Flex Your Creative Muscle
Creativity isn’t just something you “use up” at work. It’s a muscle. And if the only reps you’re doing are for clients, deadlines, and Slack pings… don’t be shocked when you start feeling creatively dead inside.
Creative burnout isn’t as loud as your traditional burnout—it’s real sneaky (a slithery little sneaky snake). You lose your spark, you start phoning it in, and suddenly, everything looks like a recycled Pinterest moodboard you barely care about.
The fix? Play.
And no, i don’t mean you need to buy a coloring book and do breathwork under a weighted blanket (unless that’s your thing, no judgement). I mean actual creative play. The kind that shakes your brain out of it’s rinse-and-repeat routine and reminds you that you actually like being a creative person.
We weren’t built to grind 24/7. Not mentally, physically and especially not creatively. The part of your brain that makes good work? It runs on dopamine, curiosity, and novelty — not caffeine and shame.
And if you’re only ever “on” for clients, you’re starving the part of your creativity that’s actually fun.
Here’s how to get it back
Change the channel
Literal or metaphorical. Take a new route to your coffee shop. Put on a playlist you’d never usually pick. Try a different brainstorm technique (sticky notes, whiteboard, 6 Thinking Hats—go wild). If your brain feels like static, give it something new to latch onto.
Sandwich the Play
Start or end your creative sessions with something that feels fun and low pressure. Watch a show, doodle something that’s not for anyone but you, or dance like a weirdo in your kitchen. You don’t need to earn play — you need it to make the good stuff happen.
Move Your Damn Body
This is your reminder: you have a body. Use it. Go on a walk, stretch, shake it out. Dopamine is free, and it’s waiting for you at the end of a 10-minute walk in the sun. Creative ruts aren’t always about the work. Sometimes it’s as simple as staying stagnant too long — so MOVE.
Get Uncomfy (on purpose)
Sign up for a weird class. Try something you might suck at. Join a coworking session. When you stretch your comfort zone, your creativity stretched with it. And if you’re never a little scared, you’re probably not growing.
Zoom Out
You’re not a task robot. You’re a thinker, a maker, a problem solver. You’re built to connect the dots other people can’t even see — remember that and honor it by giving your creativity space to explore, not just produce.
If you’re struggling to find that spark again…
I get it. I’ve been in the trenches—stacking client projects, overpromising, people-pleasing my way into exhaustion… and wondering where the hell my creativity and energy went.
But the good news is you don’t have to figure it out alone. I work with creative professionals and freelancers to help them rewire their workflows, set better boundaries, and actually enjoy their business again.
We build a roadmap. We ditch overcomplicating things. We find what works (and yea, we still make room for naps and Netflix when needed.)
So, if your creative muscle is feeling a little atrophied? Let’s stretch it out.
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
Hey, I’m Angela.
I’m a brand strategist, designer, and creative business coach with a background in high-pressure agencies and a low tolerance for bullshit. I’ve helped launch brands, mentor freelancers, and build creative systems that actually work—without selling your soul or burning yourself to the ground.
This blog is where I say the things I actually think—about business, burnout, boundaries, and becoming. Unfiltered. A little unhinged. And always rooted in experience.
