What is creative burnout?

Creative burnout is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion that affects your creative work.

Creative burnout can keep you from maintaining a consistent creative practice or it may prevent you from creating altogether. It can exist on its own or as part of a more general exhaustion that also affects other aspects of your life, such as work, family or social connections.

To be called burnout, the exhaustion must be ongoing – that is, present for more than a few weeks. However, even if you don't fit the definition of creative burnout, or if you consider yourself tired but not exhausted, you can still benefit from a holistic approach to building your energy (outlined later in this guide). Addressing low energy early on may even help prevent creative burnout and get you back to feeling energised and motivated to create.

Important note: Fatigue can be a symptom of many physical and mental illnesses. If your exhaustion hasn't been investigated by a doctor, please schedule a check-up if you can. Additionally, if you have a diagnosed illness (physical or mental) that may cause fatigue, it may be worth checking in with your doctor or therapist.

This is an excerpt from my free ebook, A Creative’s Guide to Burnout. To keep reading, click the button below to request your copy.