Creativity Feedback Loops (And Their Impact on Mental Health for Creators)

May 25, 2022

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Creator or not, we’ve all experienced burnout to some degree. You throw yourself into a side passion or new business and before you know it, you’re struggling to stay motivated and downright exhausted. While the feeling is familiar, many of us are less familiar with what leads to burnout besides simply “overworking”, how long it takes to bounce back from burnout, and the best ways to rest and recover.

As creators, burnout is often exacerbated by the constant feedback we receive, positive or otherwise. Listening to a never-ending loop of opinions about everything you create is enough to exhaust the toughest among us. But are there ways to combat the inevitable commentary that comes with being a public creator? And how can you recharge without falling back into burnout the moment you start working again?

In this episode, Charli, Haley, and Miguel discuss the recent ConvertKit article, Creativity Feedback Loops, outlining why creators face an uphill battle with burnout, how some creators are addressing feedback burnout head-on, the plus side to frequent feedback, the right way to rest, and what creators should consider before monetizing their passion.

Key Takeaways

[00:27] - Have you heard?
- [00:37] - ConvertKit just released a report entitled State Of The Creator Economy 2022 that covers a holistic overview of the creator economy, including data and statistics on creator types, status, gender distribution, monetization, and more.
- [02:32] - Twitter has created a space for “super followers” only.
- [04:14] - The co-hosts of the podcast Reply All are leaving Gimlet, a podcast network that was recently acquired by Spotify. They’re not the first podcast hosts to leave post-acquisition.
[08:26] - Today’s main topic: Creativity Feedback Loops.
- [09:29] - Online feedback is ruthlessly honest. While difficult to swallow, it can be incredibly constructive.
- [10:51] - Data shows that Gen Z creators in particular are expecting kindness from their followers more than ever before. In fact, Gen Z creators are choosing their platform based on said platform’s enforcement of respectful comments.
- [12:26] - While negative feedback can be helpful, it can also be the thing that tips you over the edge and propels you into burnout.
- [13:55] - Burnout isn’t something you recover from quickly – so it’s important to be mindful of how you’re working and how often you’re giving yourself a break.
- [15:31] - As a creator, ideas are your currency. To keep the ideas flowing, you have to prioritize rest. In other words, resting is investing in your business.
- [17:24] - Having a full-time job takes the pressure off living and breathing your craft 24-7 just to survive.
- [18:58] - Balance means something different to everybody. You have to figure out what works for you.
- [21:01] - Learning to say no can save you from burnout.
- [24:03] - Intellectual burnout can be just as challenging for creators as physical burnout.
- [24:38] - The idea of monetizing creativity in itself induces burnout.
- [25:56] - You have to go into life as a creator with the clear understanding that creativity is a business. The business side of monetization is incredibly draining for some. To avoid burnout, consider outsourcing those aspects of your life.
- [28:10] - Sometimes you have to walk away from something good to avoid burnout.
[30:37] - Today’s listener shoutout: Melanie is a video creator currently working on a documentary series on her YouTube channel. She recently posted her 11th episode.
[31:47] - Craft & Commerce 2022 is coming up! The first live conference since Covid began.
[34:11] - A quick sneak peek at next week’s episode.

Quotes

[14:28] - “It can take weeks, months, or even years to really recover from burnout depending on how burnt out you are and what sort of situation is waiting for you after whatever break that you take. So you have to be really mindful about setting yourself up for success when you take those breaks.” ~ @miguelp.img

[16:38] - “Having rest when you're burnt out versus having rest as margin for yourself to give space to relax and have ideas are two very different stages of being. You’re not going to get the ideas when you’re burnt out – that’s your recovery time.” ~ @charliprangley

[26:02] - “You have to go into the creator world, if you’re looking to monetize your creativity, with the understanding and realization that being a creator is a business. So if you don’t have all of those business inputs figured out, then you’re really going to struggle [with burnout].” ~ @haleyjani

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