Burnout or Creative Rut?

Have you ever felt your creativity tank, and what starts off as a good makeup idea (or any idea for that matter) turns out to be a trainwreck in the end? Honestly, I occasionally experience this, but it was incessant during the end of 2022 and at the beginning of 2023 following my cross-country move. Some days I felt like I got lucky because I created something that I was relatively pleased with, regardless of the flaws. But as February approached, my looks continued to get worse and worse until I finally had to take a step back and reflect. I needed to figure out if I was experiencing a creative rut or an altogether burnout.

Are you doing too much?

I know I am. That's kinda my thing. Cranking out content while you're working a full-time job, going to school, raising children, or trying to start your own business, (the list goes on) can be exhausting. I'm no stranger to putting more on my plate than I should be eating. I do have a full-time job. I'm also a cat mom to 10, working on a dark fantasy novel series with my husband, an urban gardener, and am trying to launch my small business Shopcorpsicle, all while having my hands in a bunch of fun collaborations with my friends on Instagram. I shift my time from project to project but constantly overload myself with fun and daring makeup themes. Soon enough, it became evident that I couldn't always create what I wanted to.

What is a creative rut?

A creative rut is a period of time when you feel stuck or blocked from your creative works. You may struggle to come up with new ideas, feel uninspired or unmotivated, or find it hard to churn out anything you're happy with. The stresses of your daily life, like work, school, and unbalanced time, can facilitate a creative rut and make you feel uninspired, bored, or drained.

So, are you in a creative rut, or are you really just burning yourself out?

Both a creative rut and full-blown burnout are related, but very distinct experiences. It's important to know that a creative rut is only a temporary block that affects your creative output. A burnout, however, is a more severe experience that tends to affect several aspects of your life. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, overwork, or a lack of balance between work and proper rest. Not only can burnout lead to feelings of apathy, disconnection, and negativity, but it can also manifest physically in symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and insomnia. Do any of these hit home for you? They sure did for me.

I normally have a high level of output because of my “do all the things” complex, and each month I challenge myself by adding even more to my schedule, thinking I can manage it. It takes me a while to know that I'm experiencing burnout, especially when I'm doing makeup because the application is usually very relaxing to me. Nearing the end of February, I struggled to find satisfaction in what I did. And when I take my shots, my face tells me right away that I'm simply going through the motions.

What solution works for both a creative rut and burnout?

Rest. Proper rest, that is. And my friend, let me tell you, I am not the resting type. For example, when I have no choice but to lie down on days I have bad period cramps, I complain not because of the pain, but because I feel like I'm wasting the day. Thus, I find it hard to deal with creative burnout because I am physically able to complete a task. It's just frustrating to know that my mental state dictates my output, resulting in more misses than hits in the long run.

In hindsight, I feel that if I wouldn't have been so stubborn and instead paused to take a breath or two more, I wouldn't have been so disappointed in what I created. Not only that, but my time would have been better spent, and I wouldn't have required so much downtime in order to recover. Take it from me, if you're feeling like you might be overworking yourself, rest, reflect, and recalibrate before you burn yourself out altogether.

Until next time!