December 1, 2021
Earlier this year, I creatively burned out in a major way. And what's wild is I hadn't really seen it coming until it smacked me in the face.
8 months ago I realized I had burned out—my creativity had gone up in flames. I was exhausted and every time I sat down to make something I felt an impending sense of dread. Have you ever tried being creative from a place of dread? Let's just say it's not great.
It's tricky when you make a living off of the thing that you feel is such a massive representation of who you are. Often times those two motivations are at odds with one another. Make a living OR make art that represents who you are? There is a sweet spot where you CAN do both but sometimes it feels like the most delicate balance to accomplish.
So, I quietly stopped making new work. For the better part of this year I did anything BUT make new work. I poured all my energy into other things, playtime with my family, reading, listening to music, watching documentaries.
I gave myself permission to REST and recharge. And then in almost the same way that the burnout slammed into me the creativity came bursting back.
I have more ideas and more excitement about my work than I've had in years. And I just have to say, it feels really really good to be where I'm at right now.