Burnout & Remedy

People who do independent and skill-heavy creative work such as art often have bad mental health. We experience a lot of art burnout, which is ironic given that we chose this path because we love it. The truth is, our passion is part of the fuel for this problem. Here are a list of remedies for burnout that I've compiled through personal experience and things I consume.

Mental

1. Reframe your worth. My self worth is tied to the quality of work I produce. Which is a good thing on a good day as I feel pumped to draw for 10 hours straight. On a bad day, I just stagnate and scroll instagram for 10 hours. It's important to remember that good you and bad you are the same you, and that you should love them equally.

2. Remove expectation and trust the process. Often I feel like a piece of shit when I create something that looks worse than all the professional paintings I consume on social media. It's important to know that progress happens gradually, not instantly.

3. Start a new project. Sometimes one piece of painting doesn't work out after many hours. Start a new piece with a fresh mind, you can always come back to things later.

External

1. Socialize. It is important to connect with other people. Connecting with others, just like creation, helps resolve existential crises.

2. Read. Reading is fundamental to expanding your complexities in thinking and creating, it improves the depth and universality of your work and is a rather effortless activity.

3. Eat well. Eating too much ultra-processed foods and added sugar can rewire your brain to addictive behaviors. They also fog up your brain. Cooking yourself is also a great restful activity

4. Exercise. We all need to move around. Going to the gym is a great way to feel effort & improvement & physical wellness, and gives you lots of dopamine.