Artist Burnout & 7 Ways to Handle it
“It’s going to happen sometimes: Despite all the good habits you’ve developed, the preparation rituals, the organizational tools, the techniques…. There will come a time when your creativity fails you. You stare at the canvas, the screen, the keyboard, the empty room- and it refuses to meet your eyes. It looks away as if it’s ashamed of you. You may as well be painting on shards of broken glass. Your screen shows nothing but wavy lines. Your fingers slip off the keyboard, never getting traction. The room turns dark and cold, and someone is locking the door behind you” -Twyla Tharp in The Creative Habit (2003).
Has your creativity failed you as an artist right now?
A feeling of being stuck, a blank mind, and fear that maybe the art will not come this time. You may describe this as Tharp does, "I'm in a rut." However, you also may be experiencing burnout. Don't worry; this does not mean that your career is over; it just means you may need to take some time to care for yourself. Imagine burnout as an injury; when we are injured, we need to take time to heal, and sometimes we add some physical therapy exercises into our routine to strengthen what's been hurt. So, as a therapist who regularly works with artists, I've got some tips to help with that.
Individuals in any career may experience periods of burnout, and artists are highly susceptible. For many, "Artist" is more than a job title; it is an identity. This connection to one's sense of self blurs the boundaries between self and work, making it difficult for artists to detach the success of one's art from the success of themselves. The making of flawed art is inevitable for an artist; however, if art and self are enmeshed, then flawed art may lead to the beliefs such as "I am a flawed person," or the lack of making art may lead to the belief that "I am no one" (Bayles and Orland, 1993). These thought processes may lead to negative self-talk, low self-esteem, and burnout.
What is Artist Burnout?
Burnout is described as an occupational phenomenon. Artists experiencing burnout may feel:
Exhaustion or energy depletion that won’t go away
Increased feelings of negativism, cynicism, or mental distance related to one’s job
Reduced professional efficacy
Increased procrastination and avoidance of doing your work
Jealousy of others who seem to be in a "groove"
Sense of helplessness
Burnout is different than stress. Stress is short-term, and when we experience stress, we can identify an end to the situation and feeling. Burnout is a long-term process and is built up over time. Stress often springs individuals into action and an anxiety response, while burnout often results from extended periods of prolonged stress leading to disengagement and blunted or distant emotions.
The 7 Ways To Combat Artist Burnout
1. Tap into Community
Sometimes creating art can feel isolating, and the process can be deeply personal. Tapping into community can help break up feelings of being stuck and quiet the cycles of negative thinking. Sharing your art with another person can help bring it out of your mind and into the world. For example, you can share your work with a peer artist, a friend, an artist in another medium, or even someone new.
Hearing another’s thoughts and reactions to your art may open some pathways for you in the creative process that you could not see before. Additionally, having a person interact with you and your art can quiet some of the "what ifs" that may arise during the creation process. You are not alone.
Additionally, through watching, reading, and viewing the work of others, you may find inspiration that will move you through your feeling of being stuck. For example, if you're a dancer, this may look like going to a dance festival, watching a performance, or taking a class, but it can also look like going to an art gallery, watching a movie, or reading a book. Art informs art, so do not be afraid to seek inspiration beyond your medium; this may open a whole new world of options.
2. Connect to Your Body
Creative processes can sometimes feel like an out-of-body experience. Artists may enter "the zone" or a feeling of intense focus, and in these moments, they may become disconnected or unaware of their physical bodies. Therefore, it is important to check in with your body and breath to take care of yourself. Check-in with your physical sensations: "Are my shoulders tense?" "Have I been sitting for too long?" "Do I need to get up and walk around?" "Do I need to sit down and stretch?" "Have I been holding my breath?" "When's the last time I had food or water?". You are more than a tool for the creation of art. By building a connection with your body, you also increase your ability to identify and respond to emotions. This sense of awareness can help you notice and tend to burnout sooner.
3. Reassess Boundaries
Boundaries can often become blurred as an artist. From boundaries as work to the boundaries that one sets for oneself. When feelings of burnout occur, reflect on what has been causing this feeling of prolonged stress. Perhaps recently, it's been hard to say no to projects, maybe the hours you’ve been working are longer, or the deadlines are too soon. Setting boundaries for how long and how often you work can help to prevent burnout. While balancing many different projects at once can be exciting, it may not be sustainable in the long term.
Additional boundaries to consider are personal boundaries. Art can be a vulnerable and personal process; when creating personal work, consider your boundaries when it comes to how much you would like to share with others. Creating personal work can be very powerful and meaningful; however, it is also okay to have boundaries for how much the public gets to know about you and your story. Creating boundaries for work and self can help one differentiate between the two and prevent conditions that often cause burnout.
4. Redefine Success
As previously mentioned, creating flawed art is inevitable as an artist, and not all your work will be loved by everyone. Additionally, even the "completed product" often never feels finished to an artist, so having success be a clear and concise ending to a process may be frustrating or unattainable because we are often left with the feeling of wanting to do more. Redefining success can help you re-frame your work and your path as an artist. Here are some helpful re-frames:
Focus on the process
What are my goals throughout this process?
Who would I like to work with?
What tools and techniques would I like to use?
Who do I want to share this with?
Redefine success by things you can control instead of things that you cannot
Detaching success of art from a sense of self
5. Practice Self-Compassion
Self- Compassion is a term coined by Dr. Kristin Neff. Approaching oneself with self-compassion requires an individual to treat oneself the way they would a friend who is having a difficult time. You may feel warmth, caring, and a desire to help and support your friend. Treating ourselves with compassion is not a societal norm; we are often met with sayings such as "rub some dirt in it," "stiff upper lip," "power through," and "blood sweat and tears." However, self-compassion involves noticing how you feel, "I am having a hard time connecting to my art right now," and then asking, "how can I comfort and care for myself at this moment?". Self-compassion allows space to acknowledge one's emotions and experiences from a space of common humanity and kindness rather than isolation and judgment.
6. Engage in Another Creative Medium
Artists benefit from engaging in work that they are often very passionate about. However, passion does not take away from the fact that it still is work. Sometimes, individuals have difficulty caring for themselves when their coping skill and former way of relieving stress is now the medium that provides them with an income. Artists need to engage in other creative mediums as a means of self-care. We do not have to master our hobbies, and there is a great deal of freedom and comfort that comes from this process. So, when you're starting to feel stuck or burnt out in your medium, try venturing into other pathways of creativity for the enjoyment of creating rather than meeting a deadline or creating "something great." Having hobbies and interests outside of your job is important and will help prevent burnout.
7. Take a break
Sometimes, it may be time to take a break when burnout takes hold. Taking a break does not mean that you need to quit or stop being an artist. Taking a break can provide time to heal and enter back into art with a refreshed mindset. Only you can give yourself permission to take time off to take care of yourself, re-energize, and return with a fresh perspective. Taking a break can feel really scary, but art is not going away, and the community will be there when you are ready to go back. During this time, you may be able to reflect on what factors lead to feelings of burnout and what you would like to incorporate into your life moving forward to support your mental well-being as an artist.
Remember…
You are not alone, broken, or "washed up" when experiencing burnout as an artist. You just need time to refresh, re-frame, and recreate your process to include you and the taking care of you.
CONSIDER THERAPY FOR ARTIST BURNOUT IN CHICAGO, IL
Being an artist is wonderful work but can lead to feelings of burnout and stress. That’s why the online therapists at our therapy practice based in Chicago, IL, offer therapy directed at increasing your confidence and helping you walk away from that burnout via online therapy. We have several therapists including Bailey Seymour, LPC and Ilyssa Lasky, LCPC that specialize in working with dancers, painters, musicians and artists of all types. We want to help you connect with yourself and begin healing from the comfort of your own home. Take the steps below to get started.
1. Fill out a consult form here.
2. Meet with a therapist to see if online therapy is a good fit.
3. Start connecting with yourself and experience the healing you deserve!
OTHER MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AT OBSIDIAN COUNSELING AND WELLNESS
When you work with a therapist at our counseling practice in the Chicago, IL area, you will be met with compassion and authenticity. The team at our therapy practice feels honored to help guide folks along their healing process. Specifically, we help people, including frequently working with musicians, address anxiety, trauma, and work-stress. Additionally, we offer yoga therapy, which can also be done using online sessions. We also specialize in supporting LGBTQIA+ folks for a variety of issues. We hope that you take the leap to begin counseling with us. You deserve it.