Creator Tips and Tricks 17: Recovering from Blocks and Burnout

Where does creativity come from?

Is it an innate desire to create or express yourself? Is it just a “fun” thing people do? If you do creative work for money, for an income, does it lose some of its “artistic” value?

Creating art, writing, singing, dancing, many will tell you that it’s just something we do, no matter the reason we do it. However, sometimes, the desire to create fades for whatever reason. Creative people have various names for all of these “blockers”, but personally, I have found them all to be slightly different from each other. Identifying the specific issue you are dealing with, and its cause, is one step in the direction of returning to your creative self.

Of course, these are just personal theories. I’ve found them to be true across writing, playing many instruments, and then well into college during my animation degree and subsequent illustration degree. I might not have had terms at the time to use or explain it well, but I did journal, and being in therapy the last few years has helped piece these patterns together. I hope that you can find them useful. I’m not offering any sort of “therapeutic advice”, just speaking from patterns I’ve seen in myself and my friends over time. (And hopefully some relatable memes to lighten the mood.)

White Canvas/ White Page Syndrome

This is generally classified as the fear or inability to start art or writing on a brand-new project. This could be considered a form of perfectionism, and leads to a paralysis of sorts, unable to start our new projects.

• What if it doesn’t work out?
• What if I have to start over?
• What if I have to buy a new canvas because I ruin this one?
• What if my first draft of my prose turns out badly?

Questions like this can plague us and make it hard to start working on our projects, but the base emotion here is a fear or anxiety. If the fear is “My idea might not be good, and I don’t want to waste the time or effort” you can try these solutions:

For visual artists: Find a cheap way to start, something less committed and easy to start over if it doesn’t work out. If you are worried about ruining the canvas you paid a lot of money for, try starting on some cheap copy paper with some sketches, markers, colored pencils, to start forming your idea. Again, this is assuming you know what you want to do and just have a fear of ruining the “real one”. Working the idea out on “practice sheets” can help get you moving. Once you know what you want to do, you’re more free to transfer it to the larger and nicer canvas/paper. You could also try starting digitally if you have the means and tools to do so. Digital canvases are even less commitment.

For writers: If you are used to using a specific structure for your writing, don’t. Sometimes those restrictions can be horribly limiting on your creativity, especially when you are dealing with the paralyzing fear of starting in the first place.

Artist Block / Writer Block

If the problem seems to be more of one where you can’t think of what you want to do, the problem is more likely to be Art / Writer's Block. The difference between White canvas syndrome and art block are what is causing the creative paralysis. Both stem from a fear or anxiety, but White Canvas Syndrome focuses on the pressure to preform even though you WANT to create and know WHAT you want to create. The other focuses on a lack of ideas or how to get those ideas on the paper, with a desire to create. So while similar, they are different problems. For Art and Writer's block, try these ideas:
 

For visual artists: Trace over or copy your favorite artworks. Yes, I said it, Go trace some things. Tracing over artwork that already exists, is less commitment on “what you want to draw” and just focuses on the actual act of creating. Sometimes, we just need to start creating something, anything, and the ideas can start to flow to us. Of course, be mindful about sharing these. Don’t claim these tracings of artwork that isn’t yours, as your own.

You can also work with a prompt generator or draw some fan art of your favorite character. There are no characters to design, and if you don’t have to choose the colors either. If you get an idea or creative bolt of lightning along the way, go for it! These are just ideas to get you moving. Often, after we get moving, the creativity can return to us. Be patient if it takes a few tries. Trying TOO hard can have the opposite effect and push you further into the “next level’, called “Burnout” which I’ll address in a minute.
 

For writers: This is a bit more difficult, but if you are used to writing your ideas on paper or in a journal, change it up. Maybe try a different method of structuring your work. If you are used to a particular formula for your stories, take the time to learn a new one and try it out. Maybe a fresh perspective can light the creativity flame again!

Another option, like artists, follow some prompts! There are many subreddits for example that list off writing prompts, some are genre-specific, some are very vague. Another thing, would be to write your own life, but to replace names with new ones. It can help you analyze your life through the eyes of “someone else that isn’t you” and could give you some ideas on stories!
 

Of course, another option for both writing and art is to go consume some new media. We do not create in a vacuum. No ideas are 100% original anymore. In fact, they say that all faces we create and all characters we write about, we know personally in some way. It could be para-social, as in online or existing as a character in another media, or as a real life connection. This is usually subconscious, but just goes to show you that art really does imitate art, so if you are feeling stuck, go explore life a bit more!

Burnout

Burnout is probably one of the worst feelings a creative person can have. When our creative low gets to this point, there usually is not even a desire to create anymore. Burnout is sometimes also called a “creative depression” for this reason. We can still have ideas or things that we know we need to do, those commissions from weeks or months ago, that comic that has been on hiatus for a few weeks now, etc. Those things are what we know we need to do, but often cannot bring ourselves to sit down and do it.

As scary as these periods can be, they happen to all of us eventually, writers, signers, dancers. The film "Kiki's Delivery Service" by Studio Ghibli covers this topic as the main character Kiki leaves to go study on her own in her journey to become a witch. During this time, she actually loses her powers to fly and communicate with her cat, Jiji. It is through meeting an artist who explains to her the creative process and state of flow, when our minds are at their best, that she is finally able to understand and eventually, regains her abilities (to some extent).

This to me is the difference between a block and a burnout in artists and writers, or more simply put:

Block = desire to create, just not sure WHAT to create
Burnout = no desire or inability to create, but ideas/tasks are present often with the anxiety associated with not getting the work done.



 

So, how can one overcome a burnout?

It depends on what is causing the burnout. Burnout can be caused by stress with life, or maybe trouble at work or school is impacting the creative flow. Have you gone through a traumatic event recently? Are you too busy and have just not enough time to work, and the idea that your stack of commissions waiting for you is psyching you out?

Humans are creative and emotional, and for many, creativity flows through our emotions. If emotions are unbalanced or unchecked for too long, it can impact that creative flow. So here are some things that have been able to help me and others get out of a burnout and start recovering:

1. Take a REAL break. It might seem odd to take a break when you already aren’t creating, but if you have been creating for too long, maybe burning the candle at both ends, this could be a valid solution. Give yourself a set timeframe and activities you still enjoy filling that time frame and keeping you occupied. Maybe a new game, a new show, a new hobby, something completely different than before. It isn’t said enough, but RESTING is being productive. We are not meant to produce constantly.
2. If you’ve already tried that, or don’t feel that needing a break is the issue, I would intentionally try to be creative in a different way. Most of us here make comics, why not try to paint, carve, sculpt? Maybe do some animation? Maybe try some music making with some free music-making software? If you are an artist, try writing. If you are a writer, try drawing.
   
   By doing what we know we love, being creative, in a different way, it allows our brains to form new neural pathways, to learn and play. We can be “bad at something” and it’s ok because we are new at that something. It takes all pressure off of us and just lets us be “new” to something again, going back to the pure state of enjoyment of the thing we are doing at that moment.
3. Sometimes we really struggle in a way that isn't about learning to be more playful, but we're really going through something deep. It's easy to feel alone as an artists, it can be a solitary life at times, so seeking out connection is critical.

Life is hard, and being creative constantly is hard too. It takes a toll on the creative reservoir that we have. Like any real life reservoir, the levels can be low, the pipes can get clogged, and sometimes, we have no idea what is wrong, but it’s obviously NOT working right. These might not work for everyone and it nowhere near an exhaustive list. What have you done in the past that's helped you?

As always, feel free to leave a comment if you need help or have questions. Take it easy everyone and we'll see you next week with another article!

Here's a list of all the artists featured today for my images and where you can find them:

• This is Fine from Gunshow Comics - KC Green
• Yellow Scream by Kim Beom - Original Article by Walker Art
• Are ya Drawing Son - Know Your Meme Variant (origins unknown)
• Sarah Anderson - "Sarah's Scribbles"
• Hannah Hillam - Twitter / Instagram
• Danielle Pioli Art

- ArtCrumbs and the GlobalComix Team