OVERCOMING CREATIVE BURNOUT
A Masterclass for Creators (and we’re ALL Creators!).
What: A 2-hour Masterclass to help find the source of your creative burnout and identify actions you can take to start to heal.
Date: Wednesday, 3/26/25
Time: 5 pm - 7 pm Pacific
Location: Online- Zoom Link will be sent before the event
Fee: Complimentary
Hosted by Laura Foster, MA, International Keynote Speaker and Professional Life and Leadership Coach
What is This All About?
Do you remember what creativity felt like as a child? How it was free and liberating and FUN? I’ve never seen a young child look at their paper turkey made from a traced hand or the crayon drawing they did of their family and say, “I didn’t do my best work here. This could be so much better.”
So, what happens to our relationship with our creativity between that wide-open wonder that children have and the relationship that so many people have today- one of disconnection, burnout, and judgment?
The truth is, a lot. And, since we can’t change the past, let’s look to the future and see what we can do to realign with the creative force that lives within us all.
And don't think this applies only to artists, writers, or designers. If you're human, you're creative. Creativity shows up in how you solve problems, communicate ideas, organize your home, connect with others, and navigate challenges. This masterclass is for EVERYONE experiencing disconnection from their innate creative capacity, regardless of profession, title, or artistic ability.
Are you experiencing symptoms of Creative Burnout? Let’s check.
Creative burnout isn't just making you resentful and lost; it's actively stealing 40% of your creative potential. Every day you continue in this state is a day you're creating at less than half your capacity. It's time to change.
- From research by The American Institute of Stress
Does Any of This Sound Familiar?
-You're constantly racing from one task to the next, hardly ever finding space to breathe.
-You feel overwhelming exhaustion when you think about creating anything- from a dinner party to a one-woman show.
-You just can’t seem to get to that project that’s been on your heart for years- the garden, the pottery class, the book….
-When you do have downtime, you find yourself too exhausted to engage with the creative pursuits that once brought you joy.
-You believe that if you could “just take a year (or insert your ideal timeframe here) off,” you could find your creative spark again.
-You've tried time management techniques, productivity apps, and calendar blocking, but the disconnect only seems to grow deeper.
What many people don't realize is that these struggles aren't simply about time management or work-life balance. They're symptoms of a deeper issue: Creative Burnout.
Recovering from Creative Burnout isn't just about starting to make art again or other things that are traditionally "creative." It's about honoring the breadth of inspiration, innovation, and authenticity that lives within you- the place where your spirituality, your purpose, and your truest expression meet.
An Invitation to Reconnect, Reinvigorate, and Restore
This masterclass isn’t about finding the latest productivity hack or surface-level motivation techniques.
It's about something much more fundamental: reconnecting with the authentic creative voice that is ALWAYS within you. The part that is too often drowned out by noise, expectations, and judgments- both against yourself and others. The part that your soul is LONGING to come back into alignment with.
Together, we'll seek to understand that creative burnout isn’t actually a complete failure on our part. It’s a strong message pointing us toward a more integrated and sustainable creative practice.
A staggering 75% of creative professionals are experiencing higher levels of burnout than before the pandemic began. This isn't speculation—it's documented in Adobe's 2023 Creative Career Report. Three out of four people in creative fields are struggling with this. That's not just a statistic, it's a wake-up call that something fundamental needs to change in how we approach our creative lives.
My Story of Creative Burnout
There’s no question that I spent longer in creative burnout in my career as a fashion designer than I spent not in creative burnout.
In my first design job, I was so excited that I went back to the office most nights after the gym and on Saturday mornings. Not because I HAD to, but because I loved it. My office had a view of the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, and I used to sit in front of the window by my desk and just bask in the fact that my work life had surpassed my wildest expectations.
Several years later, the story was very different. By this time, I had moved up to a designer director role (a big jump for my experience level), and my department was seriously understaffed. The LAST thing I wanted to do was to go back to the office after the gym; in fact, my 9 am arrival time slipped to almost 10 am by the time I left that job.
I started taking Ativan every night to sleep because I couldn’t silence the anxiety that was constantly muttering in my brain. I was drinking two, sometimes three (if I’m honest, sometimes four) glasses of wine every night. And I cried. Everywhere. In the bathroom at the office. In my car on my way to the gym. In the owners’ office, when they asked me if I’d consider moving to New York City.
I was completely overwhelmed.
I left that job. And guess what? It didn’t solve my problem.
I didn’t realize that my issues weren’t about the job or the company. A lot of it was about me and the way I was interacting with my creativity.
In all the jobs that followed, even in my coaching business, I saw this same scenario play out over and over again.
It’s only when I slowed down and realized that my creativity needs nurturing the same way my body, and my mind, and my soul need nurturing that things shifted for me. I started going to figure drawing class again. I pulled out my Post-it notes and markers and started dreaming again. I made time to get out in nature and tend to my soul.
I’ve just finished leading a 6-week group program named Creative Content Lab, and I realized as I was leading it that my level of enthusiasm and joy is markedly different than it used to be.
I feel alive. I feel energized. I feel empowered. I feel like I’m in integrity with myself and my creativity. I am no longer in creative burnout.
I want you to know that this is available to you, too. Whether or not you work a traditional “creative” job as an artist or a designer, your creativity matters just as YOU matter!
You can absolutely recover from Creative Burnout and learn how to use your creativity in healthy ways that are in alignment with your highest good.
This masterclass is designed to help you identify where you are right now in your relationship with your creativity. It’s only in knowing where we are that we can start to take action to change.
This is not a lecture geared towards providing Information. This will be a working session to support you in your Transformation.
To that end, come prepared to have your camera on, do some journaling, participate in break-out rooms with fellow participants, and stay for the entirety of the workshop.
If you can’t attend live- you will have access to a recording for 72 hours following the event.
By the end of this Masterclass you will-
Get clear about where you are when it comes to your creativity and burnout.
Experiment and learn in community with other like-minded creative souls.
Rediscover the habits and actions that your creativity needs to really thrive.
Walk away with one to three solid first action steps.
According to Gallup's comprehensive workplace research, 76% of professionals experience burnout at least sometimes, with more than 1 in 4 feeling burned out 'very often' or 'always.' These findings reveal a silent epidemic that's especially prominent in creative fields. This is symptomatic of a widespread condition that requires intentional intervention.
Praise for Laura’s Workshops
“Laura’s workshop on How to Fall {Back} in Love with your Work was fantastic! It was very timely and helped me reframe my mindset in a really valuable way going into conversation with my leadership just a few days later. It helped me ask for what I really wanted in my call and it opened the door for further conversation with my leaders.”
— Lauren Hebbel, Assistant Director, EY America
“I just wanted to recognize your coaching in the leadership in the workshops you offer. They have helped me immensely, and I have put several of the tips, insights, and discoveries I learned and uncovered in your workshops into practice, and they have been life-changing. I have grown professionally, personally and even resolved what previously seemed intractable problems. I am thankful for the quality of your work and for your generosity.”
— Deika Elmi, Security and Risk Manager
“I attended Laura’s workshop entitled ‘How to Become a Human Being rather than a Human Doing.’ I honestly felt it was life-changing. Laura expertly guided our group through a process and discussion that left us feeling more connected, brave, and resilient. Since then, I have given myself permission to live more fully. Thank you, Laura.”