Recognizing Burnout in a Creative Career🔥

Me trying to shut my brain off at night

My to-do list is pissing me off these past few weeks, but I’ve figured out why. It started feeling like someone else’s to-do list entirely (shoutout Theo Von).

Doing more as a creative, an entrepreneur, a solopreneur (I like this trendy term) doesn’t always mean earning more. In fact, it’s often the opposite. I’m holding myself accountable. Here’s why.

The Productivity Bell Curve 📈⚖️

I’ve noticed something in my own journey as a creator and entrepreneur: When my to-do list has 2-3 core tasks, I’m at peak efficiency, peak earning power, and peak happiness. But once I start stacking 5, 6, or more things onto my plate, my productivity tanks, and my stress rises.

More money-tasks don’t equal more progress—they equal creative burnout. It’s like a bell curve:

✅ 2-3 high-priority tasks → Laser focus, deep work, big results.
❌ 5+ scattered tasks → Stress, half-finished projects, declining quality.

The truth is, when you work in a creative field, more hours doesn’t always translate to more income. I’m learning this the hard way, as I try to shed myself of my investment-banking work habits. Creativity thrives with space and pause, not suffocation.

The Never-Ending To-Do List Mentality 📋🔄

Being a creator means there’s always something you could be working on. Unlike a corporate job, no manager is handing you a checklist. It’s all self-imposed, and the list never truly ends, because the possibilities are endless. Kind of terrifying if you’re pretty driven.

Lately, I’ve found myself overloading my plate—not because I need to, but because there’s a lot of opportunity for me in the creator economy (great problem to have). And while more doors opening is exciting, I’ve had to remind myself:

🚀 Just because there’s more money to be made, doesn’t mean I should burn myself out chasing it. Otherwise, what’s the point in leaving corporate?

The Key Takeaways: How to Work Smarter as a Creator 🧠✨

📌 Keep Your To-Do List Short & Focused – Limit yourself to 3 main tasks per day. Prioritize the high-impact work that actually moves the needle.

📌 Make Space for Creative Thought & Pause – Creativity isn’t about grinding 24/7. It’s about giving your brain the freedom to think, ideate, and innovate.

📌 Hold Yourself Accountable for Overworking – If you find yourself working just to work, take a step back. Are you chasing real progress or just chasing the grind?

📌 More Hours ≠ More Money – The goal isn’t to be busy; the goal is to be effective.

💬 How do you manage your workload as a creator? And if you’re struggling with balancing personal brand vs. UGC deals, check out my last newsletter: The Two-Pronged Approach to Being a $20K/Month Content Creator.

Here’s to working smarter, not just more.

Stay creative,
Josh

📩 [email protected]
🌐 joshhublitz.com