The grief of creative burnout

Those of you who have been following me for a while will know that I’ve been wrestling with burnout recently. Or maybe I have recently accepted that I’m wrestling with burnout. I think I’ve been burnt (or burning) out for a long time. I just haven’t wanted to admit it. But lately it’s reached a stage that I can’t ignore. Like someone in denial about a pregnancy, the bump has grown way beyond anything I can pass off as indigestion.

But it’s not easy to accept that you’re in a state of burnout. Not just for all the reasons society forces on us—internalised ableism, shame, the idea that our productivity is indicative of our value—but also because there’s a kind of grief that comes with being in a state of burnout. It involves the loss of so much of who you are. Of what brings you joy. As a creative, burnout has a substantial impact on your ability and drive to make your art. Sometimes it can feel like it’s been taken away forever.

And if you’re an artist, who are you if you can’t make your art?

This article is taken from Issue 2 of Creative Fix magazine. To read the full piece, you can subscribe for £5 per month or £50 per year. Or you can buy this individual issue as a one-off PDF for £6.