Five Things Friday.

A LIST POST? Heck yes. You know me and my lists... we're like a little love story with a happy ending.

Five Things To Avoid Creative Burnout

Sometimes I get super stressed out over the fact that people hire me to have good ideas. I'm not pushing a button. I'm not running a formula. I'm working the idea muscle. And when that muscle is tired, it does not bode well for me or my clients.

So I'm practicing routines of creative health. Truth is, I can get more done in 15 minutes of healthy creativity than two hours of loathing every color, typeface, picture, tagline and theme.

1. Keep creating. I've gotten into the habit of carrying notebooks and pens with me everywhere I go. Always doodling. Taking note of things I want to try at home. Crafts for spare time with the kiddo. Painting styles I want to attempt. Words that make me want to live in a more beautiful world.

2. Keep reading. Between friends, and my own library, our cowork space is building quite a library. Taking a few minutes of every day to read about someone else's schedule, style of work, story, etc, can really change the way I view my own desktop. Also, read good books. Big books. Classic literature. Poetry. Story and prose is fuel for my creativity that thrives with plot lines and characters.

3. Keep observing. Another reason I carry notebooks (and also my phone because it has a camera) everywhere is because this world is full of ideas. Conversations people are having. One sentence someone says into their phone in a Starbucks line. The color of the morning sky with winter trees. You name it.

4. Keep resting. I'm getting old, y'all. I can't burn the wick at both ends much. I need my sleep. I need it not just to be a nice person, but because rest gives my hands and heart and mind and ideas a chance to regroup. To view the world as a different place. No sleep = dull as a butter knife Andrea. Also, when you feel like there is no earthly way to get all the things done... take a break. For your own sanity. Go for a walk. Get a hot beverage. Stare at the ceiling. Dance. Watch a tv show. Just cool your engines for a bit. Nothing good will happen when burn out starts.

5. Do more of what makes you happy. A friend said at cowork the other day about one of my projects: "You must really love that. It's the only time I see you smiling while you're working." So yes, do more of what makes you happy. People notice and it makes for better work.

Don't get burned out on creative things, friends. It's not worth sacrificing your joys for a paycheck. Enjoy what you do. Have fun.

(Anything else you would add to this list?)