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I was looking back at some of the things I made last year and I remembered how burnt out I was. These little time-lapse gifs from my move were the first thing I felt happy making in months.
(Thread reflecting on mental/creative health)
(Thread reflecting on mental/creative health)
I don’t really publicly say anything on Twitter about personal struggles, but it deserves some light.
The biggest issue for me was stress overwhelming my ability to think creatively. Anything of any creative value requires a clear head and time.
The biggest issue for me was stress overwhelming my ability to think creatively. Anything of any creative value requires a clear head and time.
I should say also that working in sports is a great privilege and I do have a huge amount of respect for the people who grind and do it right. I’d just like to share my experiences and open the door to talk.
It’s hard to summarize what led to me getting worn down creatively. Lots of little factors can add up over time. It got to a point where I knew the best thing for me if I wanted to continue working in sports for a long time was actually to take a pause from working in sports.
So, Last year, while a lot of people were getting laid off I felt super guilty for quitting my job to work on my mental and creative health. I can’t even begin to state how grateful I am that I was in a position to do that.
I moved back home to South Dakota in search of a way to sustain creativity in the long-term. I had time to reflect and process my experiences in sports. Since my goals originally were to just work in sports, it was easy to lose motivation once I got to that point.
The big struggle in finding what I wanted to do next was taking the necessary time to recharge creatively. I know a lot of people often say the only way past a creative block is through it. For me this time I needed to take the time and build over it.
While of course the world didn’t magically stop, I was able to plan when I stepped back. There were so many great benefits to slowing down and setting up something that worked better for me as a creative. The experiences I’ve had in the past 6 or so months have been incredible.
At the end of the day I’m just happier without dedicating 75% of my time awake to grinding creatively. You can have all the love in the world for what you do and still wear down. There’s nothing wrong with that you just need a break.
We’re all human. As easy as some make it look, it’s damn near impossible to bring that energy every day. You’re going to hit a wall every now and again and I just hope your environment and support system can help you build over it.
