If you’ve ever stared at your laptop mid-deadline and thought, “Maybe I’ll just disappear into a forest,” this mental health toolkit might just be for you.

Being a creative is wild. You’re told to follow your passion, and somehow that passion is expected to pay rent, win awards, cure burnout, and get engagement on the internet… all at once. But the truth? Creative industries are burning people out at record rates. Not because we’re dramatic. But because the work is deep, emotional, and oftentimes unprotected.

We dug into the research so you don’t have to. Here’s a real-world mental health toolkit for when your creativity is in overdrive and your brain is running low.

First, Let’s Name the Monster: It’s Not Just You

Studies show that 2 out of 3 creative professionals report work-related mental health issues. In the UK film industry, 64% have considered leaving entirely. And in the Dutch media scene? 74% have either experienced or witnessed workplace harassment.

Add to that the irregular income, lack of structure, and the subtle (or not-so-subtle) pressure to suffer for your art—and you’ve got a recipe for full-on burnout.

But real talk: burnout is not always about working too much.

It’s often about working from a place of fear, financial instability, or emotional depletion. It’s the pain of caring deeply about your work and having little structure or support to carry it.

What Makes Creative Work So Emotionally Messy?

Here’s the deal: creative people don’t just “do” their work, they are their work. So when a project tanks, or a pitch gets ghosted, it can feel like a personal attack. That kind of emotional exposure is exhausting.

According to neuroscientist Nancy Andreasen, creative brains are wired to feel deeply and think abstractly; which makes us brilliant but also vulnerable. Add in the ever-looming need to self-promote, self-fund, and self-soothe, and it’s no wonder many creatives report constant cycles of doubt and drive.

But Wait, Isn’t Passion Supposed to Save Us?

You’ve heard it before: “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Lie.

Passion can be beautiful fuel, but when employers and industries start using it to underpay or overwork you, it becomes a trap. Professor Mark Deuze calls it the effort-reward imbalance—when you pour your heart into work but get no protection, no proper compensation, and zero rest.

Even Elizabeth Gilbert (yes, Eat, Pray, Love Gilbert) says the myth of the tortured artist needs to die already. “Creativity and suffering are not soulmates,” she says. And we agree.

So What Actually Helps?

1. Mindfulness, But Make It Work for Your Schedule

Related article: How to Build A Wellness Routine That Doesn’t Feel Like Another To-Do List 

A study from a design consultancy in Copenhagen found that short bursts of mindfulness between creative tasks helped reduce anxiety and increased openness to ideas. Think: 5 minutes of silence before you open Photoshop or write a pitch.

Helpful Tip: Try integrating one quiet moment into your creative flow. It doesn’t have to be a full retreat. A mindful pause between tasks can do wonders.

2. Make Your Art Your Therapist (With Boundaries Of course)

Art therapy is a real thing. Whether it’s journaling, sketching without purpose, or creating playlists that mirror your emotions, giving yourself space to create just for you can be healing.

Helpful Tip: Keep a private creative space, a folder or notebook; just for you. No likes. No client. Just release.

3. Julia Cameron Was Right About ‘The Artist’s Way’

In her book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron swears by daily practices like “morning pages” to unclog your creativity without judgment. And she’s not alone. Several mental health experts back her up.

Helpful Tip: Create small daily creative goals. Not a finished piece, not a viral post. Just a step forward.

4. Rewire Your Definition of Success

The hustle gospel says: More work = more worth. But burnout research says: No, babe. According to Arianna Huffington, “Burnout isn’t the price you pay for success, it’s the cost of ignoring your humanity.”

Helpful Tip: Redefine success weekly. One week it might be submitting a pitch. Another week, it might be taking a nap and finishing a book.

5. Build Your Squad (Offline or Online)

Creative loneliness is real. But community is medicine. Whether it’s a WhatsApp group, your art school gang, or a fellow freelancer you send memes to—don’t create in isolation.

Helpful Tip: Reach out. Compare rates. Share doubts. Build tiny bridges.

When To Take Your Mental Health Serious

You’re allowed to take your mental health seriously, no matter how “small” the signs feel. If you’re feeling chronically anxious, numb, hopeless, or unable to find joy in the work you once loved, don’t wait. Talk to someone. A therapist. A coach. A trusted friend.

Here are some places that can help:

1. Mental Health for Creatives

2. Artists at Risk Connection 

3. Creative Boom Burnout Resources

Final Thoughts

You’re not broken because the work is heavy. The work is heavy.

But you can learn to carry it differently. With structure. With rest. With boundaries. With routines that don’t squeeze the life out of your art. You can rewrite the story where you don’t have to suffer for your craft.

And if you needed a sign? This is it.

Now breathe.

About author: Ifeoluwa Alabi is not just building a platform at For Creative Girls; she’s curating a movement, one mentorship, one wildly honest carousel, and one unfiltered newsletter at a time. From spotlighting undiscovered talent to designing programs that actually help creatives scale, she’s knee-deep in the messy, magical work of empowering women to own their voice and value in the creative economy. Equal parts strategist and storyteller, She wields content like a compass; always pointing towards community, clarity, and that sweet spot between art and impact. Whether she’s crafting a digital campaign, building a curriculum, or just tweeting through the chaos, her work reminds us that creativity is more than a hobby, it’s change in the making.