Every creative professional I know right now is going through it. Half are actively searching for new employment, and the other half is employed but burnt out and over it. As creatives, it’s so important for us to keep a flow of inspiration. When we’re burnt out, stressed out, bored, or even unemployed, our creative juices start to spoil.
It doesn’t help that the current job market is trash, and the lack of opportunities coming your way can make some feel incapable and imposter-ish. It also doesn’t help to be a woman, queer, BIPOC, disabled, or immigrant creative right now– how can one focus on work and creativity when it feels like the world around you is crashing down in this political era?
As a creative who goes through it, and as cheesy as it may sound, affirmations and reminders have saved my life. Brought to me by therapy sessions, social media content, The Pattern app, and workshopped in my brain are 4 affirmations that’s been my mantras for where I am in life right now. Whether you’re in need of a reminder of who you are, trying to keep the faith in your job search, or feeling overwhelmed with work, here are my 4 messages for you:
My job is not the coolest thing about me
If you’ve fallen into workaholism or girl-bossism, you may have found yourself valuing titles and landing impressive projects more than anything. You may have put all your focus and worth into having big clients, a promotion, fluffing up your resume, or being paid more than you ever have before. Those are, without a doubt, awesome things to achieve.
However, as creatives, we sometimes have to be reminded that it’s not the job that makes us cool. The cool comes from within us. Most of us are not, at our core, corporate climbers. So when we get lost in the sauce of professionalism, we start to feel less like our real, cool, creative selves. A reminder that I’ve needed recently is that it’s not the job that made me cool, the job came to me because I already am. Don’t lose that coolness trying to play the career game. Find balance, keep your cool, and make sure your pitch deck at work isn’t the coolest thing happening in your life at a given moment.
I am my most valuable canvas
Coming from that previous note, I’ve also needed the reminder to get back into myself. Am I feeling less inspired or creative because I’ve stopped creating for fun? Is it because I’ve started to trade stacked jewelry and hints of color in my makeup for yoga pants and the t-shirt I woke up in?
A creative’s first canvas is themselves and I’d argue that will always be your most important canvas. Your personal projects, the life you cultivate, the way you express yourself– this is the project that never ends. If you are always creating for someone else, and no longer investing in your own creative outlet, you may start to lose your love for it. I’ve found myself questioning whether or not my current career path is for me and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these questions started to arise in a period where I was only pumping out ideas for clients and ignoring my own.
What makes sense for me will come to me
A reminder that has gotten me through life since college. I truly believe that everything I’ve ever received– jobs, friendships, random blessings– made sense for me in the end. Even rejections and failures rerouted me to opportunities that fit better than what I thought I wanted.
It can feel hopeless when you’re waiting on an email or fighting burnout, but trust that what aligns with you cannot miss you. Stay ready for it– but don’t force it. The door you’re knocking on might not open because there’s a much better one waiting for you to walk through it, no begging required.
I am still talented, even when I’m tired
One more for the days when burnout whispers that you’re not good enough anymore: you are still talented. Exhaustion, anxiety, or lack of output does not cancel out your gifts. You are not any less creative just because you need rest, or because you can’t push out portfolio pieces at the speed you used to.
You are a human first– a human with ideas, style, vision, and taste that can’t be replicated by anyone else. The world needs that. You need that. So give yourself grace. Take a nap. Log off. Get inspired again. The talent didn’t go anywhere– it’s just waiting for you to come back rested and ready to play.
To every creative job seeker and overworked dreamer out there, I see you. Be gentle with yourself, stay open, and repeat these to yourself as often as you need. And if you’re craving fresh inspiration, good people, and a creative community that gets it, come by Sesh. We’re all about supporting Houston’s creatives with events, meet-ups, and a space that honors the magic you bring to the table… even on your most tired days.
