Question from L.M – Visual Designer (and artist) in Sydney:
"Hi Christie, I've been reading your newsletter for a while now and read them on my commute. They're always exactly what I need to hear. I love how you deeply you think about things and always make time to make art even with a busy job. I wish I could be as consistent as you.
I want to make art again, but by the time I get home from work I'm so exhausted, I can't do anything. Even making dinner is an effort, so I often just make toast. I might scroll for a bit or watch youtube, fall asleep, and then the same day comes all over again.
And before you ask, yes I do have time on the weekends, but my body just feels heavy, I honestly can't be bothered. I either watch art making vids on youtube or play a game, and feel guilty for not doing anything AGAIN. When I see people making art online I can't help but feel jealous... I wish I made that!!! I feel guilty even admitting it. I dno. I used to love drawing, and used to be really good. Now I feel like I can't even draw an orange lol. I want to release a comic book series one day, but every time I think about starting it, I just blank.
Ok what's my question... I guess I want to know how you stay motivated?"
Hi L.M,
You're an illustrator—how lovely. Illustrators have exquisite minds—they're observers and often see the ridiculousness in life. A true gift.
Thank you for being so open about where you're at. You've perfectly described my early career journey—even down to the toast-for-dinner detail.
Here's a little drawing I just did inspired by your reflection:
Working as a designer full time is no walk in the park, is it? I feel your exhaustion. It requires a lot of energy. And knowing that is important because it begs the question: what work is worth the energy?
Now, your art practice. I think it's fantastic that you want to get back into making. Is there something pulling at you to explore?
I've met a lot of creatives like you that used to have solid creative practices, but haven't expressed in years, and now feel guilty for it. We're so hard on ourselves.
Society loves measuring success against output, and I think artists unfortunately get caught up in that.
We could unravel all the reasons why we are the way we are... but I think the simplest answer is to just create. Anything. Doesn't have to be amazing. You think I'm proud of my toast up there? Not really. But I liked drawing it.
You're a designer, yes. But you're an artist first.
You see and feel things others don't even know are there. And that can feel like a heavy burden—IF we don't express ourselves. Practice expressing it. Lower the bar and go for it.
Wanting to 'release a comic book series one day' comes from sketching the odd characters in your life. The odd scenes. The ones that make you smile.
Your current experience reminds me of a cartoon I created when I was burnt out a few years ago.
Carving out time for your practice after a big pause can be daunting because our expectations are higher than our skillset allows. But that's only because we're out of practice. If a guitarist missed a year of practice, you'd expect them to be a little rusty too, right? Be kind to yourself.
When we feel like we "should" muster the motivation to create, something's missing.
Creating is the aftermath of inspiration. You're not working on creative side projects yet, you're at the stage of getting back in touch with yourself through expressing.
So, my honest advice to you would be to try as many things as possible. Get around different creative makers. Do workshops, classes, attend talks – fill your cup and see what happens.
Break up the routine, change your environment, and try things that look interesting. Don't wait for motivation and confidence before you act—you get both by doing things outside your comfort zone.
And when your mind starts wandering to potential catastrophes—jump up and down for a few minutes. Challenge your body. Sitting still = rumination, movement = creative flow.
Have fun with it.
Can't wait to see what you make.
❤️ Christie B
P.S. If you want to kickstart the year with inspired direction, join my 30-day Creative Voice Challenge, starting on January 4th, 2026. You already have a Creative Voice. This challenge is designed to identify and actualise it.
