Getting out of a Creative Funk, Overwhelm, and Comparisonitis
Episode 492: Show Notes
Emylee is back from a much-needed break, but now she feels like she has forgotten how to do her job! Getting back into business mode with Boss Project is also different from returning to her side hustle, since the more creative tasks use another side of the brain. It got her thinking about overwhelm and taking breaks and thought it’s high time they did an episode on honoring your creative process. Abagail, on the other hand, is in the middle of a big house move and, as they both want to take a break over December, they find themselves in an interesting place. Abagail finds that, after a busy day, it is more relaxing and energizing to do something creative rather than vegging out on the couch. Once Emylee got back into her clay-making studio, she also had an idea for a pair of earrings she wanted to get out, surprising herself with creativity she didn’t even think she had at that point.
Listen on your favorite podcast player
If you feel like you lack creativity, feel overwhelmed, and get stuck comparing yourself with everybody else, this episode will help you navigate these ‘meh’ situations and get your creative fire going again! At the very least, you will walk away encouraged by the knowledge that others also go through dry spells. Tune in!
Knowing When Your Best Work Is Done
Even though a lot of Abagail’s work is creative, she does have a few rules for the kind of work she is willing to do at night. When the sun has set, for example, she won’t write or blog because she knows she can do it much faster in the morning with a clear mind. The other night she did a floral arrangement class, which was so great because it doesn’t require intense thinking and concentration. With the new house, she feels excited about the opportunities to be creative with the new “blank” spaces but, in other instances, she just feels like the decision is too big and permanent and she gets overwhelmed. Just take picking floors as an example: whatever you decide now is going to affect you for a really long time! When Emylee returned from her vacation, she decided to completely redo their main bathroom and paint everything the day they got back. It was a good segue for her to slowly get back into work mode without having to actually work. This made her excited again about color and creating beautiful things, so she was ready to start making earrings again the next night. When she returned to her Boss Project work, however, she felt like the day just kicked her butt. They had a lot coming up, had a new team member, and had to get everything organized (including shipping some earrings), so she wasn’t quite prepared for the first day back.
Do It Sooner Rather Than Later
Sometimes things that are not considered work still feel like work in certain seasons of our lives. Cooking can be something really creative but it can still feel like a chore when life is busy and we feel drained. We make things like this so big in our own heads and complain about having to do them, but it is best to just tackle them head-on! Most of the time it is not as bad as you think, so instead of wasting your time thinking about how badly you don’t want to be doing something, why not just get it done with. If you have done something before, chances are it won’t take you long to do it anyway. Since Abagail creates content on wellness for her clients, cooking can be something that takes care of two things simultaneously: she makes something healthy to eat while also getting content for her clients. Try to see the positives rather than the negatives.
The Importance of Showing Up the Same Way
Emylee knows that when she talks about her behind-the-scenes processes on Instagram Stories, she sells more earrings. Whenever she does something else, whatever it is, she immediately notices a drop in her sales. Abagail can get all up in her own head about posting images but then forgets to talk about her program, and then she also sees her sales slowing down. When you don’t show up in the same way, people notice, and you’ll see how it can affect your business. When you know something works, try to do as much of that as possible.
The Work-Life Blend and Understanding Your Headspace
Rather than aiming for a work-life balance, it’s more about creating a work-life blend, since it can be difficult to separate the two if you are in a certain line of business. When you are a creative person who also does creative work professionally, you cannot really draw a line between the two since they overlap all the time. We’ve done an episode about cycle-syncing your business where, at certain times in your cycle, you would be more productive at deep-thinking tasks while other times might be better for organizing, for example. It’s about making the most of the time you are in. Part of understanding the business line and the creative line is also understanding what headspace you are in right now. Something might not even feel like work when you are in the right frame of mind to do that task. Doing creative stuff is great for your audience, but the results are momentary, while doing the more hard-core business things don’t feel as good and they don’t get as much attention, but they are the things that move the business forward. It is about finding the balance in that. Whenever you find that there is resistance to you doing the thing you know you need to, ask yourself why that is and try to get to the truth – no surface-level excuses! Be honest with yourself.
For the Struggling Empaths Out There
When Abagail is struggling to be productive or get a task done, it is often because of where her mental health is at. When she is stressed or anxious, her productivity goes down the drain and she doesn’t take as good care of herself. Sometimes we know what will be good for us and get us back in the right mindset, but then we don’t do it. For the empaths like Abagail out there, you can apply White Angelica essential oil to literally create a barrier that stops you from absorbing other people’s energies and emotions to such a large extent. It can be difficult to run a business and do all the things while also struggling with your mental health. When you are suffering from depression and anxiety it can be very difficult to show up in the way you want to. Sometimes getting into something creative can also help you bounce back.
Mind the Moon and Weather
Emylee’s funk officially ended yesterday but she found many people were experiencing the same thing recently. Many creatives were having feelings of wanting to quit and doubting why they were doing what they were doing to begin with! There was comparisonitis and overwhelm everywhere in her circle (FYI: The moon was also crazy at this point). Abagail has experienced that not only the moon but also the weather affects how she feels. When the pressure changes, she gets migraines, for example, and when the weather quickly changes from hot to cold, her head feels like it’s going to explode. If you don’t feel good physically it is hard to do your job well. As a side note, Emylee recently did a follower cleanse on social when she started comparing herself to others. While she’s never had comparisonitis and imposter’s syndrome when it comes to Boss Project, her earring business is another story. She reckons it is because her earrings are a physical product that she makes.
Quote This
When you are creative and when you are a professional creative, I don’t think that line is hard and fast, and I don’t think it can be. It’s not about work-life balance, it’s about creating a work-life blend.
Highlights
Knowing When Your Best Work Is Done. [0:08:08.1]
Do It Sooner Rather Than Later. [0:11:27.1]
The Importance of Showing Up the Same Way. [0:15:33.1]
The Work-Life Blend and Understanding Your Headspace. [0:17:23.1]
For the Struggling Empaths Out There. [0:27:42.1]
Mind the Moon and Weather. [0:33:04.1]
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
KEY TOPICS
Overwhelm, Burnout, Creative funk, Business, Creativity, Mental Health, Moon Cycles, Empaths, Creative process
