Excellent Tips to Win Over Creative Burn Out

5 replies
When writing ad copies, you need to have continuous flow of creative ideas. You need to continuously employ different tactics and ideas to ensure your ad copies are always fresh and shiny new. Unfortunately, there is a creative burn out which most copywriters experience.

What is Creative Burn Out?

This is when you feel burnt for a while, staring at a blank page or screen feeling stuck. Creative burn out is when you find yourself at a loss of creative ideas for a topic that you often excel in writing. Yes, this is inevitable, but there are things that you could do prevent being creatively burned out and to keep your creative ideas flowing.

It is extremely necessary to be able to prevent creative burn out. Once you have successfully beaten creative burn out, you will find that you will no longer be bothered by it every time you get hit. Although creative burn out is normal and practically all writers experience it, it is ultimately fulfilling to be no longer bothered by it.

How do I Beat Creative Burn Out?

Below are some tips from professional copywriters on how to beat creative burn out:

- Look at pretty things for 30 minutes
Whenever you feel tired about something, it is always advised that you divert your mind on other things. On the other hand, it is not enough to just take a break and/or do something else. You have to focus your mind on pretty things and motivational thoughts. This will not only enable you to successfully beat that creative burn out. It will actually help you kick start your creative mind and start the flow of your creative juices!

- Do something different and creative
If looking at pretty things does not work for you, you can try to do something different and creative. Leave your workspace and your tasks. Focus on a different task that is not related to your work. Do something different that will make feel uplifted and happy. If possible, do something creative. You might be able to get that inspiration you are looking for by doing something different and creative.

- Do not work beyond your productive hours
Some people do not realize but they have actually brought the creative burn out to their selves. They pushed their selves to their limits, worked extensively, and, as a result, have exhausted their creative ideas. Why do people get tired? Why do people get burned out? Because they have exhausted all their energy. Same thing applies with creativity. Do not overwork yourself. Do not exhaust all your creative ideas in one day and pressure yourself to work more without any more ideas. Try to work within your productive hours or your work schedule only. Leave some time for you to charge your creative batteries and dig up new ideas by simply looking at your surroundings.

- Let your brain breathe
Creative burn out primarily affects our brains. So, in order to prevent being creatively burned out, we have to give time for our brains to rest. Let your brains have a time off from work. You can relax, watch a movie, or just stare outside the window not thinking of anything else except the wind. Do whatever suits you, just let your brain rest.

- Accept creative burn out
Instead of fighting it, try to accept that creative burn out will always be there. Most professional copywriters say they only had to accept that it is a basically unavoidable part of the process to beat creative burn out. So, instead of mulling around over your creative burn out, focus your energy and make sure your burn out will not affect others.
#burn out #creative #excellent #tips #win
  • Profile picture of the author crissie
    If I may add something to your great post...sometimes it may feel like you're going through a 'creative burnout' moment. You look at your work (whatever it may be) and just FEEL something is missing or incomplete in some sort of way.

    Its happened to me. It wasn't creative burnout for me. It was simply a fear of failure. Is it good enough? Is it ready for launch? Is it a product people will understand? and want?

    You block.

    I've come up with a project or two I simply sat on because I wasn't sure they were good enough to present to the market. And guess what? Somebody else came up with something very similar a few months later!!

    Doubt/Fear is a sort of creative burnout. But what I learnt is, when in doubt, go back to the beginning - read all your notes. Go through your design. Do this 2 or 3 times if you wish. Make adjustments.

    Then, sit back. Grab a cuppa and assess it. Would you buy it? Are there any questions?

    I've been working on something for well over 1 year now. Its ready. Of course, that butterfly is still in my stomach. But that's because I believe in it. I've worked hard on it. I've taken my time to assess it and make adjustments. I know its good. It will hurt if others reject it. But this fear simply proves i've given it my hear and soul. So its worth a shot.

    And i keep remembering, last time i sat on a project, somebody else thought up the same thing, bit his tongue, launched it and succeeded!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6506501].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Peter Kay
      Originally Posted by crissie View Post

      ..............

      I've come up with a project or two I simply sat on because I wasn't sure they were good enough to present to the market. And guess what? Somebody else came up with something very similar a few months later!!

      Doubt/Fear is a sort of creative burnout. But what I learnt is, when in doubt, go back to the beginning - read all your notes. Go through your design. Do this 2 or 3 times if you wish. Make adjustments.

      Then, sit back. Grab a cuppa and assess it. Would you buy it? Are there any questions?

      I've been working on something for well over 1 year now. Its ready. Of course, that butterfly is still in my stomach. But that's because I believe in it. I've worked hard on it. I've taken my time to assess it and make adjustments. I know its good. It will hurt if others reject it. But this fear simply proves i've given it my hear and soul. So its worth a shot.

      And i keep remembering, last time i sat on a project, somebody else thought up the same thing, bit his tongue, launched it and succeeded!
      Crissie, a mentor of mine put it something like this "don't wait till your idea is perfect and polished, just put it together so it makes sense and works, then launch it. You can polish and upgrade it in version 2.0+. Take action now! If you don't someone else will and you will have lost your chance."

      Sure you heard this one before "Feel the fear and do it anyway"

      To your success
      Peter
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6509006].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Peter Kay
    Great post Eugene.

    Firstly I am not a full time copywriter, but I think your post applies to pretty much any creative process.

    I find when I hit a wall, it is best to get myself into a totally different space altogether, so I usually go for a run of a few kilometers while listening to some really pumped up music. Then when I get back I just start scribbling all the random stuff that came into my head while I was running, this starts the thought processes going again and usually resets my clock.

    If it is really bad and that does not work, then I know I been pushing too hard and then I take a day or two off by occupying myself with totally different activities and watch and read a lot of stuff in the line of what I am trying to do.

    Peter
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6508964].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author LorrieJean
    To add a couple to this wonderful thread... I find that if I do something for someone else or help them out with it recharges my creativity. Spending time outside, sometimes barefoot. Deep breathing, is great especially if stressed.

    Good Luck everyone!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6510501].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Fadiz
    Thanks friend, great post... I try to take breaks every hour or so and when it's nice outside I take my office to the pool
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[6511561].message }}

Trending Topics