Now that I no longer have the deadline of creating projects for a design team, I’ve been thinking a lot about my own cardmaking. Without that external deadline, I’ve realized that I have an opportunity to step back and ask myself what I actually want to make, and, more importantly, what I enjoy making.
That got me thinking about creative burnout. Have you ever reached a point where you still love cardmaking, but don’t feel quite as excited about making cards? Maybe you’ve experienced something similar. Let’s look at some signs that our creativity may need a reset, and then some ways to find our way back to enjoying cardmaking.
Have I Lost My Cardmaking Mojo?
Creative burnout doesn’t look the same for everyone. You may recognize yourself in some of these signs, while others may not apply at all. The important question is whether cardmaking has started to feel different than it once did.
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- You don’t want to start a card, even when you have time.
- Choosing what to make feels overwhelming.
- You have plenty of supplies, but nothing inspires you.
- You feel pressure to make every card “good enough” to share.
- You find yourself making because you should, rather than because you want to.
- You spend more time looking at other people’s cards than making your own.
- You have unfinished projects piling up.
- Photographing, blogging, or posting your cards feels like work.
- You keep making the same things because trying something different feels exhausting.
- Most importantly, cardmaking isn’t bringing you the same enjoyment it once did.
How Do I Get It Back?
If cardmaking has started to feel more like work than a creative escape, don’t force yourself to make more cards. Instead, make it easier to get started, and reconnect with what you enjoy.
Work seasonally, not months ahead. If it’s summer, make summer cards. When fall arrives, move into fall. Save Christmas for when Christmas is actually approaching. Working too far ahead can make a creative hobby feel like a production schedule.
Look at your own cards. Pull out cards you’ve made in the past. Which ones still make you happy? What colors, layouts, techniques, or images drew you in? Your own cards can be a better source of inspiration than endlessly scrolling Pinterest or Instagram.
Use sketches you love. A sketch gives you a starting point when you don’t feel like making every creative decision from scratch.
Create a roadmap for your projects. Instead of sitting down with a blank piece of cardstock and wondering what to make, decide on the basic ingredients first: a background, focal point, sentiment, and sketch or visual inspiration. You can physically kit those supplies together, or jot down your “card recipe” so you have a plan when you’re ready to craft.
Clear the clutter. Sometimes the creative block isn’t a lack of ideas. It’s about having too much stuff competing for our attention. A creative reset can be a good reason to clean up your workspace, put away supplies that have accumulated, and make the things you enjoy using easy to reach. And organizing can be part of the creative process, too. As you sort through your supplies, you may rediscover stamps, papers, dies, or tools you’ve forgotten about. Sometimes the best inspiration is something you already own.
Experiment without an agenda. Try a technique, watercolor an image, or combine supplies without deciding what the finished card needs to be. Not everything has to become a finished, shareable project.
Take a class. Sometimes we don’t need more inspiration; we need someone else to provide the direction.
Go back to why you started cardmaking. Was it stamping, coloring, watercolor, beautiful paper, learning new techniques, making something with your hands, or giving handmade cards to people you love? Find that thing again and do more of it.
What I’m Going to Try
Continue watercoloring. It’s something I genuinely enjoy, so I’m going to continue doing it simply because I enjoy the process.
Get out my background stamps. Background stamps were one of the first things I learned to use when I started making cards. I still enjoy experimenting with different inks and different papers.
Watch Penny Black videos with Jill Foster. I enjoy watching Jill’s Penny Black videos, and they fit nicely with many of the ideas I’m exploring here.
Maybe a creative reset isn’t about finding more inspiration or making more cards. Maybe it’s about removing the deadlines, expectations, and/or decisions that have gotten in the way of enjoying the process. For me, having fewer outside deadlines gives me a chance to figure out what I actually want to make again. I’m curious to see where that takes me.
Does any of this resonate with you? Have you ever reached a point where you needed to step back from cardmaking and rediscover what you enjoy about it? I’d love to hear what has helped you find your way back.