Hello 2022, Goodbye Burnout (For Now)

It's been nearly two months since my last blog post but I'm happy to be back on the interwebs.

Before I go on and share my plans and intentions for the new year, I suppose I should address why I was gone for so long, and it all comes down to two words. Creative burnout.

I like to think we've all been there at one point or another. And if you haven't, well, consider yourself lucky. But basically, the way I like to describe creative burnout is when you get to a point where getting creative (an activity that once brought you joy and happiness) no longer makes you feel those positive emotions, but instead, a flood of negative emotions are now attached to this activity.

Dread takes place of excitement. Stress takes place of joy. Creativity is nowhere to be found.

In other words, it fucking sucks!

The one thing I knew I needed to do and the best thing to do was to simply unplug. And by this, I didn't mean staying completely off of social media, because quite frankly that's not what I intended to do. Although, I did spend a lot more time offline than before. However, what I did intend to do was to unplug in the sense that I wanted to stop forcing myself to create content that I wasn't proud of, which ultimately led me to stop posting on social media altogether.

What I learned from "unplugging" myself from creating for my socials during this time was that when I didn't force myself to be creative or to rack my brain for new ideas the creativity naturally returns over time. Another thing that I noticed to come on its own was the emotion of excitement to create. 

Looking back now I think being present and living in the moment while doing the little things, like going out with friends, exploring new places, buying new decor, and walking my dog, gave me the clarity I needed and were perhaps seeds for inspiration and new ideas to grow from.

All of this is to say that creativity can become exhausted and a little R&R might just be the cure.

Now that you know why I've been gone all of this time, I'd like to share some of my plans and intentions for 2022. The first big thing I intend to do is to be present more often than not. That's a tough one for me because I've been hardwired with anxiety for over fifteen years that causes me to think ten steps ahead most times, but thankfully through therapy, I've gotten better at putting my anxiety in its place.

Another thing I intend on doing this year is trying new experiences that will aid in my personal growth, for example, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Again, this is going to be a tough one but it's an achievable action.

One of my plans for the year is to continue sharing the things that I love like fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content when it feels right (not during burnout moments) without adding pressure on myself. I've noticed that when I pressure myself to look perfect or for my content to be perfectly curated, cohesive, and aesthetic it adds on so much stress and sucks the fun out of creating content. I also want to be more vulnerable, personable, and open with you because I think I'd help us connect on a new level.

This leads me to one of my goals for the year, and that is to connect more with you and to continue building a community with others who share the same interests, ideas, values, and most importantly to create a safe space where we can all feel seen and accepted for being who we are and loving what we do.

With that said, know that I appreciate you for being here more than you'll ever know and I look forward to connecting with you!

Until next time friend, take care.

xo, Your Girl Jess

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