Have you become Afraid of what you used to Love doing?

Summary

The video script delves into the experience of burnout, particularly in creative pursuits like drawing. It explores the anxiety and dread that can precede starting a creative activity and how burnout can reshape one's relationship with it. The speaker suggests reassociating positive experiences with the activity, prioritizing problems, and balancing analysis with practice. The script emphasizes the importance of recognizing burnout early, taking breaks, and returning to the passion without the pressure of obligation.

Takeaways

• 😨 The fear of starting to draw can be a sign of burnout, which can lead to anxiety and a negative view of the activity.
• 🔄 Burnout can become normalized over time, making it seem like a permanent state rather than a temporary condition.
• 💡 Acknowledging burnout is the first step to overcoming it, but it's a difficult step for many to take.
• 🔄 Burnout can reshape how one views an activity, potentially leading to a lasting aversion to it.
• 📉 Continuous breaks due to burnout can teach a person to associate the activity with negative feelings.
• 🤔 Negative experiences can overshadow positive ones, causing a person to remember the stress and anxiety rather than the joy of the activity.
• 🎯 To combat burnout, it's important to reassociate positive experiences with the activity and reassess personal expectations and pressures.
• 🤯 Overloading oneself with expectations and goals can exacerbate burnout, rather than alleviate it.
• 🧐 Prioritizing problems is crucial to avoid being overwhelmed by minor issues that seem more significant due to stress.
• 🛠 Over-reliance on analytical thinking can hinder creativity; practice and experience often provide more valuable insights than overthinking.
• ⏱ Recognizing the onset of burnout is vital to prevent it from impairing one's ability to engage in creative work.
• 🔄 It's okay to take breaks and return to an activity with a fresh perspective, as this can help regain passion and avoid turning it into an obligation.

Q & A

What is the feeling described at the beginning of the script related to starting an activity?

The feeling described is anxiety and fear associated with starting an activity, specifically drawing, which indicates a sense of dread and self-doubt.

What does the script suggest might be the reason for the feeling of dread before starting an activity?

The script suggests that the feeling of dread might be a sign of burnout, which is a state of mental and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.

Why does the speaker claim they are 'unburnable'?

The speaker uses the term 'unburnable' to express their denial of being burnt out, despite acknowledging the signs and the long-term nature of their feelings.

What are the potential long-term effects of burnout on one's perception of an activity?

Burnout can mentally reshape how an individual views an activity, potentially causing them to associate the activity with negative experiences and emotions, rather than positive ones.

Why is it problematic to constantly take breaks due to burnout?

Constantly taking breaks due to burnout can lead to a habit of associating the activity with negative feelings, which can eventually result in a deep aversion to the activity and a decrease in enjoyment.

How can negative experiences affect one's memory of positive experiences in an activity?

Negative experiences, especially if they are recurrent, can overshadow positive ones, making it difficult to remember the enjoyment and satisfaction derived from the activity.

What is the first step suggested in the script to address burnout?

The first step to addressing burnout, as suggested in the script, is admitting to it, which can be a difficult step for many individuals.

What is the role of expectations in contributing to burnout, according to the script?

Unreasonable expectations of oneself can contribute to burnout by causing constant stress and anxiety about meeting those expectations, leading to a negative association with the activity.

Why is it suggested that one should not build up ideas about what kind of artist they should be?

Building up ideas about what kind of artist one should be can create additional pressure and stress, which can exacerbate burnout. It's better to let creativity flow naturally without such constraints.

What is the issue with treating every problem in life with utmost seriousness?

Treating every problem with utmost seriousness can lead to an inability to prioritize, causing unnecessary stress and potentially contributing to burnout.

How does the script suggest approaching creative fields as an analytical person?

The script suggests that while analysis is valuable, it should not be the only approach in creative fields. Practice and observation are equally important for growth and learning.

What is the importance of recognizing burnout early according to the script?

Recognizing burnout early is crucial because it can help prevent the impairment of one's ability to work on their craft and allow for interventions to prevent a permanent loss of passion or interest.

How does the script relate the concept of burnout to personal life experiences?

The script relates burnout to personal life experiences by discussing how burnout can occur in various pursuits, not just in art, and how it can lead to a sense of loss and the need for breaks to regain perspective.

What is the final advice given in the script regarding dealing with burnout?

The final advice is to lessen obligations and remove expectations from oneself, suggesting that happiness in doing nothing can lead to a healthier approach to activities and prevent burnout.

Outlines

00:00

😨 Overcoming Artistic Burnout

The first paragraph discusses the fear and anxiety associated with starting to draw and the concept of burnout. It points out that burnout can mentally reshape one's view of an activity and suggests that taking constant breaks due to burnout can lead to hating the activity. The speaker emphasizes the importance of admitting burnout and the need to reassociate positive experiences with the activity to overcome it. The paragraph also touches on the negative impact of stress and anxiety on one's creative process and the tendency to remember negative experiences more vividly.

05:01

🤔 Prioritizing Problems and Embracing Practice

The second paragraph delves into the issues of prioritizing problems and the analytical approach to solving creative challenges. It argues that not all problems are equally important and that overthinking can lead to more stress. The speaker encourages the audience to consider the significance of their problems and to practice more rather than overanalyze. The paragraph highlights the value of practice in finding unexpected solutions and the importance of recognizing burnout early to prevent it from impairing one's ability to work. It concludes with personal insights on the speaker's experience with burnout and the idea that passion should not turn into an obligation.

Keywords

💡Burnout

Burnout refers to a state of chronic stress, emotional exhaustion, and a diminished sense of accomplishment, often resulting from prolonged periods of high-stress work or activity. In the video, burnout is central to the theme as it discusses the emotional and psychological toll that relentless creative pursuits can take on an individual, leading to a negative association with the once-loved activity of drawing.

💡Anxiety

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. The script mentions anxiety as a precursor to the act of drawing, indicating that the anticipation of engaging in a creative process can induce fear and apprehension, which is a common symptom of burnout.

💡Procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks or actions. In the context of the video, it is presented as a coping mechanism that individuals might resort to when feeling overwhelmed by stress and anxiety associated with an activity, such as drawing, which they have previously enjoyed.

💡Creativity

Creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to produce something new and valuable. The video script touches on the idea that the pressure to be creative can lead to burnout, as the individual may feel the need to constantly produce new and original work, which can be mentally exhausting.

💡Expectations

Expectations are beliefs about what will happen or what is supposed to happen. The script discusses how setting unrealistic expectations for oneself can lead to stress and burnout, especially when the individual feels they are not meeting these self-imposed standards in their creative work.

💡Prioritization

Prioritization is the act of arranging tasks or problems in order of importance. The video suggests that an inability to prioritize can contribute to burnout, as treating every issue with equal seriousness can lead to an overwhelming sense of responsibility and stress.

💡Practice

Practice is the action of performing an activity repeatedly to improve one's skill. The script emphasizes the importance of practice in the creative process, stating that solutions and improvements in art often come from doing the work itself, rather than just thinking about it.

💡Obligations

Obligations are duties or tasks that one is expected to perform. The video discusses how turning passions into obligations can lead to burnout, as the joy of the activity is replaced by a sense of duty and expectation.

💡Passion

Passion is a strong and barely controllable emotion, typically one that deeply affects one's whole being and is strong enough to influence one's thoughts and actions. The script contrasts passion with obligation, suggesting that when passion becomes an obligation, it can lead to burnout and a loss of enjoyment in the activity.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability refers to the ability to maintain a certain process or state in a long-term or permanent manner. In the context of the video, sustainability is related to the individual's ability to continue engaging in creative work without experiencing burnout, suggesting the need for a balance between work and rest.

💡Analytical

Analytical refers to the process of breaking down information or data into simpler parts in order to understand it better. The script points out that an overly analytical approach to creativity can be problematic, as it may lead to an overemphasis on finding solutions through thought rather than through the act of creation itself.

Highlights

The fear and anxiety associated with starting to draw can be indicative of burnout.

Burnout can lead to a negative reshaping of one's perception of an activity.

Acknowledging burnout is the first step, but it's often avoided.

Burnout can be a result of long-term stress and should not be considered normal.

The impact of burnout on one's relationship with an activity is long-lasting.

Taking breaks is beneficial, but constant breaks due to burnout can lead to aversion.

Negative experiences can overshadow positive ones, affecting one's motivation.

Burnout can cause a cycle of procrastination and reluctance to engage in the activity.

Reassociating positive experiences with the activity is key to overcoming burnout.

Unreasonable expectations can contribute to burnout and stress.

The importance of rethinking one's approach to art and reducing self-imposed pressure.

The paradox of adding more burdens to solve the problem of burnout.

The value of letting go of preconceived notions about one's art and style.

Prioritizing problems can help alleviate the stress that leads to burnout.

The danger of treating every problem with utmost seriousness without prioritization.

The limitations of an overly analytical approach in creative fields.

The importance of practice in finding solutions and overcoming creative barriers.

The potential for burnout to impair one's craft and the necessity of sustainable work practices.

The personal nature of burnout and the potential for recovery and renewed passion.

The analogy of turning passion into obligation as a path to burnout.

The importance of being content with oneself and reducing self-imposed expectations.

Transcripts

Do you ever feel as if sitting down to draw is kind of scary?

As if just the thought of starting this activity fills you with anxiety and fear

Yeah, it's time to draw

It's time to show everyone that I'm an idiot

Oh yeah, I love drawing,

Straining myself for hours so I can make something no one likes

I can't get enough!

If there is a feeling of dread before you start an activity,

then you are probably burned out

A word which would make no sense to a younger version of myself

Burn out? That sounds silly

If you're burned out all you need to  do is- wait it out, right?

And, well, actually, I've felt this way for a long time

but it's been so long that it's just become normal

so it's normal now, I can't be burnt out!

... which I'm not by way, I'm not burnt  out!

The first step to being burnt out is admitting to it, which you will never catch me doing

Checkmate, I'm unburnable!

So what's so bad about a burnout?

And the reason is, because a burnout will mentally reshape how you view an activity from now on

Will a burnout heal with time? Yes, but...

How you then come back to that activity will have changed

Taking breaks is good, but if you're constantly taking breaks because you're constantly burnt out,

You are teaching yourself to hate what you're doing.

As humans we tend to take negative experiences pretty seriously,

We need to learn from experience what  to avoid and so we take experiences that causes stress and anxiety

and take quick notes on how  to avoid it in the future.

And another problem with this, is that negative experiences can feel as  if they invalidate positive experiences

If I have been burnt out over and over again by drawing,

am I going to remember how much fun I've had drawing?

Trying something new, being creative?

No, I'm going to remember the worst experiences I've ever had pursuing drawing

and I'm going to think about the  amount of stress and anxiety this activity has caused me

and it would only be natural at that point that I find myself again and again

just not wanting to do it, needing constant breaks

procrastination, trying to build up the courage to draw

or just outright quitting.

So, okay, maybe I'm a bit burnt  out,

but how am I supposed to fix that?

Is burnout simply caused by doing something too much,

overload, too much pressure, too much stress,

yEes

((Why did I say it like that??))

Number one, we need to reassociate  positive things with the activity we have burnt out on

Have you developed expectations of yourself that are unreasonable?

What kind of artist do you want to be?

And once you get to drawing, do you  start to procrastinate because you get anxiety, or stressed about if you're doing things the right way?

If you're continually stressed, or putting yourself down, as you're drawing

it's natural that you're going to build up burnout

and become very averse to drawing.

And we need to rethink these things a bit,

but, trying to solve problems and rethink these things while we're stressed can also lead us a bit astray.

Where we feel that anxiety before drawing, overburdened by expectation, and we decide;

what we actually need is...

more things that give us anxiety...!

What I actually need before drawing is deciding on what my art style should be, for the rest of my life!

Or some strong goal that is going to shape my path from now on, and lead me to guaranteed success!

Or some strong motivation that will keep me motivated to draw forever!

Replace my burdens, with more burdens! What could go wrong?!

So instead of building up all these ideas of what kind of artist you should be,

and what you should draw, and how to pursue art,

it might be a better idea to remove all of these things that you built up about

what you are supposed to be, and what you have to do, and what your art has to look like.

Is the ideal version of you an artist who is extremely specific with what they do out of obligation,

Or, someone who does things because it comes naturally to them?

That's up to you.

Number two, are you able to prioritize your problems?

Are you a very serious person?

Do you treat every problem in your life with utmost seriousness, even if you don't want to be like that?

Does every tiny thing feel like it's going to affect everything, and needs immediate answers,

and does solving these problems actually cause an infinite amount of more problems that need answers?

And we might treat all of these issues as if our lives depend on it,

or as if all of these questions are  going to have huge consequences,

but, is it possible that you suffer from being unable to prioritize your problems?

You might have a lot on your mind that you treat with the utmost seriousness, but,

if you took the time to think about about where you would scale these problems on a scale from 1 to 100,

you might actually end up giving most of these problems a 1.

Are you constantly comparing yourself to other artists?

Do you never feel good enough?

Well, really, if you were to scale this  problem, how important is this?

Do you have to be like anyone else?

It's up to you, but I definitely get caught in a trap that

every single thing that comes to my mind needs to have an easily solvable answer,

without really considering, is this worth my time?

Most problems are simply not that important.

But the things that we mentally construct surrounding each problem,

might make it seem more serious.

Number three, when the only tool you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail.

Are you a deeply analytical person?

Because a problem with trying to approach creative fields while being analytical,

is the assumption that all of your problems can be solved this way.

How do I find the best solution for how to work?

Why I should work, and what is the best way to do work?

However, just like a basketball player can't become a professional by reading books,

you can't become a better artist by only thinking about it.

A lot can be learned through observation,

but most of drawing's solutions are found through practice

Because as you draw, you will have small revelations that will over time form a network of solutions.

Things that can't be accounted for by trying to think everything through

You can't really plan for what unexpected solutions you will  find

That's why practice is invaluable, it might even lead you to throw everything you have thought out the window

It is okay to be analytical, but a better approach might be

that you analyze things after you have done the practice, or after you have finished the work.

And it's worth considering, are you planning things out; because you are trying to avoid burnout?

And are we really handling burnout in a good way,

if we're just making plans for how to deal with continually being burnt out over and over again?

So, finally, it is really important that we recognize when we are beginning to burn out,

because facing burnout is not a good solution.

It's only going to repeatedly impair your ability to work on your craft,

and to be clear, it's okay to put everything into something,

put all of your energy and effort into it, and do whatever you can to get it finished on a deadline

Because sometimes that is the reality of work,

but if we are constantly doing this, putting everything we have into it all of the time,

then it's unrealistic that we will be able to keep up with working.

And it's important to ask, what changes can be made to make things sustainable?

You might not be surprised to hear that this is based on my own life experience,

Not just on art, but I've been burned out on many things I've pursued in life.

And it's easy to imagine, that this is a permanent state.

Well, my interest or hobby in this thing is done for,

I've lost the passion that I had, it's over forever.

And now that I've stopped doing it, I have become a meaningless person

but it's okay to take breaks, you can stop for however long you feel like and start again later,

however many times you like

You will keep all that you have learned, and you might come back with a better perspective

Never-ending burning passion is great, but if your passion turns into an obligation;

then it's no wonder that you're going to burn out.

I love chocolate, cheese and green tea

But the easiest way to make me hate these things, would be to force me into enjoying these things out of obligation

in a similar way, if our goals, accomplishments and expectations have turned into obligations,

then we're probably going to reach a point where everything feels out of reach.

And we might not even know what we want out of art anymore,

So lessen your obligations, remove what you are expecting from yourself.

If you can be happy being yourself doing nothing, then you're probably in a good place. Not afraid to do anything.