Stop the Grind: A Guide to Mindfulness in your Creative Business
On a hamster wheel of productivity? Is the grind getting you down? Are you struggling with burnout?
Me too. While I don’t have all of the answers, as a recovering people-pleaser, over-achiever, AND in the midst of burnout recovery, I am gaining some insights I’m going to share - which might help you too.
As a creative business owner, you’re blessed with freedom to set your own schedule, an independence to follow what moves you and allow your ideas to unfold as you see fit, and (if you’re a solopreneur) being the sole benefactor of success when your hard work pays off.
“Grinding is not a guarantee of success.”
On the flip side, you also will wear a multitude of hats, make endless amounts of decisions per day, learn new things consistently, experiment to find out what works and what doesn’t, find ways to grow your creative business, all while managing your emotions and personal life in the process.
In this blog post, I want to inspire those who are tired of the grind to stop and step into a mindful and more energetically sustainable way to run your creative business. Purely based on personal experience, I share what I’m doing differently this year to make this business feel good. Not just succeed.
While this post is specifically for creative solopreneurs, any business owner could relate and apply these tips as well.
This post is purely based on personal experience & opinion. I am not a licensed therapist, counsellor, or doctor. If you feel you require assistance or support with whatever you might be struggling with, please consult a professional.
First, let me clarify, that I don’t think hard work, sacrifice, or productivity isn’t required to build, grow, or operate a creative business. It is. 100%.
Let me also clarify that your creative businesses will never always be what you want it to be at all times and you will forever be on Cloud 9 if you operate in a more mindful way. It won’t and you won’t. Bad days will happen. Things will go wrong. Failure is inevitable. This is the nature of life.
Lastly, grinding is also not a guarantee of success. Moving slowly or mindfully isn’t either. However, the latter will offer us a better chance at making the best decisions along the way and give us space & energy for our best creative work.
So, instead of adding to our already full plate, let’s be more mindful with our efforts and find intentional focus to avoid burn out, stay motivated, and navigate through the difficulty that running a creative business (or any business, for that matter) is.
F*ck Resolutions. Set intentions instead.
“Intentions are an underlying purpose or guiding principles behind your actions. They aren’t a destination.”
It’s easy to end the year setting new resolutions for the year ahead and JUMPING into action the first week of January. As an (over) achiever myself, I get it and did this for a number of years. However, this year I’ve questioned this way of “doing”.
Where’s the reflection? Where’s the recovery?
December was busy enough. Let’s take a breath. And with that, I’m trying something new this year by setting intentions.
Finding ease in reaching goals and taking action.
Working smarter, not harder.
Doing more with less.
Moving slower.
Work on & care for self.
Finding more time for rest and fun.
This is intention setting.
Intentions are an underlying purpose or guiding principles behind your actions. They aren’t a destination. They are a process and a way of being as you strive towards a goal. They also allow you to learn from your experiences and adapt the process along the way, rather than fixating solely on achieving predefined objectives.
Focusing on intention instead of resolutions also offers a little more flexibility in the “how” and allows that to change as you see fit. It can also apply to a number of areas of your life and business so, I’m giving it a try this year.
My hope is that I’m able to heal from burnout (and prevent it moving forward), give myself space to make more aligned decisions, allow my artwork to work a little harder for me instead of me churning “more” out, and stay inspired. All with the bigger goal of feeling more energetic, motivated, fulfilled, & caring for myself a little better.
Consider what your intentions are.
What’s currently not feeling good and what is? How do you WANT to feel, in comparison to now? What is YOUR speed of doing things and how can you better honor that?
F*ck working hard. Work smart and joyfully instead.
There’s no doubt you will need to work hard and put in more when you run your own creative business. And there are times you won’t love everything you’re doing within the business. BUT grinding is always optional and should only be temporary. Not a standard way of operating. And joy or purpose should be the foundation of what you’re building on.
By grinding or hustling all the time, it can really take over your life, pull you away from what you enjoy doing outside of work, and, in turn, can affect your mental and/or physical health. So we should always come back to ourselves - our joys, our moments of rest - to replenish and rejuvenate for the next round.
In the long term, moderation, consistency, self care, and enjoying what you’re creating (in an overall sense) is far more important. That’s working smarter and can entail a number of things like…
pacing yourself,
having healthy boundaries,
loving what you’re creating,
focusing on tasks that are strategic and move the needle,
eliminating distractions,
delegating tasks,
taking the efforts you’ve put into something and allowing it to expand or multiply, doing more with less,
having fun & enjoy life outside of work!
Consider what working “smart” looks like for you.
Can you do more with less? Are you setting healthy work boundaries? Do you love what you’re doing (overall)? Do you have time for wandering, fun, and spending down time with others / yourself?
F*ck doing it all. Do what’s necessary instead.
“You don’t have to do all of the things at this very moment. Certain things can wait. Others, may not even be necessary at all to really move us towards our goals. ”
You do it all because budget is limited and want to be as fiscally efficient as possible; To keep every cent you earn and cycle it back into the business or pay ourselves. You do it all because you also want to get up to speed and find your momentum as fast as possible. Maybe even find YOUR way of doing things.
Makes perfect sense.
However, if you’re doing it right, you will come to a point where your time starts to become more limited. You gain more customers, sales, opportunity, and you might start to feel a sense of overwhelm. Even a sense of not knowing which tasks to prioritize next. It’s all important!
But…is it all important? Reassess.
Just like working too hard can lead to some negative side effects, so too can overloading yourself with too much and trying to do it all, as there’s never enough time in a day and always something more to do.
Know that you don’t have to do all of the things at this very moment. Certain things can wait. Others, may not even be necessary at all to really move us towards our goals. And often, you’ll carry over outdated processes, programs, or tasks over the years without realizing it.
So by only doing what is necessary, you can free yourself (and your energy) for the most important tasks. Additionally, idling (not growing) is perfectly OK too until you are ready to return to full speed.
Free to Focus is an excellent book to discover ways to work smarter.
Assess how you spend your time within your creative business.
What season are you in right now; Building, learning, growing, idling? From there, you can really see where all of your time is going and how you’d like to spend it. Are certain things required or need to be sacrificed? Are there “needle moving” tasks you can’t eliminate? Can you delegate? Does it need to be done now?
Be honest.
F*ck big leaps. Take small, intentional actions instead.
“Dream big but take smaller actions and you’ll slowly close that gap between where you are and where you want to be.”
Big leaps feel good. They make us feel productive and excited. But they aren’t necessarily required to be successful. Sure, you will come across them now and again on the business journey. But it isn’t a standard for success.
They’re challenging, they will challenge you, and sometimes (maybe often) you won’t be able to jump the chasm as there’s typically a gap between where you are and where you want to be. You can try to jump it, but you may not be ready to reach the other side for a number of reasons. So doing this often may only serve to frustrate and set you back.
Dream big but take smaller actions and you’ll slowly close that gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Even if the tasks are as small as identifying something you need to work or improve upon. Researching something. Networking with someone. It all helps!
Consider the small steps you can take.
First, what are those big goals? What tiny, intentional action can you take towards a singular goal? How can you close the gap or build a bridge?
F*ck fast. Go slow and ask questions instead.
“By moving a little slower, it essentially invites mindfulness into everything you do in your creative business. ”
Society moves at a rapid pace. And I’ve found it to be overwhelming most of the time, yet I’ve pushed myself to keep up.
This pace and pressure (on myself) contributed to my burnout, along with all of the other points I’ve made so far. And I question, why do I feel I need to go fast or keep up? Especially if it’s not working.
Does “speed” really get us anywhere faster or better? Help us succeed more? And, does it lead us to the most aligned, authentic version of ourselves and creative businesses?
Maybe – depending on what you’re chasing. But for the “everyday” in creative business, my guess is no.
By moving quickly you may not think about things thoroughly. Even what (unknowingly) you’ve said “no” to because you’ve filled your calendar with quick “yes’s”. Additionally, you may end up making mistakes or making a choice that isn’t quite right, which may only put you back at the start line.
By moving a little slower, it essentially invites mindfulness into everything you do in your creative business. From creating and taking time to really “feel” through the work, rather than rushing to finish. To making decisions for the betterment of your creative business, taking time to consider options and opportunities and how they might help you reach your goals. Or, not!
Identify your speed.
Is the speed at which you’re doing things, feel good? What’s your true speed? Do you need more time to create, ask questions, make decisions? If so, what does that look like for you?
I’d like to think everyone’s path to success will be different which means everyone’s pace will be, too. Which brings me to my next point.
F*ck others. Compare you to you instead.
Comparison to others is a frivolous game to play. And, falling under the guise of “finding inspiration” sometimes you may not even know when comparison is happening.
When “comparison” kicks in for me, it can feel like “not good enough” or “why bother”. Maybe even a sense of hopelessness. This is a difficult energy to be in. It’s unmotivating and not very kind to ourselves.
“True ideation inspiration, is found within what inspires YOU. That “root” of who you are and what you love.”
So, stop.
But first, be aware. Bringing awareness to when it starts kicking in for you, can help you stop. Remove yourself. And assess why it’s kicking in. Even give yourself space until you feel more grounded.
Often, I feel comparison is rooted in moments when I’m feeling unmotivated, pressured to create, in a “lack” mindset, or unhappy with my work and looking for “inspiration”. But the quest for looking to other creatives for inspiration, seems to trigger the comparison game and only feeds the beast that lurks in the shadows.
By removing yourself, you can get back to your own essence of creativity. You’ll most likely find that true inspiration isn’t found in what other creatives are doing. If you’re looking for techniques or styles to try, sure. But the true ideation inspiration, is found within what inspires YOU. That “root” of who you are and what you love. That purpose, mission, or message you want to share with the world. Those things that bring you joy and light you up.
It all comes back to YOU.
Because you are not like any other creative so your path to success, your style, your creative business will not be like any other creatives. So don’t try to copy or compare to anyone’s formula. It won’t work!
And just because another creative has something you want, doesn’t mean you can’t or never will have that - or something similar. You just might not have it yet. There is space for every creative and their talents.
Rick Rubin’s, The Creative Act is an excellent book that might offer some perspective on this idea.
Additionally, compare yourself now to yourself 1 year ago. 5 years ago. I bet you’ll see so much improvement and progress. The young creative in you, would be proud of where you are today.
Observe your emotions when looking at other artists’ work.
Are you truly inspired or do you feel bad about your creative business or work? When you start comparing yourselves to others, what do you feel is “missing” from your work or creative business? Can you start exploring and implementing improvements? Where do YOU truly find inspiration – that don’t involve other creatives? What are the things you love and want to share in your work?
All of this to say, if you’re feeling burned out, struggling to find motivation in your creative business, and not sure what to do next, first, you’re not alone. And, second, that might be your call to focus on you for the time being. To look at what moves you. What feels good. To set a new pace. To implement a new process.
How do you find mindfulness in your creative business? Comment below to help others!
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