overcoming creative burnout

A Question and Answer Session with Tera . . . August, 1998.

Q: I really want to be working right now but I just can't get myself to do it! Any suggestions?

A: Creative burn out often happens when we aren't inspired by our goals. If you decide you want to go on a trip, it is hard to pack unless you know whether you are going to Alaska or Florida, right? Similarly, we have to have a vision of what we are trying to accomplish in order to get ourselves moving.

Q: I don't really think of my art as being goal-oriented. I just want to improve and sell my work.

A: Well, wanting to improve and sell your work are goals! If your goals aren't specific enough (like saying I'm going on a trip but not specifying the place), it is hard to become excited or to know HOW to get to them. When that happens, you burn out.

If you want to conquer burnout, you have to give yourself a goal that inspires you to act.

Q. I guess I'm not inspired enough to sit down and write out goals!

A. LOL. Well then, you DO have a problem! Sometimes when we think about creating goals, we think of a very laborious process. Perhaps you should instead think of it as a "to do" list. Make a list of the projects you NEED to do, and ones you'd LIKE to do. You might be working on something to submit to a magazine, for example. You might like to do something for yourself.

Another good way to get inspiration is to take a class with someone that is NOT burnt out. Passion is contagious. A class with an artist that is fulfilling their creative destiny can be the spark to get you back on track.

Q: That makes sense. Do you really have a list of creative goals?

A: Well, I have several lists of goals. I believe in constantly changing course based upon new information. When you drive a car, you are constantly moving the wheel slightly left and right, even on a "straight" road to adjust for the bumps in the road and the subtle curves. I would say I have some very broad creative goals for myself. There are many routes to get to a destination. I like to give myself rough goals and then short-term goals that I think will lead me in that direction.

Something that is important in my own life is that I try to sit down with myself quarterly and not only look at where I am going but to acknowledge the good things that have happened. I don't consider a discarded goal to be a failure, I consider it a saved step in my ultimate journey towards my long-term goals.

There is no doubt that you can get too wrapped up in goals. Have you ever gone on vacation with someone that had so many places they needed to go that they didn't enjoy themselves? They get so caught up in timetables and visiting hours that they forget to stop and smell the roses. Life is like that too. Goals should be a lighthouse guiding you but you should always remember that there are other destinations and more than one chance at getting there.

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