🧠 How To Unf*ck Yourself

Hey there,

Welcome back to the 46th edition of Brandish, 

Your guide to crafting an iconic brand. 

Before we dive into what we’ll be talking about today,

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Alright, now for the main course 👇

Today’s topic is something that’s been weighing on my mind lately, 

Especially because (in my opinion) is one of the top reasons why most brands never reach their true potential…

Burnout.

When your job heavily relies on your creative output, burnout is something that can - and will - creep up on you if you’re not careful. 

So without further ado, 

Kick back, 

Grab your Brez,

And let’s get into it. 

“Burnout” Isn’t Universal

Listen, 

Burnout isn’t a general term that holds the same definition across everything it refers to. 

Dealing with burnout as a CEO vs a Creative Director are two VERY different things, 

But both are just as damaging, draining, and can cause both you (and your brand) to slow to a standstill.

So, what does burnout mean for a creative?

Here’s what I think (based on my experience) 

Creatives can often wear SEVERAL different hats - especially when you’re working at a startup. 

But your main objective? 

Create. 

But when you’re too close to a certain project, handling too many projects at once, etc…

Your ability to create in an original, effective way becomes handicapped. 

Creative burnout is wayyyy more common than most of us realize, 

Because it’s not something that has any real indicators that it’s happening before it’s too late. 

It’s easy to take on too many projects at once, it’s easy to still drive results for those projects, 

But one day, you’ll wake up and realize that you’ve pushed yourself past your limit, 

And you’ve been running on autopilot for so long that ‘creativity’ holds no real value to you anymore. 

How to Unf*ck Yourself

What I mentioned above is the worst-case scenario. 

You do not want to get to that point. Trust me. 

But how can you avoid it?

The ‘traditional’ methods for dealing with burnout technically work here - but do REALLY unf*ck yourself?

You need to get a little unconventional. 

(Creative, if you will) 

So here’s what I recommend: 

Be BORED

Whenever I get asked about how I deal with burnout, I almost always say the same thing. 

You need to take time to be bored. 

Do nothing. Go on a walk without your phone/music. Watch Netflix. Watch paint dry. It doesn;t matter. 

You NEED to take time to just be ‘bored’. 

For all my “the grind is everything’ types, this doesn’t mean lazy by any stretch of the word. 

But in a role that heavily relies on new ideas, unique angles, and fresh perspectives - the ONLY real way to continue to consistently bring that to the table is to find time to be bored every day. 

Separate Yourself From Your Projects

This plays right into ‘being bored’. 

And what do I mean by this? 

Most of the time as a creative, you’re simply struggling to find new ideas because you’re working too close to your current project. 

So… walk away. 

Work on something completely unrelated that holds no value to your work.

This can be a personal project, hobby, or anything at all. 

(Coloring books are where it’s at. Trust.)

You don’t need to completely step away from being creative to still ‘be creative’, 

You just need an outlet that lets you do whatever the hell you want so that you can continue to generate NEW ideas when it really matters. 

Realize You’re Not A Robot

Yeah. No shit. 

But you aren’t, and you can’t expect yourself to consistently output new ideas every single day without any repercussions. 

And again, I’m not saying this as an excuse to be lazy - but you need to set aside time to recharge your creative batteries. 

So… Learn your boundaries. How much can you output before you need to take a step back and stare at drywall for an hour? 

Maybe you’re at your creative peak when you have a certain routine in place? 

Think outside the box a bit here, and really take the time to find your creative boundaries. 

Because once you do - you’ll be able to consistently create at a higher level than you EVER could before. 

Wrapping Up

I know today’s newsletter was a little short, but I don’t want this to cut into my coloring book time

(just kidding, I’d never give you less sauce on purpose)

I wanted to keep this short because, well - burnout isn’t something you can/want to talk all day on. 

Now - take what you’ve just learned and spend the rest of your Sunday finding the outlets that can let you genuinely recharge - or if you already know what they are…

Prioritize taking a step back today. 

Working as a creative comes with a different dynamic. You’ll never operate well under the typical 9-5 M-F schedule. 

Your hours will be different, the structure of your day will be different, etc. 

But make ‘taking a step back’ part of your daily routine. I promise that the time spent away will not hurt your productivity - your brain (and your team) will thank you for it. 

Trust me. 

Go watch paint dry, or whatever it is that you do. 

Until next time, 

Ankit.