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When exhaustion takes over and motivation disappears, how do you find your way back? The Creative Boom community share their best advice.
Welcome to the latest in our agony aunt series, Dear Boom. This week’s dilemma strikes a chord with something painfully familiar to many in our industry. A creative writes: “I don’t feel like myself any more. I’m tired all the time. Proper tired. Even when I’m not working, I feel drained. This year has been so tough that it’s slipped into something darker. I’m not making much. I’m not motivated. Some days I can’t face my own work at all. It feels like burnout… or worse. Is there any hope when you’ve got nothing left in the tank?”
When we asked our community this question on Instagram, the responses came flooding in. Clearly, this person isn’t alone. And honestly? That’s not hugely surprising.
It’s no secret that burnout’s become an epidemic in the creative industries, intensified by economic uncertainty, the relentless pace of digital culture, and the pressure to constantly produce. But is there a way back? Our community had plenty to say about that…
Recognising the reality
The first step towards recovery is acknowledging what’s happening. Graphic designer Robert Coker puts it succinctly. “I feel like I spend most of my year in burnout,” he reveals. “But as clichéd as it may sound, things always get better.
“In my case, it’s usually down to not getting enough air and taking too much on,” he continues. “So it’s good to say no once in a while, and try to focus on getting some time away from the screen. I’ve found that as soon as I take the pressure off myself, good things happen. Touch grass. Rub a dog.”
Creative director Zoë Hitchen takes a similar line. “Let yourself be slow,” she suggests. “Let yourself be different to who you were before. Hope isn’t loud at first; it’s more like a pilot light. Give yourself gentler conditions, and it will grow again. There is a way back, but you don’t get out of burnout by pushing harder.”
First steps
First things first, though. At the outset, it’s worth checking you are actually suffering from burnout, because it could be something else. As brand designer Kayleigh Hall suggests: “Some deficiencies can mimic this feeling. So before you do anything else, go and get a full blood count to check that this isn’t a clinical issue.”
Once you’ve ruled out a medical cause, Kayleigh says it’s time to speak with someone—a coach, therapist, or creative friend—to unpack where your burnout is coming from. “Is it dissatisfaction with your job or a particular project? Are you working with clients that are draining you?”
Illustrator Leah Han adds that above all, you need to be honest with yourself. “For me, the key to handling burnout is admitting it,” she stresses. “Don’t blame yourself or call yourself lazy. Just accept it with kindness.” You also need to permit yourself to rest. “Even one day away from work won’t ruin your career; I always tell myself this,” she stresses. “Take a proper break, watch a film, do something you feel comfortable and relaxed. Just let the mind breathe. It truly helps.”
Change of scene
But what if you’ve done all that, and you still can’t get back into work mode? For some, the solution lies in changing direction rather than stopping entirely. For instance, illustrator Kasia Kozakiewicz found relief by switching mediums.
“Usually I work in digital, but then I went for lino printing workshops,” she recalls. “Now I have a beautiful medium I really enjoy and can totally switch off. Drawing challenges also help because it’s the work I can create for myself, not for someone else.”
This approach highlights an important distinction: the difference between creating for clients and creating for yourself. When all your creative energy goes into fulfilling others’ briefs, burnout becomes almost inevitable. Conversely, having a creative outlet that’s purely yours can be highly restorative.
Creative director Ryan McCann, meanwhile, found it was physical activity that helped shake him out of mental paralysis. “Two things, apart from rest, have helped me,” he explains. One was signing up for a shift as a host at his coworking space. “Being physically occupied making coffee and loading the dishwasher, rather than doomscrolling, shook me out of my feelings of lethargy and mental overwhelm.”
Secondly, he started a creative storytelling project. “I am passionate about it,” he enthuses. “It doesn’t make money, but it is already bringing me into contact with new people, which often leads to work. Plus, the act of doing what I love is giving me my spark back.”
Kate L Ross adds, “I’m currently experiencing burnout, and what typically helps me is grace and education. I give myself grace for not being productive, creative, or motivated. And I throw myself into learning something completely new, something that disrupts my brain pattern. For me, it’s studying particle physics and quantum mechanics, learning about our universe and the incredible theories that explain it. I find the subject fascinating, and it typically jumpstarts my creative brain again after a few weeks.”
Small steps forward
You don’t always need to make a big change to turn the corner, though. Sometimes it will be a combination of little things. Artist Sevgi Merve Aksu reels off a list of things that might help. “Get rid of the pressure of productivity: just do something where you enjoy the process. Get in touch with people who feel the same. Go to another city for a couple of days to refresh your mind. Don’t let the same destructive thoughts freeze your mind. Even if you don’t want to do anything, just remember many people experience the same thing, and just take a walk.”
Photographer Richard Chambury outlines the three things that worked for him personally. “Firstly, meditation. As soon as I open my eyeballs, I focus on breathing for 10-15 minutes. Secondly, turn all digital notifications off, and limit email. Tell those closest to you to call if it’s a life emergency. Thirdly, walk anywhere outside for under 30 minutes, looking at the sky throughout.”
Illustrator and artist Lennart Menkhaus adds some simple but effective advice. “Try not to overthink too much,” he says. “Clear your head by moving around and doing things that distract you. If you keep thinking even more about everything that burdens you, it usually won’t get any better.”
Conclusion
Ultimately, burnout isn’t a sign of weakness or failure; it’s a signal that something in your working life needs to change. Whether that change is taking a day off, seeking medical help, switching clients, learning something new or making a big life change will vary from person to person. But what’s clear from our community’s responses is that recovery is possible. It might not be quick. It might not be linear. But hope, that small pilot light, can reignite.
Remember, the creatives who shared their experiences here have one thing in common: they’ve all been through it and come out the other side. Some made small adjustments. Others overhauled their entire lives. But they’re all still creating.
If you’re in the depths of burnout right now, remember: this feeling won’t last forever. So take the pressure off. Be kind to yourself. Check your physical health. Seek professional help if you need it. Try switching mediums, changing scenery, or learning something completely new. Give yourself permission to rest without guilt.
Above all, remember that rest is productive. Your creative voice isn’t gone; it’s just resting. And when you create the right conditions—gentle, patient, kind conditions—it will return.
