5 Ways to Overcome Creative Malaise
“Creativity is a wild mind with a disciplined eye” (Jon Acuff).
Creative burnout is a dismal affair. It’s defeating and can sometimes lead to an extended rut. Things like overstimulation or chronic stress can make it impossible to focus and can lead to a sense of acedia. But the creative malaise can also come without any clear reason: One day, we are on fire, and the next, we are consumed by a listless fog.
Instead of letting malaise dictate our approach, there are concrete steps we can take to power through and even overcome creative burnout.
“In order to cure a feeling of malaise, you have to throw light on it” (Antoine de Saint-Exupery).
1. Touch Grass
It’s so easy to slip into creative burnout if we are consumers of social media, news, and noise. We stuff our heads with endless prattle in a way that actually makes us deaf to the promptings of creativity.
Get outside. Go for a walk. Sit in nature. Watch the sunrise.
Start your mornings soaking up sunlight or getting fresh air. Limit your screen time as much as possible. Often, the relentless noise is simply that: noise. It can become so loud that we aren’t able to think or focus, and hence we slip into a feeling of being woefully uninspired. Go be in nature—God’s grandeur is all around you.
2. Become a Student
There is so much you don’t know! Tap into new outlets, maybe by reading history, baking, or exploring different cultures. Go to the library, sit outside, and learn.
Remind yourself that it’s easy to get trapped in a rut, especially if you are embracing tunnel vision. Leaning into a new topic as a novice might inspire you in your own line of work. What can baking teach you about being an artist? What can etiquette teach you about leadership? How can different cultural traditions inspire your writing?
Instead of being the expert who’s used up her creativity, become the novice, embrace humility, and learn anew.
3. Exercise
Get moving!
Take care of your health, and don’t allow a season of burnout to tempt you into slothful living. If you need a cozy day of tea and comfort movies, get up the next day, move your body, and eat well.
Taking care of yourself will make you feel more alert and clear-headed and teach you discipline, which is essential to coming through a season of malaise. The temptation is to give up may be strong, but it is your cue to lean into methodical work. Don’t do yourself the disservice of only taking care of yourself when you are in a season of abundance. When things feel hard, keep showing up.
4. Set a Timer
Designate a certain time for creative work, and give yourself strict parameters. Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike, lean into the methodical balm of rhythmic structure. This way, you are training yourself to focus, work hard, and put distractions aside.
We live in such a heavily distracted culture, and the wonders that a timer can work are magical.
5. Keep Praying
Give your work to God by anchoring yourself in prayer. Our creative gifts are gifts from God, so it’s essential to include Him in our endeavors.
We can also ask for the help of our guardian angels. I like to ask mine to point out topics I may be missing or to help me formulate ideas. Our guardian angels are our dearest friends, and they are ready to assist us in our work, especially when we aim to give glory to God.
“Where there is chance of gain, there is also chance of loss. Whenever one courts great happiness, one also risks malaise” (Walker Percy).
God has given you talents. Use them! Know that in doing so, there will be so many temptations to give up. You may undergo unbelievably arid seasons. However, they are no reason to quit.
It’s easy to mistake inspiration for productivity—to believe that our emotional whims dictate our ability to produce. But this is a pernicious lie determined to keep us stuck. Productivity is found in consistency, in showing up and staying committed. It’s the Madeline way of life that proudly asserts, “‘Rain or shine, at half-past nine,’ I will be working away.”
It takes interior discipline to overcome malaise, but things like sunshine, intentional movement, and prayer are powerful tools you have in your arsenal.
Ann Burns is the founder of The Feminine Project, an organization dedicated to restoring the joy of womanhood. She is a writer and speaker, and strives to uphold what is truly good and beautiful. Most of all, she is a wife and mother, and loves to share the joy in living each day well.