Allow yourself to daydream and brainstorm new ideas.
6. Set realistic goals for yourself and take smaller steps to progress towards them.
7. Break your routine every once in a while and try something new!
Updated
Kamala’s Answer
Hello Sophia, I agree with everything Thomas has mentioned. Something that has helped me during creative burnouts is reading. Reading anything, be it related to your field or otherwise might inspire you and may result in bringing out new ideas.
Hope this helps, good luck :)
Hope this helps, good luck :)
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Sikawayi’s Answer
Hello Sophia, thank you for your question. I understand exactly what you are saying I would suggest you take some time off from writing for a couple of weeks and let your mind refresh itself. while you're taking a break if you have and ideal about something write the jest of it down and put it away. By the time you finish your time off you will be ready to go back to writing. Best of luck
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David’s Answer
Take breaks, often as you need. Sometimes stepping away from your work can be challenging and emotional, but it can serve you well in the long run! Go back to your favorite sources of writing inspiration, as well – what do you love about their work, and what are tips/tricks you can borrow?
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Paulina’s Answer
My best advice for avoiding burnout goes beyond the breaks that you should already be giving yourself while doing any long task.
Production levels will fluctuate with your environment, mentality, and energy.
Make sure you are well rested and have eaten and drank water before beginning your task, a tired mind and an empty belly will be a detriment to your productivity.
Go to a space that you can concentrate efficiently or one that brings out your creativity.
Work by yourself if you get distracted easily and work with others if you need some motivation or assistance.
There are many ways to avoid burnout and these are among the many things I ensure are in order to accomplish my tasks efficiently.
Production levels will fluctuate with your environment, mentality, and energy.
Make sure you are well rested and have eaten and drank water before beginning your task, a tired mind and an empty belly will be a detriment to your productivity.
Go to a space that you can concentrate efficiently or one that brings out your creativity.
Work by yourself if you get distracted easily and work with others if you need some motivation or assistance.
There are many ways to avoid burnout and these are among the many things I ensure are in order to accomplish my tasks efficiently.
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Luke’s Answer
There is another response in here that said "connect with nature." I would second this. Not only should you take a break, but escaping to nature and getting visual stimulus in nature by hiking, camping, etc. might stand to benefit your creative side.
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Tom’s Answer
Step away from your work for a while. Your creative batteries need to recharge. Go out and have fun, lay back and relax, do whatever comes naturally to keep yourself from going back to the keyboard. I've had this happen many times, as have many writers. There's no set time to go back, but if this is how you make your living, you'll want to come up with a way to recharge quickly and efficiently. But when you're feeling strung out, step away for a while.
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Lucila’s Answer
Hi Sophia,
Everyone here says "step away" "take a break", and I'd have to agree 100%. That usually helps to be in a creative mindset. They say our best ideas come in the moments you are relaxed, doing something you like (in the shower, doing yoga(.
But also, I would add, don't feel guilty for using your time to consume content. Don't think you are "wasting" time doing stuff you like, just because it takes you away from your story. Reading, watching tv, youtube, instagram, music: those are the things usually inspire me the most, crazily enough.
Take your time
All the best!
Everyone here says "step away" "take a break", and I'd have to agree 100%. That usually helps to be in a creative mindset. They say our best ideas come in the moments you are relaxed, doing something you like (in the shower, doing yoga(.
But also, I would add, don't feel guilty for using your time to consume content. Don't think you are "wasting" time doing stuff you like, just because it takes you away from your story. Reading, watching tv, youtube, instagram, music: those are the things usually inspire me the most, crazily enough.
Take your time
All the best!
Updated
Teresa’s Answer
Here's three types of breaks that you can incorporate into your work/life that are to manage your energy and stay healthy. All three help you stay mindful, prevent burnout and thrive.
1. Micro breaks are short breaks (5 - 15 minutes long, every 60 - 90 minutes of work) that you take throughout the day between meetings to stretch, grab a coffee/snack or take a quick walk. This allows you to get away from your computer screen, move your body, and transition to another task or activity.
2. Meso breaks are longer and are about setting boundaries around your workday and work week. They are the times of day and end of your work week when you stop working in order to pursue hobbies, spend time with your family, eat a healthy meal, exercise and sleep (7-9 hours).
3. Macro breaks are about taking extended time away from work (2-4 weeks per year) so you can recover, refuel, and come back to work refreshed.
1. Micro breaks are short breaks (5 - 15 minutes long, every 60 - 90 minutes of work) that you take throughout the day between meetings to stretch, grab a coffee/snack or take a quick walk. This allows you to get away from your computer screen, move your body, and transition to another task or activity.
2. Meso breaks are longer and are about setting boundaries around your workday and work week. They are the times of day and end of your work week when you stop working in order to pursue hobbies, spend time with your family, eat a healthy meal, exercise and sleep (7-9 hours).
3. Macro breaks are about taking extended time away from work (2-4 weeks per year) so you can recover, refuel, and come back to work refreshed.
Ooh, this is interesting. Thank you!
Sophia
Hi Teresa! I had never heard of these micro- meso- macro- break types, but it's such a good way of thinking about the work/life balance! Super digestible for Students, so I hope lots of folks read your advice :) Thanks for the great answer.
Alexandra Carpenter, Admin
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Roger’s Answer
1. Take a break. Take long walks or do fun things and DO NOT THINK ABOUT what you want to be creative with. The best creative ideas often come when you are not thinking consciously abut the topic. This frees up the background processor in your head to explore possibilities.
2. Try new restaurants/foods and new activities that might take you a bit out of your comfort zone. This can provide a jolt to your perspective.
3. Watch a funny movie or funny online videos. Humor has this weird ability to relax you, but also to get you out of your mental rut and see new possibilities.
4. Ridicule in your head, or with friends, the way things are typically done. This makes you less respectful of conventional approaches and authorities, and thus freer to explore something new.
5. Experts on creativity know that the way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas, especially crazy and silly ones. When brainstorming, it is VERY important not to discard ideas too early just because they don't immediately seem practical. The longer you can go with an idea in your head without judging it, the better the chance it will morph into something useful. It is amazing how often insane ideas can be massaged into something completely sensible. So play around with ideas about flying monkeys, talking soccer balls, ghosts, Elvis impersonators, doing the activity of interest in space or underwater or while riding a camel, etc.
6. Individuals can be creative, groups usually are not. Groups, however, can be useful for providing motivation.
2. Try new restaurants/foods and new activities that might take you a bit out of your comfort zone. This can provide a jolt to your perspective.
3. Watch a funny movie or funny online videos. Humor has this weird ability to relax you, but also to get you out of your mental rut and see new possibilities.
4. Ridicule in your head, or with friends, the way things are typically done. This makes you less respectful of conventional approaches and authorities, and thus freer to explore something new.
5. Experts on creativity know that the way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas, especially crazy and silly ones. When brainstorming, it is VERY important not to discard ideas too early just because they don't immediately seem practical. The longer you can go with an idea in your head without judging it, the better the chance it will morph into something useful. It is amazing how often insane ideas can be massaged into something completely sensible. So play around with ideas about flying monkeys, talking soccer balls, ghosts, Elvis impersonators, doing the activity of interest in space or underwater or while riding a camel, etc.
6. Individuals can be creative, groups usually are not. Groups, however, can be useful for providing motivation.
Thank you!
Sophia
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Gloria’s Answer
Hi Sophia,
You got a lot of information here. One thing that I do is go to someone else. If you have a trusted friend, go to them and talk it through or even share the work and get some thoughts. The one thing that I have learned in life as that I as a person may not have the solution to a problem. It is through the interaction with others - one or many - that I get the really great ideas. When I think about screen writers, they are always going back to others in the movie making business to get feedback and new ideas. The story is ultimately their own, but it can and should be influenced by the creativity of others who may know something more or something different than you do.
Gloria
You got a lot of information here. One thing that I do is go to someone else. If you have a trusted friend, go to them and talk it through or even share the work and get some thoughts. The one thing that I have learned in life as that I as a person may not have the solution to a problem. It is through the interaction with others - one or many - that I get the really great ideas. When I think about screen writers, they are always going back to others in the movie making business to get feedback and new ideas. The story is ultimately their own, but it can and should be influenced by the creativity of others who may know something more or something different than you do.
Gloria
Updated
Sara’s Answer
An exercise that a high school teacher taught me is to spend 10 minutes a day moving your pen. Set a timer, put pen to paper, and do not stop writing until your timer goes off. Even if you spend all 10 minutes writing the same word over and over again (or complete gibberish that makes no sense!) that's okay because it helps clear your mind. Have zero expectation during that 10 minute session and soon enough you'll see some creativity peak through!