Being creative at all times is an impossible mission. You can be full of enthusiasm in the beginning, but as soon as creative search turns into routine, you are always at risk of having creative burnout. You will find it harder to meet deadlines and produce engaging and fresh content all the time. This is true for most of the creative folks. If you look at the famous singers, actors or writers, you will notice a tendency they all have: they start with being inspired and ready to outdo themselves, but somehow end up with addictions and clinical depression. The reason for this pattern is this: they could not overcome the pressure of the creative burnout in their careers.

Therefore, you are not the first artist with this “disease,” and there are practical ways that will help you get out of this state. In this article, we will discuss how this burnout looks like and what one should do to get past it.

What is a creative burnout?

Specialists say that a creative burnout is a feeling that you get once you get exhausted and not interested in the work you are doing. It is natural to experience this feeling, as we have a limit in our energy and creativity reserves. Even though writing is an excellent activity to help you improve your life and get over frustrations, as a writer you are likely to experience burnout at one point or another too. You should, by all means, try to get over it as soon as possible, as burnouts can cause much damage to your career and even to your physical health condition. So, here are a few ways you should consider not to get stuck in that state, to get over it and move on.

Ways to get over creative burnout

1. Have some rest

You are not a machine: you cannot produce quality content on the 24/7 basis. You need to have some rest, to switch focus, to do something you enjoy. Being an artist means being in the state of constant creative search. You need to come up with new ideas to feed your readers. Therefore, the first thing you should do if you struggle with having a creative burnout is to buy a ticket and go somewhere for a few days. Stop thinking about writing. However, this is what people came up with the vacation concept. So, close your laptop, put your pen away and just relax. Let your mind chill!

2. Get something to read

I do not talk about professional literature here. No books on how to improve your writing style or a hundred ideas how to impress your readers. Get a regular non-fiction book and read it. It will help. Reading about people having life in a book can be very refreshing. So, if there is anything you were willing to give a read recently, it is the time to do it. Don’t feel sorry for “wasting your precious time” on reading non-fiction: think of it as of therapy!

3. Join a group of writers

Writers often organize meetings. This is your chance to spend a night with people just like you! You can ask them questions, hear about their struggles, and get inspired. You need to be a part of this community, especially in the dark times of your creative career. If you cannot find a group of artists you can join in your area, there is always a possibility to sign up for an online course. You will meet other fellow writers and get to chat with them there, as most of the courses try to have forums where users could talk and meet each other.

4. Start writing on a different topic

Another reason of creative burnouts among authors is that they are too bored and not at all challenged by the topic they are currently writing about. See if there is a chance for you to switch the focus and write about something else. It is known to be helpful.

5. Use ideas of other artists

I do not mean that you should steal other people’s content. However, opt for using already existing ideas from the books, magazines and any other sources of inspiration you find helpful here. Remember only to use the ideas when you have nothing new to offer your readers. Do not steal, but rather start from someone else’s content to create your one.

To sum up, creative burnouts happen. Even though writing can help you get through difficult periods of your life, sometimes you need a break from writing as well. Use these useful tips once you find yourself having one or even several symptoms of this burnout to recover and get back on track as soon as possible.

Kevin Nelson started his career as a research analyst and has changed the sphere of activity to writing services and content marketing. Except writing, he spends a lot of time reading psychology and management literature searching for the keystones of motivation ideas. Feel free to connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linkedin.