I haven’t had a true painting session in about two months. 🫣
There, I said it. The woman who has her own painted art all over her home and office from over the last 9 years, doodles zentangles and hand lettered designs, plus pops color and creativity in nearly everything, hasn’t touched paint in two months. And you know what? It’s not the first time, it won’t be the last, and that’s perfectly okay. 🧡
Here’s what I’ve learned about creative overload – and really, any kind of mental overload that makes the things we usually love feel suddenly impossible.
When Complex Becomes Overwhelming
My painting practice isn’t just about making pretty things. It’s where I connect with God, process life’s complexities, and find that flow state where my brain can run on autopilot and sort through everything swirling around in there. It’s where I retreat to rejuvenate my mind, heart, and soul.
But lately, even thinking about setting up paints feels overwhelming and frankly, exhausting. The decisions – which colors, what surface, what technique – that used to energize me now feel like too much. My brain is already working overtime processing life transitions, health challenges, family coordination, and all the mental load that comes with daily responsibilities.
Now, people might point to my full-time church work as the culprit for this overload. And yes, ministry leadership adds its own complexity. But here’s the thing – my church work actually fulfills needs for spirituality, connection with friends, and being productive. It’s not the villain in this story.
I learned what true work overwhelm felt like with previous employers during my college days, when there was no work-life balance and my job drained rather than filled me. This is different. This is simply a season where I’m carrying more mental load than usual, and it can happen regardless of whether you love your work or not.
The Background Noise Problem
You know that feeling when your brain won’t shut off? When you’re at work but thinking about home ideas, and at home but processing work projects? That constant background mental noise that never quite settles?
That’s cognitive overload, and it happens in seasons of life when we’re carrying more than our usual mental load. It’s not necessarily about having a “bad” job or too much work – it’s about the cumulative effect of managing multiple life areas simultaneously.
Without my usual painting sessions – my brain’s primary processing time – all that mental noise has nowhere to go. It just keeps cycling in the background, making it hard to be fully present anywhere.
Simple Saves the Day
So I’ve been doodling. Zentangles. Simple black ink on white paper. Repetitive patterns that don’t require color decisions or complex compositions.
And guess what? It’s working.
Those meditative, repetitive patterns are giving my brain the flow state it’s been craving without the cognitive load that painting requires right now. The wave patterns I love creating, the simple geometric designs, the mindful repetition – it’s all there, just in a more accessible form.
Permission to Adapt
This isn’t just about art. It’s about recognizing when our usual practices – the ones that normally fill us up – become too much for our current season.
Maybe your morning devotional routine feels too long, so you switch to one verse and a breath prayer.
Maybe your exercise regimen feels overwhelming, so you take walks instead of structured workouts.
Maybe your elaborate meal planning feels impossible, so you embrace simple, nourishing foods that don’t require complex decisions.
It’s taking the things that usually bring you joy and fulfillment into a narrower focus, eliminating the overwhelm from decision fatigue but embracing the core of what gives you back some spark.
The Wisdom of Seasons
There’s wisdom in adapting rather than abandoning. Instead of giving up creativity entirely because painting feels too hard, I’m meeting my creative needs where they are right now. The spiritual connection, the meditative processing, the satisfaction in completing a design – it’s all still there, just in simpler form.
This season won’t last forever. My brain will settle, the overload will ease, and I’ll return to painting when it feels nourishing instead of overwhelming. But for now, I’m honoring where I am instead of forcing where I think I should be.
What Simple is Calling You?
If you’re in a season where your usual practices feel too hard, what simple version might serve you right now?
What would it look like to adapt instead of abandon?
What flow state is available to you in this season, even if it’s not the one you’re used to?
Sometimes the most creative thing we can do is choose the path that actually serves us, rather than forcing the path that drains us.
Your brain – and your soul – will thank you for the grace.
What simple practice is calling to you in this season? I’d love to hear how you’re adapting your routines to meet yourself where you are.
Sprinkle some joy in the comments! 🎨