Filling up and emptying out

Robin’s recent post on feeling nothing captures the emptiness I’ve felt at times in my career.

As a designer I create because I love to see things come to life. Creativity fuels me. I see things all around me, bask in their beauty and magnificence, and feel the urge to make things, to move things around, to see what happens when I try new remix and tweak.

But sometimes I come up empty. There’s nothing left in the tank, and I feel adrift.

At times like this the answer isn’t to double down. Rather we should step back and find sources to restore us, to help us feel something again.

Feeling anger, frustration, sadness—these things aren’t a problem. It’s good to have strong feelings. It’s who we are. Inside Out shares that point perfectly.

But it’s when we feel nothing that we’re at risk of burning out and not easily recovering. So the advice I’ve taken to heart is to look for those signs. If I don’t care about anything it’s a sign that I need to take some time to restore, to refill, to get back to that first love.

Creatives got into their respective field for a reason, because we care. When we stop caring that’s a warning sign to care for ourselves.