What a wonderful time to be alive. We are a generation where almost anything we can imagine, we can make happen. We don't have to wait for things like we did in the past; we literally carry a mini-computer in our back pockets everywhere we go.

We can order takeout in a flash, have it delivered to our doorstep with a click. Want your favorite snack from the gas station while you're at it? Click. No time to get to the grocery store this week? Click. And the clicking goes on and on. It’s truly miraculous. I guess you have to be from a generation back to have experienced life without all the conveniences of modern day to be able to compare the two.

One thing that has been on my mind this week is how grateful I am for all of the small things that make my life easier, and all of the advances I have been able to witness since my childhood. But one thing also stood out to me: nothing in this wonderful life exists without opposition. As we navigate our boat day to day, we are forced to sort through tons of distractions to find the good stuff that enriches our life.

Perhaps that opposition was there all the time before, or perhaps that small little computer in our back pocket has also brought us closer to all of it. Either way, the bottom line is that we are more than ever prone to burnout at some point or another. And as creatives, burnout can lead to a dry well that at times feels like no matter what we do, nothing seems to fill it up again.

That, my friend, is creative burnout, and it happens to different degrees. If you are facing this right now, I know exactly how you are feeling. I have experienced this before, and it can be so discouraging to be there, thinking of all the things you’d like to do or places to go have adventures.

My Journey from Burnout to a Breakthrough

This brings me back to a time of severe burnout for me. I was on bed rest and had just returned from a doctor's appointment, which was a norm those days. But that particular morning, I had signed up for a call with a group life coach program I had recently joined, and I was the first one to show up for the Zoom meeting. I mean, it's not like I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off; I was literally on bed rest, trying to recover from being rolled out on a wheelchair to the doctor's office and back to my bed. So that was an advantage that day, and I got to speak to the coach and ask my personal question.

When I came on the screen, the number one question on my mind was, "How do I move from being on bed rest and unable to move to reaching my biggest goals and dreams in life? I can’t even go to the bathroom without an assistant. This is depressing," I told her.

The coach smiled and first acknowledged my effort to be there that morning. Then she said something that has stayed with me ever since, and I hope it stays with me for the rest of my life, because it literally changed the way I did things from that point on.

She said that if I wanted to improve my health, I needed to focus my energy on the vision in my mind of feeling healthy again, not on the present depressing state I was in. But I still had to take care of my needs in the present and look for ways to improve daily.

It was a hard pill to swallow, but I did what I was told and slowly started to refocus my attention. It took me months, but little by little, I was able to get back on my feet and recover my health. Looking back now, I can see it clearly: burnout had knocked on my door, and I opened it, invited it to come in, and take residence in my life.

And do you know what happens to creativity when you're experiencing burnout? It’s gone. There is nothing left, nada, not even a poquito, zero.

How I Reawakened My Creativity

There were too many things I did at that time to remember them all that brought me back to feeling like myself again, but I remember one in particular. I volunteered to paint a mural at a spa that my sister manages. I knew I was biting off more than I could chew at the moment, and it took me way longer than anticipated, but eventually, I finished.

While I was in the middle of the project, I remember clearly painting a flower and moving my brush covered with paint on the wall. As I was focusing on the petals and then the center of the flower, it hit me. The realization that I was coming back to my creative self just did. I felt alive for the first time in a while. I felt like I was unstoppable, and it all happened because I was doing what made me feel like the best version of myself. In my case, it was painting and creating, mixing colors, making something come to life.

This post would be way too long if I got into all the details of my journey, so I narrowed it down to make it easier to read and understand. I wrote down the things that helped me the most, and I truly hope that if you are going through a difficult time like that, you can find some sort of inspiration here that can help you on your own healing journey.

3 Ways to Reawaken Your Creative Well

1. Create a clear vision in your mind of where you want to be or create. Often revisit this vision and live in it even if for a few seconds. Enjoy it, amplify the feeling of being there. Let this be your go-to place when feeling discouraged or exhausted.

2. Do your research on things that have helped others reach their desired result that are similar to your situation. We all know that we are all different and no situation can be exactly like someone else’s, and that’s okay. Simply find inspiration in others and try to move forward, even if it feels like a fraction of an inch at a time.

3. Focus your energy on things that take you closer to feeling better. Take that five-minute walk, or pick up a brush and make some marks on a piece of paper. Whatever this looks like for you, do something small every single day that brings you closer to the vision you have created in your mind.

I really hope this is of service to you, and if you find it helpful, please let me know. I would love to hear your story.

Right now, I’m offering a free guide on how to turn a boring wall into a masterpiece to all of my subscribers. Get it here, and happy mastering my friend! See you in the next chapter.