A Poet's Summer: Finding Motivation Without Burning Out

Too many ideas are not always a good thing...

Summer.

I don't love the heat. I don't love the humidity. I hate the sun beating down on my pasty skin. I do, however, love the surge of motivation and ideas that comes with the season.

The only problem is that I haven't been able to harness it in the past.

Summer Brings Idea Overload

When summer hits, it's like a collective floodgate opens. Too many ideas are soaring through the air, tapping into the minds of creatives who have been starving for inspiration. It's a literal storm of creative energy that I've been asking for all winter.

I should start a new book.

I should also query a book.

I should create digital products to go with the book.

I should create low-content products to sell.

I should start a business.

I should start multiple businesses.

I should create a podcast.

I should go viral on every social media platform.

I should monetize my blog.

I should get a new job to support all these new dreams.

The problem is that when it finally arrives, I don't know what to do with it. Instead of making progress, I end up trying to do everything at once. What ultimately follows is creative burnout, and that burnout kills every bit of momentum that came my way.

Knowing When You're Approaching Creative Burnout

What is creative burnout? We talk about it all the time, but we don't always recognize it when it's standing on our doorstep.

Here's what it can look like:

• Too many ideas, not enough focus.

• Starting more projects than you finish.

• Feeling pulled in every direction.

• Saying yes to every creative opportunity.

• Constantly switching between projects.

• Feeling overwhelmed by your own ideas.

• Never giving yourself permission to rest.

• Believing you have to do it all right now.

• Confusing productivity with progress.

• Feeling guilty when you're not creating.

• Your to-do list keeps growing.

• You're inspired—but completely exhausted.

  
  

Summer is the season when I always tend to experience creative burnout. It's usually when I quit and tell myself I'll start again in the fall. In the past, that worked because I didn't have a book to sell or a clear vision of what I wanted to build.

Now I do.

Shadow Confessions: Raw Version was released this past June. I have another project waiting, smaller companion projects to pair with the book, and exciting conversations with my writing friend about what we can build next. There are finally things in motion.

I can't afford to burn out this time.

Letting Some Creative Pursuits Pause

Instead of putting every creative pursuit on the back burner, I'm doing something I've never done before—I'm prioritizing.

I'm focusing on what makes the most sense for me as an author, for my book, and for my creative well-being without feeling like I have to chase every idea at once. Walk through it with me...

Focusing on Short Writing Projects

Right now, I don't think I have the mental space to start another poetry collection or dive into a novel. I need to focus on shorter projects that I can actually finish—projects that leave me feeling accomplished instead of overwhelmed.

For me, that looks like journaling ideas, working on children's stories, writing one-off poems, entering poetry contests, and submitting work to literary publications. I've chosen one children's story to query soon, and I'm also designing a companion journal for Shadow Confessions.

The point is to finish things. Finishing is so important. If I jump into several long-term projects right now, I'll lose focus, become overwhelmed, and eventually burn out. For now, short, manageable projects are exactly what I need until the calmer months of fall and winter arrive.

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Social Media and My Online Presence

I have accounts everywhere. Before I self-published my poetry collection, I created author accounts across nearly every platform because I imagined sharing my book everywhere one day. The problem is that trying to be everywhere isn't realistic, and it often leads to burnout.

I can't spend all day staring at a screen, and I can't keep talking about what I've written if I'm never making time to write something new. So I've started prioritizing the platforms that make the most sense.

• Substack. It's the place for writers. It's where meaningful conversations happen, and I'm finding incredible value in connecting with other creatives while reading thoughtful essays every day.

• Personal Blog. Since I can repurpose many of my Substack posts, keeping my blog active still makes sense. It's also where I built my email list and where readers can easily discover my books. People love saying blogs are dead, but for my goals, they still serve an important purpose.

• YouTube. I've always been a TikTok girl. I genuinely enjoy making videos, and they've always been a creative outlet for me. But over the years, TikTok has left me disappointed with its reach. I'm shifting my focus toward YouTube, where I can eventually monetize, create longer videos, and hopefully build something with a longer lifespan.

• Pinterest. When I worked as a freelance writer for a tech company, I wrote countless articles about the long-term value of Pinterest. Unlike most social media platforms, Pinterest functions more like a search engine. A pin can continue bringing readers months—or even years—after it's published. That's why Pinterest has become the platform where I promote everything: my books, blog, Substack, YouTube channel, and future projects. I'm still learning how Pinterest fits into selling books, but I finally feel like I'm gaining some traction.

  
  

Non-Writing Creative Projects

Sometimes staying out of creative burnout means giving your creativity somewhere else to go.

I've been playing with the idea of starting a podcast. It would still feel creative, but it wouldn't require thousands of words from my fingers every day. That change alone feels refreshing.

I've also returned to baking and tackling home improvement projects—creative outlets that don't involve writing.

Every now and then, I need to remind myself that I'm a creative person, not just a writer. Stepping away from writing for a day, or even just a few hours, quiets the tornado of ideas in my head and helps me return with more clarity.

Rest Isn't Just for Winter

Above all else, I'm reminding myself that just because an idea arrives today doesn't mean I have to chase it today.

I can write it down.

I can make a list.

I can create a vision board.

Then I can save it for the season when I actually have the time and energy to give it the attention it deserves.

Summer has always been the season when I wake up early, stay up too late, and convince myself I can do everything at once. It never ends well.

This year, I'm trying to be more intentional with those bursts of creative energy. Instead of letting them scatter me in every direction, I'm learning how to guide them toward the projects that matter most.

Where are you creatively this summer? I'd love to hear.

Until next time, dreamers. ✨

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