Have You Become Afraid of What You Used to Love Doing?

[@mr.f716]

so burnt out im putting this in „watch later“

[@Destroyah5000]

Yes, I too procrastinate on what I procrastinate with. Got like a dozen or more art help videos in mine that I swear I'll get to.

[@thecluckster3908]

Reaaal

[@reeeee87]

me fr

[@Raybro16]

I maxed out my watch later playlist and instead made a second playlist. I maxed that out too, I’m on playlist 3 XD

[@mr.f716]

@@Raybro16 dude i thought i was the only one. I dont even remember the last time I added something to the original one

[@Sathone]

Yup. I got a Bachelors in Fine Art, then stopped making stuff after graduation. For years I didn't do anything artistic. I learned to adjust my priorities, goals, and expectations...and that's when the desire to draw finally started coming back. Remember, nothing is ever lost or wasted. I believe you can get where you want to be ❤

[@user-10021]

I genuinely lost any creativity which is why I dropped art

[@toomdog]

Man... I haven't thought of it in a while, but reading that just reminded me of quitting music school one semester away from the end because it was killing my love for music. I honestly don't think I would still play today if I had completed... (Maybe by this time, I would be back into it, but it's been fifteen years)

[@kazsixteen7359]

I did something very similar, 2 years after graduating and I'm finally starting to enjoy art again

[@michaelkonomos]

As a professional artist - thank you!

[@EingefrorenesEisen]

My problem right now is that I have too many ideas and not enough time. People perceive me as a certain type of person because my art only conveys maybe 10% of the message. And it's very upsetting because I'm a particular person looking for particular friends. So the kinds of people I attract are also important to me.

[@lmoTK106]

The worst pain I've ever suffered is when I saw someone good with their Art, in it I saw myself, the one I was supposed to be, the one I could had been

[@viperguru2547]

Absolutely how I feel 24/7 for 10 years. I hope it gets better for you💕

[@Imjustacatlady]

I highly relate. I've been good at art since I was a child and I just couldn't get over the fear of failure as I became an adult. (Along with others continuously saying art doesn't pay the bills.) I always think about how I could have been making a living with art by now. 😢

[@viperguru2547]

@@Imjustacatlady not the original commenter but I highly relate to what you said. I always wonder what could have been and I also am paralyzed with the fear of failure whenever I pick up a pencil. What once was so easy for me to do and something I genuinely loved has now become so so so difficult. I really hope you get your passion back and create for the fun/love of it🩷

[@Carl-s2s]

I relate to all of you. From my view, I think that I struggle with an unhealthy sense of self. It's like I can't shake the ego needing its fix of approval and reassurance that I'm valuable and wanted. One day I realized I didn't need to involve my sense of self at all, that I can sorta pretend to be a conduit for creativity itself. I decided to make marks not art. The only thing I need to manage is the medium and show up only when I want to try it. Many days I produce nothing i like, but I still find it immensely more satisfying than trying and struggling. I show up and just make mark after mark, playing with lines and colors and movement. For the most part, the only thought I have is: "what goes next?" After doing this a few times, I was able to go back to painting a few portraits and landscapes here and there for fun, but most of the time I just show up and see without a plan and see what comes out. Some days it's just a bunch of really heavy emotional expressions. I'm pretty sure this has a positive impact on my CPTSD and subconscious trauma memory processing. Maybe this is kind of like art therapy? Stream of consciousness writin/morning pages?

[@Miners666]

@@Imjustacatladyit’s a kind of survivorship bias though, you only hear the success stories - I didn’t give up on art, not for a long time, but whatever I tried I couldn’t get to work. I had exhibitions and never sold a single thing, had my work stolen by large corporations and couldn’t do anything about it, worked for free, [redacted, you don’t need my whole life story]. The frustrating thing is 1) seeing people who have successful non-art jobs doing art just for fun and having more talent and success than me, and 2) seeing people with objectively little talent and skills who have made it in the creative industry. Anyway, the point is, I didn’t give up on my dream for so long, fully buying into the lie that hardwork pays off, that the “world is your oyster”, that I almost ended up homeless, and for the past 12 years been trapped in minimum wage manual labour with absolutely zero future prospects. It’s impossible to know what the alternate timeline you might have done and achieved, but it’s very possible that you made all the right decisions, so I wouldn’t feel too bad about it.

[@catcatcatcatcatcatcatcatcatca]

As someone who doesn’t draw this video seems to have awfully little to do with art. Without ever as much as lifting a pen with the intention of drawing, this is 100% relatable, mirroring my own experiences with such high accuracy it makes me bit uncomforable.

[@FaithG-s1f]

Thats because artists are humans, and so are you. This is a human issue, not an "art" issue. The video is just "for" artists, in the sense this guy is directly speaking to artists. Obviously anyone can have burnout for anything.

[@Bittamin]

That’s the magic of this video for real ❤

[@thebaconsarelit]

I think this is a video on depression? I'm about 2 minutes in and I've never related to something harder in my life about my life.

[@FaithG-s1f]

@@thebaconsarelit its about burnout, not depression. Depression can have symptoms like burnout and similar things. Same as seeing your dog get hit by a car would bring feeling of depression, but you do not have depression if thats the reason youre sad. Depression is a mental disorder,not a feeling.

[@thebaconsarelit]

@@FaithG-s1f I think I worded my comment wrong. I think this video **could also apply to depression?** I think I might've accidentally implied it only talks about depression when a number of conditions could result in this thought process. Seeing your dog get hit by a car could result in feelings of shock, grief, and if the feelings are persistent and intrusive enough, might be classified as depression (not a psychologist, just from what I remember). It's a bit odd to classify depression as a mental disorder and then distance it from emotions, which are inherently also only mental in nature, but whatever floats your boat, I suppose.

[@aldecotan]

This topic just hits the spot. Seems like I was facing burnout for about a year now and each time I tried to find some answers in the internet I saw a lot of responses like: "If you can't just do what you love nonstop - maybe you don't love it, so just stop doing it and find something else!" or "If you love something you can't be burned out because of it, that's not the "true passion" then" and etc. But this video helps. Thanks.

[@perrisavallon5170]

In my experience, for some people burnout just isn't a problem (lucky bastards) and they don't really get it. But I think burnout more often than not comes from caring TOO much, not from not caring enough.

[@kwaddell]

I’ve always held disdain for the “follow your passion” line. Like, I would if I had it, it just kinda left! Just very unhelpful “advice.”

[@marquinarawlings]

@@perrisavallon5170Because of my experiences with burnout, I think you are probably right about caring too much. Every single time I’ve burned out, I was putting everything I had into something: my job, my business, or my family. I had to leave my job. Somehow, I manage to bounce back for my family - I need to look into how I did that. And I went on hiatus from my business. I haven’t figured out how to bounce back yet, but I want to.

[@Window4503]

I hate that too. Reddit is especially bad about it, but it’s become widespread for people to not understand that just because you’re having difficulty trying to start or keep doing something doesn’t mean you don’t WANT to do it.

[@thepinkestpigglet7529]

Wow if I followed that advice with my adhd I'd never get good at anything

[@shonshon7201]

The last sentence "if you are happy with yourself doing nothing, then you're probably in a good place, not afraid to do anything" summarised the message so well.

[@kwaddell]

This anxiety and overthinking is exactly my mindset right now. I sit down to draw, already upset with myself because “it used to be easy” and “I have no muse anymore.” It’s become so existential that it makes me feel like a husk of my former self when I think about being creative. I’ve definitely trained my brain into seeing creating art as a stressful experience :/

[@aaaaasa4156]

There is a Buddhist saying “expectations cause suffering”. I think you hit the nail on the head here, we spiral with a number of unrealistic expectations, we spend valuable energy on things that we trick ourselves into thinking are important… but really aren’t. “Perfect” is the enemy of “good enough” and all that. Thanks for another great video Mattias 👏

[@Bunny01879]

For me It's scary to flow creativity because I was only taught through negative reinforcement. Now whenever I 'make a mistake' in the process I'll get both worried and angry!

[@perrisavallon5170]

I strongly believe that your ability to do anything is directly proportional to your ability to fail at it, and it sucks that sometimes, especially when you're a kid, you're stuck in an environment where failure isn't an option. I think going to music school completely and maybe permanently destroyed my ability to play music. It's been nine years and I still can't pick up an instrument consistently without having a breakdown. Ah well, at least I still have drawing.

[@ob-ewankenobi2473]

Maybe a tip that I have (could help idk) is whenever you feel that way when you 'make a mistake', catch yourself and ask yourself "What beliefs must I have about myself in this moment?" and answer it with radical honesty. Or you could say that "This is not a fact, this is just something I've been taught to believe is true. I don't have to believe that". The beliefs I am talking about btw is not necessarily conscious ones but rather 'subconscious' ones, beliefs that have not been questioned by you. For instance, if you keep having a thought and feeling constantly coming up saying "I am not good enough" (which could have been a belief that you bought into), you can catch yourself in that moment and acknowledge, "Is this really 100% true?" "This is not a fact but rather just a strong opinion I got bought into". And if you manage to bring the belief(s) into the light, at least somewhat conscious of it, you will let go of it because you have awareness that it is just a belief and not a full blown fact. But if you still buy into it, then ask yourself "What do I get out of believing this?" Hope this helps

[@marquinarawlings]

@@ob-ewankenobi2473 Thanks for sharing this. I’m going to try this. I think I’m at the point in my life where this might work. I keep looking at my workstation and wanting to get back to it, but I feel a slight tightening in my chest whenever I move towards it. And then I get super tired.

[@SUPRIzEi]

I feel the same about mistakes, I just naturally notice and dwell on mistakes I make like in drawing, even if it literally doesnt cause any problems. Nobody else is gonna see this crappy drawing Im making, yet it still kind of hurts to keep going knowing Im making many mistakes in the process

[@alexisauld7781]

Oh I feel this BADLY. Growing up and internalising such a horrid perfectionism from that, that infects *everything.* Music. Drawing. Writing. Model painting. Flower arranging. Make a mistake. Stop. Swear at myself. Pick the thing back up. Get more frustrated. Stop for a lot longer... >.

[@dayru_ru]

I blame childhood trauma and CPTSD. The hypervigilance creates crazy levels of toxic perfectionism that prevents me even getting started. Thanks for the insight :)

[@trwn87]

Yes, same experience here. 😢

[@AC1DW4ASH]

Are you me

[@alishanamakula]

I have no way to explain but the chapter of 'the courage to be disliked - trauma does not exist' and see if you understand it?! I had to share because I cannot physically wrap my head around the idea

[@x3AnimeFanXD]

WTF are we twins cuz I can relate waaaay too much to this 💀 I used to have a growing art acc but I abandoned it thanks to trauma at that time. I don't actually regret it but also I don't know what to do career wise. I want to make money with art but also too anxious and scared to do so.

[@britts2618]

This is the best perfect explanation!

[@SoraPallet]

I used to love drawing, nowadays I dread the thought of it. I don't even have the courage to describe in detail what my exact feelings about drawing are, but knowing that I'm not alone really helps. If you ever feel like your rambling thoughts are probably not worth an upload, know that this particular video deeply resonated with me. I sincerely thank you for it.

[@Elfyja]

5:31 in other words "Thinking is the biggest mistake a dancer could make " I've learned so much from being an artist, philosophically, existentially, my identity and so on. This video sums up the Artist's struggles so well. I quit drawing and decided im going to keep it as a hobby, but then realised my whole identity was being an artist and I asked myself who am I? it took me down a deep rabbit hole, but much needed one. I looked back recently at my art and it's no wonder I never felt successful and got burnt out. I worked myself like a slave, kept overthinking it and drew for validation and not really what I truly loved about art. I tried doing something in between but it only muddied it. On the flip side I got to realise why I needed validation and where it stemmed from. I was supposed to become a full-time artist because then I wouldn't have to do 9-5 work and would do something I loved... "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" but if you take out the joy of what you love it'll end up being work.

[@snugray_p1659]

Yes absolutely. The stress of that definitely got to me, it makes me think of how when I was a kid it was so easy and fun. Now trying to unlock that wonder and passion again

[@JBUG]

MAN this is exactly what ive been going through, its geniunely so confusing and I've only been crawling out recently; thank you for the content you make!!!

[@wirathe_normalguy2721]

Pretty random to see you here but, 👋 hi

[@exursix]

JBUUUUUUUG same

[@blankets5782]

In all seriousness, while in the process of becoming brave to draw again, please be patient with yourself and the mistakes you will inevitably make along the way. ESPECIALLY when you're dealing with health issues and illnesses (both physical and mental).

[@alishanamakula]

Love you for saying this thank you 🩵

[@costelinha1867]

The problem is not a lack of awareness of me being burnt out, the problem is that there are far fewer moments in my life where I'm NOT BURNT OUT, than there are moments where I am. I swear to god, every. fucking. time. I finish ANY PROJECT, AT ALL... it comes with the cost of months, if not half or even an ENTIRE YEAR, of burnout, being unable to get myself to engage with my hobbies, thus halting my progression with my skills and all.

[@RushFreak]

Everything here, a million times yes. Burnout is telling yourself "it's just a short break", and then telling yourself "just give it another few months", and then thinking (hoping) "yeah I'll start again *this* year", and it turns into every year, until you realize an entire decade has gone by. Sometimes the solution is to just make some slop. Fun slop. I'm still learning.

[@VioFax]

Art isnt nearly as important to anybody as it is us. It's just a picture to most people. Just... a picture.

[@chutas]

Glad I decided to watch this at the moment, since I'm an animation student I've felt every time I draw is for obligation. The best way to overcome the overthinking, is to just do things, thanks

[@Silver_Sonic_23]

I’m terrified of drawing. Humans shouldn’t be able to make images on paper! It’s unnatural and scary!

[@MissMariss]

What..

[@Synthis_Bioji]

REVOLT, REVOLT, WE MUST START A REBELLION AGAINST DRAWING THIS ONCE! IT IS FAR TO DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE BEING PRACTICED! D:

[@FireyDeath4]

When you think about it, a drawing is like an adversarial attack It makes you see and react to phenomena that aren't really there, as though they physically are what they're designed to represent to a substantial degree

[@CrustyFox87]

Reminds me of what Jerma said about Ultrakill: "Humans were not meant to do this!"

[@RKutha]

We must go back to using clay as our ink, sticks as our pens, and cave walls as our canvases. For that is the day we return to true enlightenment

[@siraaron4462]

Never seen something more accurate to my own experience. Honestly gonna share this with everyone I can

[@anastasijahabarova1533]

I burned out from art several years ago. I was so obsessed with how other people might perceive my art, whether or not I was using all the right techniques that were taught to me by professors and other artists, if my anatomy was good enough, if my editing was good like that of other artists’, if I was improving at the same rate as other artists who were good at their art, if I was “on par” with all the artists I saw who had thousands upon thousands of followers, who sold prints of their art, and published books, and who “made it” online as artists. But all I kept seeing in my own art was “almost, but not quite there.” And it was never good enough. I started to hate my art and hate drawing. It feels worse than doing the dishes. I used to derive so much joy from it for over 20 years straight, but then it all perished and I never regained my passion for art. I feel bad still calling myself an artist because I haven’t done a single substantial art piece in years. I don’t know if I’ll ever return. Every video I’ve seen on artistic burn out seems to give the same advice, none of which has worked for me. I realize that my attitude of always comparing my art and trying to view it through the eyes of a hyper-critical audience is the problem, but no matter what I try, I can’t snap out of it. I’ve tried starting a sketchbook that I had promised myself I would never ever show anyone or post online, so that I would have a safe judgement-free space to draw, but I just keep thinking about what will happen when eventually someone will see something else I drew years from now and then I’m back at square one of hating my art because I don’t think it’s good enough to be seen by anyone. I can’t get out of this mindset and I’m so sad and frustrated, I just want my beloved hobby back! 😭💔

[@sebastijancamagajevac9942]

Don't give up! ✍️

[@lemonlordminecraft]

No, thanks for checking though, Mattias :)

[@MattiasPilhede]

👍

[@diamondminerx000]

I can't believe you've put into words EXACTLY how I've been feeling lately, like every single point in this video.. The way you explained the issue behind the analytical approach to drawing and a skill to methodically 'get good at' is the main error I believe has caused me to lose all consistency, even though it's always at the back of my mind. Especially where you mentioned around 3:18 the questioning behind what kind of artist I'm 'supposed to be' really hit the nail on the head for me. I put it in my mind that I wanted to focus on character design, so breaking this down into smaller parts, I tried to focus individually and one at a time on anatomy, expressions and clothing folds in a coursework and exercise type fashion. But treating the act of drawing as repetitions to get better I think has simply caused more lack of motivation to keep going. You're 100% correct that I need to simply detach from any goals, identities, focuses or expectations, as I'm not even consistent with drawing at the moment. Having fun is the easiest and best way to stay consistent. I can worry about the details later, the act of drawing itself will teach me how to become better and what kind of artist I want to become. Thank you!

[@IamlordEVIL]

I think this video speaks WELL beyond just drawing, I have several friends who could deeply use this for creative writing & engineering projects they're engaging with and always stressing about.

[@oshawott5308]

immediate yes.

[@t00nedd00d]

*yEes

[@kaianyn]

bro that helps so much. I compose tracks for videogames and it's gotten to a point I'm straight out in fear for my life whenever I think about working.

[@liam_iam]

love this, it's not about facing your fears, it's about letting them go

[@datwolfytho1579]

I do love the stick figure advice videos they really help me out!

[@mayyoder3648]

Accidentally wrapped my whole identity and self worth into a project I used to pick up and put down for fun; worked on it without a mental break for a year and a half, and had a week long mental breakdown. I felt really silly about it, but if you put your whole worth into your art, or another unsustainable piece of your life and you put pressure on it, it’s gonna crumble like a house of cards. And you’ll suffer. And only be able to eat canned peaches for a week. Don’t be me. Don’t end up hurting yourself. Enrich your life, and value yourself outside of what you create God bless you ❤

[@softllamaspajamas]

I’m a maths major and my life passion is mathematics. I am currently recovering from burnout and goodness, I relate so heavily to this. Thank you for this. I got to remember that I don’t need to be the greatest mathematician to love this mathematics.

[@cecillewolters1995]

My depression almost feels like being burned out on anything and everything all the time and so for no treatment, medicine, mindset or lifestyle change has worked. Screw that disease.

[@digitaldritten]

yeah, i haven't gotten any effects from any antidepressant i've tried

[@Akira_767]

I fucking hate having depression.

[@Arcad3n]

This feels like it was made for me directly. For the first time in a really long time I have not drawn much of anything in like 5 months. A few times recently I’ve sat down to draw and it feels unapproachable to start. What should I draw? If I don’t have an idea I’m inspired to make i could always choose a go-to like doodling Sonic or drawing blob rabbits but… no that doesn’t feel right for me right now. I don’t want to just draw the same thing every time, I want to make a cool new drawing I can be proud of. I guess I’ll start drawing a figure… but my figures still look too flat and the head shape I’ve been using for a long time feels amateur and ineffective. I finished the drawing and… this looks exactly like something I could’ve drawn 3 years ago. Have I grown at all as an artist since then? Have I lost my skill? I think what I’ve realized is that I have lacked artistic inspiration for a growing amount of time now. When I get inspired I feel super motivated and everything clicks and I create something I’ll keep looking at fondly for years to come. But I haven’t felt that way since early this year. I don’t really know what’s missing, but I think I’ve just been undergoing too many stressful and trajectory-altering life situations during this time to feel passionate. I feel as though I will get back into the swing of things, but I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to get there.

[@Smieska_13]

How can you practice if you're afraid to draw? I forced myself to push through that fear and practice and honestly, made my burnout much much worse.

[@ObsessedwithZelda2]

I am familiar with the concept of exposure therapy, and the important factor of exposure therapy being /it can make the fear worse/ I think this sounds kind of similar. Pushing yourself can be good, but sometimes there are reasons you are stuck, your body and mind are holding you back because something is wrong. If you try to proceed without addressing the underlying issue in those times, it’s like ignoring the pain of a broken leg and trying to walk on it anyways, you make it worse. I am not sure what your situation is, but my guess if it’s based on fear is that you should try to address the fear before you address the fact it’s making you not want to draw. The best thing you could probably do is change whatever philosophy or beliefs are causing the fear. This is a very hard thing to do, especially if you believe those things Completely, but the way we believe changes so much about our mind and body, it can really be the one thing that drives you to a sort of helpless state. Kind of like how the placebo effect works but probably even more potent if the source of the problem is our own mind to start with. I could wax on about the topic I’m sure lol, but that’s my take without knowing a lot about your situation. Hope it might help!

[@alishanamakula]

Everything you said summarised why I procrastinate/why pushing through fear is HARD! Pushing through chemistry work could work, maybe, but if you forever believe that you can never achieve it, it becomes extremely hard to do it! Theoretically you could play football with a broken foot, but you'd rather heal the foot and keep going, even if it takes really long! And leaving the broken foot (mindset) still broken while trying to work doesn't help! It's why simple mindset shift that changed me is: "you procrastinate because you don't believe it's possible (due to anxiety and it being associated with lack of control) and when you believe it's possible to achieve eg. An a* in chemistry, and that "YOU WILL FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT WHEN YOU DO IT" (not bored or negative like you always do when having to do homework) the certainty is so importante for a procrastinating mind, and "this is motivation in itslef - that the reward is yours," changed the game for me forever I feel. Thank you for your comment. It definitely helped. Hope mine helps? It's definitely less clear though ;(

[@alishanamakula]

Your mind ALWAYS has something to do with it. You could just stand up and start drawing right? But you know that's harder than you think. Why? It's so easy, right? Wrong. Your mind is what moves your hand, and if your mindset is 'im terrified to draw!' I'd find it hard to move my hand too Don't beat yourself up, but rather realise that your success is guaranteed if you try. You procrastinate because of mainly perfectionism, and not achieving, or feeling a lack of control, but the solid fact is? You will feel better. The certainty is so important for the mind, because it means no matter what your brain says, eg. "It's going to look ugly" the solid fact is that this is not true. The certainty is so important because your brain before is just like "oh my God drawing is horribly scary!" But also like "you'll feel better," but you don't believe your brain right? Your brain is literally sabotaging you and now it's giving advice? Your brain is clever in a way that is just weaves you out of doing the task, proving the wrong, right, for your "protection" from this fearful thing that's triggering the ancient fight or flight. (Your brain had been trained to do it for years bestie) I'm here to tell you from the outside that you *will* succeed, and feel good. It is fact. I hope this helps

[@jem5636]

It's a tricky thing, someone pointed out that exposure can make it worse. Sometimes you need to do the thing, but it's important to recognize when you need to not do it at all. I've taken a lot of breaks from my creative endevors, and it means I don't make as much but I enjoy what I do make way more.

[@SUPRIzEi]

this is how I feel. the more I do it the more I worry and get tired of it and get annoyed with how everything is turning out. I think it really is a mindset thing, I need to learn how to draw for fun without thinking of the end result that much

[@gdhdgab]

"is it okay to be influenced by anime?" made me giggle cuz that shit is so real LOL thx for this video man

[@cal4906]

I really needed a video like this for a long time. I've always seen advice like, "Burned out? Just take a break!" But I have found that I still stay burnt out because just taking a break isn't enough if you don't approach things differently upon return.

[@DesignersDelusion]

I have seen SOOOO many videos about this sort of thing, but none talk about it so pointently and relatably as yours. Also I love that you gave actionables immediately. They way you quantified comparison by level of importance really just broke a lot of my mental blocks on the spot.

[@shlimon7667]

It’s insane how well you seem to know my mind. Not even just drawing but like life goals in general like you said in the end. Goals that are literally just meant to be fun and stem from passion, but that I sometimes view as an obligation when thinking about the grand scheme and thereby detracting value from it.

[@JBUG]

I wanted to say that this video was the catalyst into making me crawl out of burnout and trying to live a balanced lifestyle; your work has inspired me for years now. Please keep it up! ❤

[@mariposawolf3849]

i used to be incredibly passionate about performing music instrumentally, so much so that i persued a music degree. but the switch from performing because i love it to needing to practice every single day or else my professor will be able to tell if i didn't was too much. this was also when my self confidence was below the floor, so i was constantly comparing myself to my friends and other musicians who were *miles* above what i was. not only did i switch majors, but i never touched a single instrument ever again. it's been more than 5 years, and the thought of picking up an instrument again (regardless of what type) fills me with so much dread and sadness. never realized it was actually burnout til this video, so im glad i know what the problem truly was. i hope i can perform again someday

[@notlunalust]

I'm always appreciative for these videos talking philosophically or more emotionally about art, honestly it's a rare site on this platform in general. Most content about art on here is to "LEARN QUICK WITH ONE SIMPLE TRICK" but, what about all the moments before and after that? What about how I feel when it doesn't work? I think this video was very sweet, and informative :3c I'm still not sure how burnt out I really am on art, but I'll keep this video saved and in mind!

[@CopperPudding]

damn, this video is so spot on. thank you for making this because honestly it's been really lonely and well... scary, being on this side of the art experience that no one talks about and no one else seems to be going through. i haven't drawn in 4 years because of fear, and it's hard to talk about it or even admit to myself because, what the hell does being afraid to draw even mean, yknow?? but seeing this video + all the comments here helps me feel less doomed hahaha like, if this is also something others experience and are gently pushing themselves through, then maybe i can find my way out of it too.

[@Nameshouldbehereplz]

I relate to this all too well I have trouble approaching, and in turn, learning any hobby because my immediate thought was that I had to do it to "survive," basically. When in reality, I shouldn't make something like that my job. What I do to provide food on the table may need to be separate from can bring my own sense of personal freedom. I'm currently at a point where I'm taking a break until I can approach hobbies with a healthier mindset while trying to appreciate myself more. I'm definitely too analytical and tend to get overwhelmed easily by a lot of things in life (mostly my own thoughts), but I want to accept myself despite this. Anyway, another great video as always. You really keep us thinking lol

[@thisguyispeculiar]

How to combat burnouts: 1. Re-associate positive things with your activity 2. Prioritize your problems 3. Don't hammer away at the nitty gritty before starting

[@KickUpHammyDude]

I really needed this video! I'll listen to it regularly because I most definately feel this in my life. Especially with other life factors contributing to my burnout.

[@IAmCatElf]

As someone whose love of art got destroyed by art school, this video is so underrated and I can’t wait to see you blow up!

[@cristianstoica4544]

That video of yours about the perfect white page that doesn't get any drawings is living rent free in my mind

[@anan-drea]

I drew so much back in school, when it was my outlet for..being burned out in school. This was over 8 years ago. Since then, i took a break..and never really returned. My brain sees it with so many expectations that I'm scared to even try again. Well done putting my life experiences into such a fun video.

[@missmonke8706]

Delaying analysis until *after* you do the thing? Ah. Genuinely hadn't thought to try that out. (Always love a vid from your channel)

[@treeflamingo]

I clicked on this video expecting to be called out and honestly I’m feeling so called out right now

[@squidwardart]

In general it's a really good idea to write down the problems that bother you and chances it will be obvious what to do by the time you wrote them down if it's something more complicated it will still help and you can keep writing as you think, journaling is great(and no you don't have to have the best journal in the world)

[@flyingfox3296]

100% agree! Journaling has been really helpful for me. That, and talking to other people who can give me different perspectives.

[@AlexanderDiraviam]

This feels like something that’s going to help me for years to come

[@MixAndMash]

Afraid to be the type of guy that shifts the conversation to be more about himself here, but I've been feeling a very similar way with music and this video really helped me-- I'm still thinking about how these things apply to my own process. I hope that the waning views on your more recent videos do not discourage you from making more really awesome stuff in the future-- no pressure, however! ;)

[@MattiasPilhede]

I still want to make more vids, and although the algorithm is a mystery to me I get the general idea that my recent vids are probably too specific to my taste to go "big"

[@shleepy1687]

Art collage mixed with high school art has made it hard for me to draw. The sad part is I want to draw/craft stuff again but life and my motivation is just not there. It just makes me sad when I try to doodle anything and I just got mad or get in that over-perfection mindset that it looks bad. But I'm praying once for me and my boyfriend's online business works well so I can start making designs for our products and start getting back into art again.❤🙏

[@vishipsherrah]

I occasionally did some doodles in the past and had a lot of fun doing that but when I've made a decision to start drawing as a hobby i was very stressed from the start. I felt too afraid of drawing something ugly so i was just drawing the things i see at the start. Later i slowly started drawing my own ideas and was still stressed but felt a little good after. I was forcing myself to draw, thinking that eventually i will stop feeling stressed after i get good at it. I was comparing myself to other artists with their ocs and stories that they have made at the beginning of their art journey and thinking that i should immediately make important decisions that will impact everything i will make later. But their art wasn't better than mine, it was just different. And then i just couldn't imagine what to draw, felt tired and slowly stopped. A few months later i came back but made only a few drawings of the ideas i had in my head (gifts for my friends) instead of sitting and inventing new creative stuff as i go. When i draw i feel anxiety of making something ugly and because of that can't experiment, draw rough sketches or cartoony expressive drawings. When i draw i see every tiny flaw in my drawings but when i look at the other people's art such details in their drawings don't matter to me. I think that might be because of my anxiety. I'm often afraid of making mistakes Now i feel difficulty bringing myself to draw, but when i do i don't feel so stressed, unless i try to draw something that's a little to difficult to me and make a lot of redraws until i get exhausted (happened only once, but i didn't make that many drawings lately). I only do it now when ihave an idea, feel well, have a lot of free time and no people around me (i don't have my own room and don't like to do it when being seen, especially at the start) I'm also limited by drawing with a pencil on paper, and without the color drawings look more boring

[@vishipsherrah]

I'm not bad at drawing. When i stop to look at them they look pretty good

[@vishipsherrah]

Maybe I'm so stressed because i have expectations of what i want to do and was obsessed with improving my skill

[@vishipsherrah]

Part of the reason why i didn't post my art online is because i wanted to improve my skills to a certain "acceptable" level before doing that but mostly it's because i just can't be bothered to do it. I don't even know what platform to do it on

[@SynStarr]

This literally describes my predicament. I go 110% on what I animate and draw so much that I forget to eat, I get fatigued easily and now I'm at the point where drawing is too daunting of a task that I put it off for months on end. Like you described in the video, I am also a very Analytical and Serious personality with a lot of "Problems" I have to solve before I can draw. I've reached a kind of burnout where the things I claim that I want to do are actually things I need to do because of a self-imposed deadline. "This cartoon HAS to be released on THIS specific day of the year or else I have to wait another whole year to have a second chance at this deadline." This has been going on for about 3 years now. It sucks.

[@flowerhouse7874]

Damn, i've been searching for answer since i was a child, and it's just.. burnout? The answer is so simple yet relatable, I can't stop crying

[@KoKabegami]

This video not only casually called out my difficulties with drawing, but one of my childhood trauma responses as well. 11 out of 10 advice.

[@wwtws]

if a video could become a poster, I would cover my whole apartment with this one

[@az-qf9ht]

Me and programming for the past 3 years. Thank you

[@digitaldritten]

yeah i also am burnt out of coding

[@amybrown6605]

Your videos are unskippable , love the way you layout your stories and thoughts!!!

[@kannabanana1318]

this video is AMAZING it's like you reached inside my brain and put all my struggles over the last 10 or so years of burn out into words. I got to the point where trying to draw for 5 minutes made me have a breakdown that kept me away from it for weeks but i always came back because i NEED art, I've been doing ever since i was a toddler and I couldn't give up completely. It took a lot of effort, a lot of changing the way i see things and an ADHD diagnosis+ treatment to slowly get back to it. Burnout stole a decade out of the thing i loved to do but after a lot of work I'm dragging myself out of this hole. Thank you, I'm going to show this to everyone I know, I'm sure it'll help them a lot too.

[@gardeningclown5528]

I feel like my brain was taken out of its skull and the contents that were shaken out of it became this video. Good golly I needed this, this is exactly how I’ve been feeling about everything for so long but for the longest time, I couldn’t figure out why. You just went out here and described most of my current problems word for word. I cannot thank you enough for this video, I needed this change in perspective so badly.

[@JustOrganizedChaos]

This video read me harder than I’ve ever been read before and I am baffled and shocked that is coming from stick figures

[@notmatt3678]

I first stumbled upon your channel 7 years ago when you dropped the "any idiot can learn to draw video". I started learning to draw at that time, and I've been watching your uploads ever since (love the growth and progress you made in your animations!), and now, 7 years later, I am working full-time as an artist. It's incredible how a random video a person stumbles upon can have such a large impact on their life. And now a burnout video when I'm feeling burnt out? Let's go!

[@nyyghtgaming]

This video is so good! It could apply to pretty much anything too, not just art. Really helped me reconsider how I think about and work through the burnout that I've been dealing with for about a decade. Thank you for this!

[@FiveArc]

oh this is just what I've felt like almost my entire life. very frustrating not being able to practice anything a significant amount

[@Azestii]

For me it was the hyper criticism of my friend that caused me to take a multi month long break from trying to learn. They told me that everything needed to be done a certain way. Pointing out every little mistake. It was demotivating As I keep trying to learn I just try to have fun, experiment with new styles. I’m still learning a beginner due to not having time to draw. That monkey animation you made helped me get out of that slump when drawing felt impossible

[@zeli1500]

This is even better than the war of art

[@Spicevipe]

this video just helped change my brain chemistry

[@MrSquidWhiskers]

Oh my god, that list at 7:07 is darkly funny and deeply relatable

[@ilse4846]

This is nice. I have encountered this problem so many times in my life. It's really disheartening when I take a look at my hobbies or things that I yearn for and what I feel is either a rush of anxiety or just plain emptiness. I'm working on stop over-analizing every single thing that I'm going to do and just simply doing stuff and accepting the results instead of just fearing the failures that I imagine.

[@user-qc8jd5tw6s]

Personally I feel this when I'm about to edit a video but like the feeling goes away when I just do it and I feel satisfied by the end. I'm not sure why there is hesitance sometimes, I don't think it's burnout for me personally as when I get over my fear I start enjoying it

[@nairocamilo]

Newsflash, buddy... It is burnout.

[@user-qc8jd5tw6s]

@@nairocamilo how tho if like 20 mins in I'm invested and enjoying it?

[@FaithG-s1f]

@@nairocamilonewsflash, buddy, youre not too bright

[@flyingfox3296]

I've heard this described as "resistance" before! I think it also needs a bit of distance from the task and some restructuring of our thoughts, expectations, feelings and ideas, similar to burnout. Journaling/writing about how you feel or talking about it to other people are both really helpful. After a little bit of introspection I was able to overcome this when I found a new way of engaging with the task. Still, it required me to adjust my expectations and let go of my worries while I do it. For me, it was an emotional block due to my complicated feelings regarding my past friends. Once I let go of those worries, I was able to engage with my task with less vague "bad vibes" baggage. But that's just one example of why someone would have resistance. Others can be guilt/shame, low self esteem, negative self-talk, perfectionism, stress, etc. Hope this helps! :)

[@MrPotatoemouse]

Sounds like the art equivalent of Stage Fright.

[@nicjolas]

you have no idea how closely i can relate to this 🫠

[@RockyThe6]

Just wanted to say not only does the topic hit the spot, the simple but expressive drawings also had me cracking up, loved this, thank you 😂❤

[@sscribbl]

so glad i saw this at this point in my life. i feel like im finally exiting burnout from art after being in it for almost 2 years and this was just what i needed to hear. thank you!

[@shibibi1]

I avoid this by constantly jumping to a new fascination before I can burn out, so when I return to the original fascination, I've had rest and dont have those negative feelings to ruin it! Even within a single hobby, currently jewelry making, I have multiple projects going at one time that I cycle between (yes I have adhd). I also, after much practice, learned to see failures as positive things, and, some failures become a new project. Basically challenging myself to find creative ways to save failed projects. I learnt to really lean heavily into the impulsive creativity and let go of the analyzing brain I use for other Hobbies (gardening and my animals). Do I exhaust myself? Yes. Some. Projects I will absolutely throw all my passion into and sucxaas or fail... That's exhausting! But by letting myself be distracted, take breaks, fail both big and small... I have avoided creative burn out. If only I had avoided burnout in every other aspect of life 😅

[@Cezille07]

I've felt this way about art for such a long time. I'm taking a very long break and pursuing other hobbies at the moment, and hoping to one day get into therapy. I still have some drawing ideas I want to see completed someday with full effort and polish, but it's not going to be soon. Thank you for putting my very vague, exhausted feelings into words with this video.

[@KarcharodonAstra]

I actually really needed to hear this. I've been putting off drawing recently to handle other things without really bothering to reason why except "I'm tired" or "maybe some other time when I don't have to do ___ soon". I know I'm probably not gonna do that huge project I've created and weighed over myself in my head immediately, but now I feel like some weight has been lifted just barely enough for me to reach for that pen and paper a bit more often. and I will, because that's how I started drawing. by just keeping my supplies and ideas near and not built up with anticipation. thank you, sincerely.

[@rinze111]

After 3 years, this is the first video that really spoke what I felt but couldn’t word out all these time. This helped. Thank you, sincerely

[@princesspiranha]

Thank you so much for this video! Loved the part about prioritizing, exactly what I don't find easy to do in daily life. Makes sense it works that way too for "problems" related to for hobby/art/work, it's overwhelming and freezes you in place.

[@goyavoyage]

This-- This comes at the exact right time. Thank you so much for making this. It cuts deep, and it helps.

[@LeftInStone]

Why must you hurt me this way

[@Extremely_Ethereal]

Mattias is a master at hurting his audience with the truth.

[@fedupN]

Thank you for this. And it scales far beyond only creative activities. So, again, thank you!

[@rainpooper7088]

Yep, exactly that. I've been worse about it, but I have another big art project coming up in a few months and I'm already feeling anxious. Gonna try and use this as a comfort video.

[@Victoriaghh]

Ive had burnout for around three years. Just hate drawing these days. Being an artist for a living killed my passion. I quit my job and started doing crane oeprating instead. Never ever do what you love for a living.

[@HoardEG]

LOVELY VIDEO!!! Thank you again Mattias!

[@Flawestruck]

Oh my gosh, I finally found someone putting what I feel into words that make sense! I'm into game development, been working on a few games and every time I stop midway because of needing art. I've even tried to use badly made temp art but I don't even feel like doing that much. I thought I had grown to hate drawing. But I still love to make a sketch once a week. Yet it's so hard to even get a pixel sprite done much less an entire animation or scene. Never thought that I might be suffering from burnout, especially when the burnout isn't due to art itself.

[@Bittamin]

Love how this applies to all creative hobbies ❤

[@Lynnroseeee]

I’m glad I found this video. It has such a beautiful message, and it can extend to many things other than art

[@KokoroHane]

This video was incredible. While I do like drawing, for me this applied to my biggest passion: writing and game dev. Lately I have been so burnt out and trying to plan to avoid burn out and only burning myself out further. When you talked about things becoming an obligation, I felt that! I was, and probably always will be, at my best when I was just having fun and not thinking too hard about anything. Just doing it. And I like how you say take as many breaks as you need. Sometimes I recovered burnt out the best when I stepped away, indulged in other things I love, and then come back often sharper since sometimes what I indulged in during my break did have subsets that polished my skills for my main passion. This video was just great, I think it really encompassed what burns us out and what keeps us in a burn out state, which I had not seen a lot of people talk about before.

[@scaredyfish]

Yes, is the answer. Yes. My thing is not drawing, but I feel so paralysed and ashamed.

[@mahimeghan]

what the heck… it’s like you looked directly into my mind into how I feel about art right now. How to study it, how to get better, how to be like the people i look up to

[@TheCouchPotatoWatchesTV]

This was something I really needed to hear, thank you 🙏

[@pilot-kfp5599]

I feel I'm in a good place rn, but I need to always watch out for my tendencies to overwork and trying to be more and more productive to the point to create a burnout. This video is a good warning even if you're a little far from burning out. Thanks!

[@llowkey]

Man, this is true for me in art, but also for me in life in general. Got lots of insight into my life from this, great video!

[@Nick07900]

I’ve been learning Japanese for about half a year now, and despite loving the language I’m afraid to get into it again because I don’t know where to start. This video came at just the right time!

[@fluffbyte-entertainment-sys]

this was the exact video i needed right now i think? the part about being analytical and trying to solve problems prematurely has really stalled my ability to make certain kinds of art. and i tend to switch to other fields of art thinking that will help the burnout, but it never does. i come back to it and im still being avoidant and getting in my own way. we've still got a long way to go but at least there feels like we have some workable was to approach changing things. thanks! -Scribblebyte

[@joshuaburger99]

Dern. idk how, but you’ve always got something insightful and helpful to say.

[@mcspiffy5843]

I appreciate this video so much, you cannot believe how helpful this is to my situation. From 3:50 onwards paralyzed me. Spoke to my core something fierce. Thank you so much.

[@angelicrobles6292]

I truly, deeply thank you for this video. 😭 I think you gave me validation for several lifetimes! I have bits of ideas now, to help myself out of burnout cycles, thanks to what I learned here. 🥰✨

[@betsyluntao4787]

Just, like, thank you so much for this. I feel like it’s everything I’d learn in the CBT session I can’t afford.