Remedy to Creative Burn Out

[zenmaldita]

Let's say you've been drawing, writing, doing creative work for days, weeks, months...and suddenly you can't do it anymore. Your skills reset to that of a 3 year old, your motivation has gone down the drain or both!

What do you do to refresh yourself?

Do you take walks, a short vacation, maybe treat yourself to a nice snack? What's your go-to remedy to replenish your creativity?

 

[Mach]

Writer here. I do a variety things when I lose motivation, depending on the situation. You named a few of them already.

Walks help a lot in that much of the time I write about settings I'm familiar with, so I take the opportunity to "scout out" locations for details and search for some inspiration along the way. I'll write down things I see or think in my pocket notebook.

I try to avoid snacking while writing and brainstorming unless I haven't eaten. Cooking for meals does help me relax and I've had some of my greatest breakthrough in writing while cooking, funnily enough.

My main go-to for regaining motivation and inspiration is that I imagine what I want most from the project I'm working on and focus on how I what I'm currently doing can help achieve that endgame. I also spitball ideas on a massive paper easel I keep just for plotting and random ideas.

If there's anything you want me clarify or I haven't answered your question, please let me know. :3

 

[zenmaldita]

Walks help a lot in that much of the time I write about settings I'm familiar with, so I take the opportunity to "scout out" locations for details and search for some inspiration along the way. I'll write down things I see or think in my pocket notebook.

I used to do this a lot when I was living in Singapore and then Melbourne :3c
now not so much.

anyways I took a nap and then ate chocolate after uvu I think I can go on again
sometimes you just need a "reset"

 

[Inkblooded]

i don't refresh myself. i just cry

 

[Deleted member 111470]

I'm a photography enthusiast person or whatever. When I hit a "creative block" I don't force myself to push through it as it will only make things worse. I instead stop photography altogether and do something else. I usually space out playing games or watching random stuff on the internet.

Seems to work for me.

 

[Mach]

I used to do this a lot when I was living in Singapore and then Melbourne :3c
now not so much.

anyways I took a nap and then ate chocolate after uvu I think I can go on again
sometimes you just need a "reset"

I'm glad you got out of your funk.

 

[Norros_]

It happens with me every half of the year

Сhecking my favorite artists updates helps me to back on track sometimes

But usually it doesn’t

 

[SevenArms]

Artist and designer here and been there a lot! But I can't afford to stop because creativity is everything in my day job, and art is all of my second job XD

Since I can't take a long rest, what I usually do is a small changes to "reset" my mind. Like listening to a different type of music: if I've been listening pop all week I change to metal; if I get titred of music I put on an audiobook. If the sketch doesn't came out digitally, I change to my sketchbook; if I'm struggling with a pencil I switch it for a pen, or if I have time, directly with watercolor to play with the color pallete. Brainstorming is another thing: writing down everything, no matter how dumb, random or silly it sounds, is good to just putting everything out of the brain. Taking a break to go to the store for coffee/juice and walk a little at the same time also helps a lot

And when I can afford a day off, the thing I like most is to forget everything about art!! I try to get out with friends all day. If that's not possible (because adult life get in the way of many of us) movies and knitting helps me a lot to just relax, and charge new batteries for the week

 

[zenmaldita]

I can't afford to stop because creativity is everything in my day job, and art is all of my second job XD

BIG MOOD

if I've been listening pop all week I change to metal; if I get titred of music I put on an audiobook. If the sketch doesn't came out digitally, I change to my sketchbook; if I'm struggling with a pencil I switch it for a pen, or if I have time, directly with watercolor to play with the color pallete.

Ah yes I've done these thinking I was just a random person going for random things but it actually makes sense. You're still doing creative work but in different ways to...intrigue your mind -- tricking it that it's something new when you've been working at the same thing for days hahaha
after listening to all music genres known to man I found listening to GOT's lore, podcasts, audiobooks etc. helped me focus. It was weird cos I was listening to them with much attention and curiosity but was painting at the same time xD

 

[Mach]

Another thing I do to get inspiration is that I read books for research into what I'm writing about. This usually gets me thinking about new aspects of a plot device or setting I might be using and if I have writer's block, it is easier to read and take a break doing something that will advance my storytelling. I often play music while I write as well. 65daysofstatic is my current fav while I'm penning.

 

[SevenArms]

BIG MOOD

Ah yes I've done these thinking I was just a random person going for random things but it actually makes sense. You're still doing creative work but in different ways to...intrigue your mind -- tricking it that it's something new when you've been working at the same thing for days hahaha
after listening to all music genres known to man I found listening to GOT's lore, podcasts, audiobooks etc. helped me focus. It was weird cos I was listening to them with much attention and curiosity but was painting at the same time xD

I can relate XD Once I listen the whole 2 seasons of the black tapes podcast without noticing it XD Is good to know I'm not the only one doing this "random" things to reset haha

 

[Saga]

It’s like when you can’t piss at a public urinal. You can’t force it, you just don’t think about it and maybe it’ll happen. Sometimes you have to walk away for a while. Sometimes you have a run a faucet, know what I mean? Probably not
The point is: take a break for a while

 

[Faesinged]

XD Why is the pissing in public thing so accurate?

Usually, when everything that comes out of my hand when I'm drawing makes a blank piece of paper look worse rather than better, I try to draw food instead. It's simpler than my regular fare, includes a bunch of basic shapes, and I can make it look shiny as all hell like they do in anime and it comes out looking delicious.

But if I just can't draw or write anymore, I'll go read or draw or play video games. Absorbing other people's work reminds me why I'm trying to make things in the first place, and often the books have no periphery distractions and give me a whole bunch of random plot ideas and, if I'm lucky, some inkling of how to continue the stories I've currently got in the works.

Also, I'm horrible at this thing, considering I have never once done it, but... if you have a random plot idea that happens in the future in your story and you're not there yet, just write it down. Make a note of it or just write the whole dang scene. You can edit it later. Just don't trust future you to remember; future you doesn't remember shit.

 

[CupOfChamomile]

What tends to help me the most is drawing dumb joke drawings. If I'm having issues with a drawing and getting frustrated, I like to hide all the layers, and make a new few layers over the top. I draw dumb horrible drawings that make me laugh. I send them to my pals and we all laugh at how horrible they are. There is something very relaxing and freeing about purposefully drawing something terrible and similar to what a 3 year old could draw. Then I turn those joke layers back on hidden, and it is much easier to get back into the flow of making the art.

Same with Mach, doing research really helps for when I'm in a writing funk! Especially when it is highly specific research about one small detail of the story.

 

[zenmaldita]

What tends to help me the most is drawing dumb joke drawings. If I'm having issues with a drawing and getting frustrated, I like to hide all the layers, and make a new few layers over the top. I draw dumb horrible drawings that make me laugh. I send them to my pals and we all laugh at how horrible they are. There is something very relaxing and freeing about purposefully drawing something terrible and similar to what a 3 year old could draw. Then I turn those joke layers back on hidden, and it is much easier to get back into the flow of making the art.

Same with Mach, doing research really helps for when I'm in a writing funk! Especially when it is highly specific research about one small detail of the story.

this is new! hahaha I'll give that one a go

 

[Deleted member 111470]

Oh I forgot to share this video last time. I think it offers fairly good advice:

 

[Nyashia]

I do really easy things like coloring pages or paint-by-numbers. It's relaxing.

 

[Aloof Floof]

I both write and draw. Usually, when I've lost the ability to do one at a high standard, I'm able to do the other. When I lose all creative push for both... I just take a break and focus on the real world for a while.
I'll do some study, answer some calculus equations... make myself feel good about my brain. Maybe do some small art studies and simple sketches.

After a week or two, I'm back with higher quality of art than prior