5 Dragons Of Music Burnout

by Cari Cole

Burnout.

Burning out is no joke. It can grab a hold of you without you even realizing and it will steal your thunder just when you need it. Here is my list of the 5 Dragons of Music Burnout and how to slay those beasts (with your gentle loving care and attention ;)).

1. Dragon #1: The Dragon of Silence.

You’ve hit a long streak of writer’s block. Nothing is coming out and if it does, it sucks. The very first thing to do is to take off your “editor” hat. Chances are you recently raised the bar on your writing and it brought you to a halt. Tip 2: don’t force yourself to write in a particular style, tempo, or genre. Just let whatever is there come out, crappy or not. Keep in mind there is an ebb and flow to writing and you might be in the “ebb” phase. Like the waxing and waning of the moon, there is a time for gathering information and a time for creating.

2. Dragon #2: The Procrastinator Dragon.

No matter how hard you try, you procrastinate on just about everything that’s on your plate. There are many reasons for this, but when you actually reach “burnout”, even the last person on the list to procrastinate on anything will find themselves helpless against this dragon’s fire-y extinguisher. The only remedy is …. rest. It’s often the last thing you’ll want to hear, but it’s true. Take a weekend trip, or hop on your bicycle and take an afternoon ride. Make a plan to de-stress, get your mind off of everything and you’ll be back in no time.

3. Dragon #3: The Dragon of the Black Sky.

How do you know you’re captive of this dragon? Because a black cloud follows you wherever you go. Let’s face it, if this Dragon’s got you in its claws, surrender to the fact that you’ve got the blues.

4. Dragon #4: The Weighted Foot Dragon.

Even though you know what you should do, you lack the motivation to do it. You can’t seem to bring yourself to do the things you know you have to. What once seemed like an exciting opportunity to grow and get your music out there, now seems like climbing Mount Everest or the Himalayas. And all you want to do is curl up in a ball in front of your TV and watch the entire season of Game of Thrones front to back.

5. Dragon #5: The Dragon of Distraction.

No matter how many hours you sit in front of the computer screen or strumming your guitar, you spend hours on Facebook or Google whiling away your precious time. You can’t get anything done, and any opportunity to be distracted and you’ll take it.

It’s important to know during times of burnout a few more things.

One: That burnout is a result of OVERDOING it. So look to find a better rhythm. Are you rushing things? Do you do things out of panic and anxiety or thoroughness and attention to detail. Find a middle ground?

Two: That setbacks and when you are in the waning-of-the-moon that both are fuel for your muse. How? Well, sometimes the failures and setbacks point us more toward where we should be going that we wouldn’t have seen if we weren’t bumped in the nose. And the periods when the moon is waning (decreasing in size to our eyes) is a time for gathering information for those robust full moons when our creativity is sparked.

Which dragon has you in its path of fire? Share your story in the comments below!