055 - Tips for Breaking Through Creative Burnout
February is typically a difficult month for most people in Canada. It's cold and dark and snowy, and we've been hibernating for a little while now. At this point in February, a lot of people seem to be missing their get up and go. I know I am right now. I got hit with a pretty interesting week that will leave me laid up for a while. I was diagnosed with a blood clot in my left leg after excruciating pain for about five days. This means blood thinners for at least the next three months and lots of rest until the pain in my calf subsides, and I can walk properly again. Then, since this is my second random clot with no discernable reason, there is a chance I'll be on blood thinners the rest of my life. Which is an interesting thing to think about… so anyway… Interesting week for me, to say the least. All this sitting and resting gives me time to think about some things that I usually don't. Primarily because when I'm not shooting or working, I'm typically running, working out or just out exploring. I don't really stop. This injury has forced me to stop and slow down and has given me some time to look at my own creativity. And to think about the past times that I've hit creative burnouts.
They happen to every creative occasionally, and they happen more than most would admit. So, while I've been stuck on the couch, I was thinking about what gets me to break through a burnout phase. And I wanted to share some of what has worked for me with you today.
So, let's get right into it.
Put the Camera Away
The first thing that I do is actually to put my camera away and stop forcing it.
If I'm feeling creatively burnt out, my gut reaction is to try to force myself to shoot through it. That it'll just come back to me if I keep shooting. That is never the case. Now, if I have a paid gig, then, of course, my camera is coming out. But, in my downtime or time when I would typically go and create, I decide against photography. And I'll go for a walk with my wife, go out hiking with no gear, just get out of the house with no intentions of shooting and just intending to experience the world around me. This typically helps to reset everything because there is no pressure to create, just a chance to relax and be in the moment.
Take Breaks while you Work
Find time for breaks while you are working.
If you're in the middle of a shoot and struggling or editing and struggling. Take a quick break (this is easier on some shoots than others, I know. But if you can, it could really help). There are a ton of studies that show even a 20-minute walk outside or on a treadmill stimulates your brain's creative functions, which in a creative field is so awesome! I try to make sure I step away from my computer every half hour or so for two minutes to give my eyes a small break. Every few hours, I take a longer half-hour break and do nothing screen related or brain intensive. For me, this typically means going for a walk or a quick run or doing a workout. For you, it can be whatever helps your brain feel reset and ready to go. But these breaks are essential to your creativity and productivity.
If you're on a shoot and can't take very long, try to get at least a couple of minutes. I always structure in a point where I get everyone to drink some water, and I go over to my bag, clean my lens or do something else that involves little to no thinking for just two minutes. This allows my brain to reset and to be able to get back to crafting new images. Plus, it gives everyone a little bit of downtime, and your clients will likely love that as they had the opportunity to breathe, and everyone can come back happy and refreshed.
Do Something Else Creative
Another thing I do is to pick up something else creative.
I find sometimes I need to get my creative juices flowing through other creative activities outside of photography. This gets my brain doing creative things without having to force it to take photos. One night, I had a product shoot to do but couldn't get myself into it, so instead, I sat and drew for about an hour until something struck me. So, I draw frequently (it makes for a great wind-down before bed) to get myself feeling creative. And your thing doesn't have to be drawing. You could try knitting, woodworking, painting, adult colouring books, home decor, pretty much anything that feels creative to you that is unrelated to your work and your photography.
Personal Projects
Pick a new personal project.
Sometimes we can manufacture a creative rut for ourselves by shooting the same type of things repeatedly. If you see yourself always taking landscape photos or portraits or whatever, and they are starting to feel tedious, you are likely creating a rut. And this will lead very quickly to burnout. To avoid this, try choosing a personal project to capture photos of. Think like a photojournalist telling a story. What story around you do you want to tell. Look for something that has meaning to you and your life and try to capture it. One of my personal projects is capturing hints of famous Calgary places that I feel still tell you what that space is, but it isn't apparent. It's more like abstract travel photography. This is a total diversion from what I usually shoot, so it really challenges me as a photographer to create worthwhile shots. And it gives me a unique perspective on a city I know incredibly well. For another example, I had a friend in the UK who was doing this really cool project with his town's museum. They recaptured old images of the community and its architecture based on old photographs and drawings. This isn't that unusual in itself to recreate an old photograph today to show the difference in a place and how it has changed (or not). So, what he did to make this his project was to do it all with silver plate photography using a restored camera from the 1800s. This made for such an exciting display, to see the original shots (lots of them on silver plates) beside a modern picture on a silver plate.
So, think outside the standard storytelling box. And don't be worried about if it will look good on Instagram or anything like that. You may never share this project with anyone. What's important is that it will inspire your creativity.
Create a Community
Reach out to other creatives
One of the hardest things about being a photographer can be the amount of time you spend working alone or working with other people who don't understand the craft. I know I spend a ton of my year sitting behind a computer on my own editing and writing. Sometimes, I just need to talk to another photographer or get together with someone and go shooting together. Obviously, doing that right now may be a bit dicey depending on where you live and the various restrictions. But even just reaching out and having a conversation with a fellow creative can really help break the photography-block and get you back to crafting. So, try reaching out to someone, and if you don't have any fellow creatives in your sphere, change that. Reach out via Instagram or Facebook to someone in your area and build up a connection.
Read Photobooks
I offer this last piece of advice with some reservations, so take it as you will. But go and read a photography book or two or three. Not one that will teach you something but one that is using photos to tell you something. And don't just flip through it, but take time to absorb each of the images in it. What was that photographer conveying? Why did they choose to use precious book space to include that image? How does it make you feel? Take time to understand those images. This can be a spectacular way to break through a creative barrier and see what other people are crafting and how. I love to look at photos from totally different photographers than I am but who still capture similar subjects and see how they are doing it. Most times, this helps me see new creative angles on the world.
Now, the reservation I have with this suggestion is simple. There are certainly times when I am not enjoying what I'm producing, and looking at other people's work can make me feel worse about my own. So, if that starts happening to you. Stop looking at the books. Comparing yourself isn't learning; it's just torture. Step back and try one of the other avenues suggested here and come back to this one when you feel more confident again.
And that's it! Those are some of the things I do when I feel my creativity waning, and I need to avoid that burnout (or break out of it). Do you have anything you do? Let me know on Instagram @RobertMasseyPhotography.
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