How to Prevent Creative Crunch from Becoming Creative Burnout
It's been a wild several days.
For the past six months now, I've been pushing forward towards an important project deadline. It's a final set of design documents for a project at work. In that time, I've watched the project evolve into something impressive—better than I could have imagined at the start.
The catch?… The catch is crunch.
As with many deadline-driven projects, crunch can become the necessary evil we need to get through the last leg of the race.
I don't always mind crunch. Sometimes crunch forces me to resolve some outstanding creative problems quickly. Other times crunch elevates a project's potential or impact.
That said, crunch is not always our friend. Like a double-edged sword, crunch can also be a potential path to burnout.
Crunch is a stressor, a source of stress.
And stress isn't necessarily burnout. There is a difference between the two.
Simply put, stress is acute pressure, while burnout is the result of sustained pressure. Burnout happens when you don't have the opportunity to recover from that pressure.
Until about two weeks ago, I maintained harmony between the project and the rest of my life outside of work. But, nearing the submission deadline, I knew it was time to settle in and make that final push to the finish.
To prevent burnout, I gave myself some space outside of work and temporarily put a few side projects on hold so that I could focus. In addition, I communicated with friends and family that I had a work deadline and that I'd be busy for a few weeks.
The key to successfully navigating crunch is setting expectations.
This structure and preparation is a kind of protective wall.
If you're working through crunch on a project at work or on the side, there are a few steps you can take to hold off burnout.
1. Time
Crunch must be finite. There is a deadline, and the crunch must end once the deadline is met. When your feet pass the finish line, stop working. Pencils down. Walk away.
2. Communication
Let people know in your life that a project you're working on is essential to you and that you'll need some space to make it into a reality. If possible, let them know far in advance when you might be less available.
When it comes to architecture projects, I can typically predict when the crunch will happen. The projects I work on are slow-moving, titans that require scheduling out their deadlines months (if not years) in advance.
Sometimes the schedules change, but there are distinct windows of time that I know will involve some time of crunch.
3. Kindness
During crunch, it's not uncommon to work overtime and find yourself in a kind of flow state. Everything becomes about the project and meeting the deadline. Work blends with after work until you may find yourself moving from work, to sleep, to work, to food, to work again. It's not always easy to temporarily snap out of the cycle and remind ourselves we're still human.
Take breaks. Go for a walk. Get outside.
Set definitive times to disconnect. A kindness I gave to myself, I went and saw the movie Dune on IMAX. Your kindness could look like anything as long as it's something that you want it to be.
I'm proud of the work I do as an Architect and a creative. As such, I want it to be the best it can be. I know that by putting in the extra effort from time to time, the project will be better than it would be otherwise.
I also recognize that creatives can lose themselves in the work.
I've been there. I've seen what burnout can do to my life.
But I've danced with that devil before, and I've seen my limits.
I don't advocate crunch for everyone. But if you're someone like me who knows controlled crunch can be the difference between success and regret in the work we're passionate about, I think crunch can be a valuable tool to get you across that finish line if you use it wisely.
Make sure when the race is done that you celebrate your win. Rest and recharge. Come back to make your art with a clear mind and body.
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