I’ve Been Planning Instead of Creating (Here’s My Reset Plan)
Lately, I haven’t really been creating.
And I can feel it, because when I’m not making things, I don’t feel like myself.
Instead of creating, I’ve been planning. Researching. Watching other people create. Tweaking branding ideas. Thinking about strategy. Rearranging goals.
And somehow… not actually making anything.
If you’re a creative, especially a teacher, a mom, or someone building something on the side, you probably know this cycle.
It feels productive.
But it’s not.
Burnout, Fear, and Indecision
When I sat with it, I realized this isn’t laziness. It’s a mix of burnout, fear, and indecision.
I’m a full-time special ed teacher. I’m a single mom. My days are full emotionally and mentally. When life feels overwhelming, creativity is the first thing that disappears.
When my home feels chaotic…
When my systems aren’t tight…
When I’m just trying to survive the week…
I don’t create.
I consume.
I watch productivity videos. Art business videos. Branding advice. I tell myself I’m “working”, but I’m not creating.
I’ve been consuming content about creating content instead of just creating.
It’s like I’ve been preparing to be a creator instead of being one.
The Fear I Didn’t Want to Admit
There’s also fear in here.
Fear of choosing the wrong direction.
Fear of committing fully to YouTube.
Fear of being seen.
Fear of doing it wrong.
And when I don’t know which direction to take, I procrastinate and get stuck in planning mode.
I rethink my brand name.
I reconsider my niche.
I reorganize my goals.
All instead of picking up a pen.
Perfectionism can look like preparation.
But sometimes it’s just avoidance.
When YouTube Stops Feeling Creative
I also realized I’ve been treating YouTube like content creation, instead of a creative outlet to share my art journey.
And that shift made everything hard.
When every video has to lead somewhere, to growth, to products, to income, it stops feeling like art.
It becomes pressure.
And pressure kills creativity.
I don’t want YouTube to be another obligation. I want it to feel like a public creative journal. A place where I document the process instead of trying to perfect the outcome.
My Creative Reset Plan (Tiny, Sustainable Steps)
I’m not rebranding.
I’m not making a 90-day transformation plan.
I’m shrinking everything.
Because when I’m overwhelmed, simpler is better.
1. One Illustration a Day
Just one.
Not for Etsy.
Not for a product launch.
Not for a strategy.
Just to rebuild the muscle.
I don’t need to build a brand right now. I need to rebuild a habit.
Creativity is a practice. And I’ve let the practice slip.
So I’m starting small.
2. Film Five Minutes While I Draw
Instead of overthinking YouTube content, I’m going to film five minutes of drawing.
That’s it.
It might become a short. It might not. But I’m documenting the practice instead of performing.
No big setup. No elaborate scripts. Just quiet creation.
It’s accountability without pressure.
3. Fix the Systems That Support Creativity
Here’s something I’ve learned about myself:
When my home and routines feel chaotic, my creativity shuts down.
I can’t create in constant reaction mode.
So part of this reset isn’t just drawing more. It’s tightening my systems.
Simple weekly resets.
Better automation at home.
Clearer business priorities.
Not extreme. Not rigid. Just supportive.
Because creativity needs space.
Clarity Comes From Action
I think I’ve been waiting to feel clear before I create.
But clarity doesn’t come first. Action does.
If you’re stuck in planning mode too, maybe the answer isn’t another strategy video. Maybe it’s shrinking the goal.
One page.
Five minutes.
One small act of creation.
Not more.
Just consistent.
This is me choosing tiny action again.
One illustration. Five minutes of filming. No overthinking.
I’ll let the clarity come later.