Even creative spirits can burn out… here are some pieces of my own journey and a vulnerable sharing about my ongoing process with my upcoming book about ADHD and creativity (french edition - I hope I’ll be able to translate it).
Burning out of parenting,
out of work,
out of creating,
out of life?
Capitalism, religion, education, culture teach us that our worth depends on our results.
Craving for numbers and results is a modern addiction.
But pushing too much is often the sign of one of our deepest fears as humans:
the fear of not being loved.
Not being enough, not doing enough, not being recognized…. it all ends up with the same pattern: Love is missing somewhere inside of us.
And Love is energy.
I went through a burn out when I was a primary school teacher, about 10 years ago.
I know now that my exhaustion was a misleaded energy. I missed the things I loved to put energy in : creating, singing, being light, joyful…
As I’m struggling a bit through the last milestone of my upcoming book about creativity and ADHD, it seems to me the right time to give myself and maybe you too this nice reminder:
Keep your inner flame intact by keeping in touch with what brings you Love, lightness, pleasure.
Keep time where you have nothing to achieve, to finish, to compare with.
Keep some silence pockets too - one of my 32 mindful rituals for ADHD people…
And if you find yourself in a time of mental mist and physical exhaustion,
ask yourself:
where does my energy flow easily?
Even if your can’t do anything right now, just think about it: this sensory evocation will bring back in your body the sensations of lightness, pleasure that you need in ordre to pursue your journey.
For those like me who have to finish an artistic creation, let’s keep in touch with pure creative moments.
Don’t stay in the linear mood where everything has to be done step by step… be circular a bit too, don’t get back in the rigid way (yesterday I gave myself a special treat by doing some research for the cover of my next poetry book. Shhh! Yes I “should” have let this away until the present book is finished BUT atypical brains need fun and arborescent ways in order to stay healthy)
Here’s a bit of what I put into this episod.
Thanks for listening.
Take care of your art and take care of yourself,
Marion
Burn out vs pleasure and energy