A downfall of pursuing a creative career is that you have to keep creating – inventing completely new ideas – even during tough times. Here are 5 things that can help.
It’s the time of year when the once-abundant daylight slowly fades into shorter snaps of light, bookended by long hours of slow darkness. Times like these can make it much harder to create. Our minds and bodies seem to ask us not to rush them, as this time of rest is needed.
A downfall of pursuing a creative career is that you have to keep creating – inventing completely new ideas – even during times like these, when it’s the last thing you want to do. This, of course, is one thing that separates creative careers from creative hobbies. You can’t just put down the brush, close the laptop, or turn off the camera because you feel like it.
Or, perhaps it’s not the literal winter blues that have you down and unable to reach what you know is your fullest potential. Maybe you’re going through a season of grief, family conflict, or health issues.
Creating through times like these is no small feat. However, it is necessary to learn to keep going in the face of burnout, winter blues, or grief.
In light of this, here are 5 tips to keep producing good creative work when you feel burnt out & uninspired:
1. REMEMBER WORK CAN BE GOOD WITHOUT BEING PERFECT
Creating may feel like pulling yourself up by your bootstraps during times like these. Even so, I’ve often found that the work I created while dragging myself along was actually still good when looking back on it. It may not have been perfect, but it got the job done and I progressed further in my career because of it.
2. JUST DO ONE STEP
I don’t know what it is about that first step, but it often feels completely agonizing to get it done. So, tell yourself you only have to take the first small step (or next small step) – even if it’s just creating a Word document or setting out a canvas. You may surprise yourself and get a few more steps done, as taking that first step often helps you get in the groove.
3. WORK FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME
If completing one full step sounds a little daunting (I’ve been there), make it your goal to simply work for a certain amount of time – 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour. Knowing you don’t have to complete any certain task takes the pressure off. Just put in a little time, then take a break. You may get more done than you’d think.
4. DON’T JUDGE YOUR WORK UNTIL YOU’RE DONE
If at all possible, completely turn off your inner critic until you get the work done. I’ve found that my inner critic is relentlessly vicious while I’m in the middle of writing something. However, once I get the words on the page, my inner critic becomes more level-headed. Then, I can fix everything in the editing stage with a much more balanced perspective.
5. GIVE YOURSELF GRACE DURING THIS TIME
Finally, a slightly cliché but important reminder: give yourself grace. It seems that a lot of creators have a built-in, ultra-harsh inner critic. Try to be more compassionate toward yourself and your work. You’re growing and learning, even when the work you produce takes extra time or effort – and doesn’t turn out as perfect as you’d like.
Keep dreaming,
