22 Jul 2023, 04:58

Hello All!

Is it common to feel burnout or stuck after graduating from Art school? What do you do to fix burnout?

I just graduated from Art school, and I am finding that I'm not sure what to draw anymore. At the start of my last year at school, I got a Job doing illustration and worked on both simultaneously. As a result, I hardly had time to put down a pencil and almost every day was a late night trying to keep up with everything while also making sure I practiced what was being taught. Luckily, I got a lot of practice, but as a result, I didn't have a lot of time for personal work. At my work and school, everyone just told me what to draw. Even for sketchbook assignments. I want to come up with portfolio pieces, but I just can't. It honestly feels like if someone just handed me a piece of paper and said, "Have at it, and have fun!" I would just get overwhelmed. It's like somewhere along the way I just lost who I am and what I like to draw.

Don't get me wrong, I am still very motivated at art, and I enjoy it so much and I feel very lucky I get to do this every day. It's just, when it comes to actual ideas right now, I'm stuck.

Hope this makes sense! Thank you for any advice! I really appreciate it! 🙏