Burnout, Boundaries, and Creative Capacity: A Season of Saying Less
Here’s a truth I’m sitting with:
I’m already stretched thin and the holiday chaos hasn’t even officially started.
It’s not because I hate what I’m doing—quite the opposite. I’ve been saying yes to a lot of things I love. Beautiful collaborations, meaningful work, creative ideas that make my soul light up.
But there’s a difference between loving something and having capacity for it.
Turns out, just because I love an idea doesn’t mean I have to do it right now.
Just because a group or opportunity or invitation sounds amazing doesn’t mean it fits in my actual, lived week. (Spoiler: it usually doesn’t.)
I’ve been learning the hard way that overcommitting—even to good, sparkly, soul-aligned things—leads me to burnout. And not the dramatic crash-and-burn kind. The slow, sneaky kind where I’m still technically doing everything, but I’m resentful, disembodied, and quietly fried.
We talk a lot about learning to say no to what we don’t want.
But lately, I’ve had to learn how to say no to things I do want.
And that’s been way harder.
It’s not about rejecting joy or creativity—it’s about building a life that’s honest about time and energy and nervous system reality. It’s about checking my actual capacity before my mouth says yes. It’s about choosing my yeses like they matter… because they really, really do.
So here’s where I’m landing as we enter this next season:
💬 1:1 Creative Embodiment Coaching
Ongoing or 8-week deep dive—spaces where we get honest about what’s here, what hurts, and what wants to be made. Part coaching, part ritual, all about remembering your voice and body.
🌀 Creative Current Circle (coming January)
This is the 8 week group space: gentle, expressive, community-rooted. Art-making, reflection, connection—without the pressure to perform. More info coming soon.
🕊️ Art of the Pause
Thursdays 1:30 pm Online or in person Bluffton, SC.
If your body is craving a reset, this class is a small but mighty exhale. Movement, breath, stillness—designed to help you drop in and soften. Come as you are.
And maybe—before you say yes to this or anything else this season—you pause and check your own capacity. Ask your body. Let it answer.
That’s the practice I’m in.
And maybe that’s enough.
From my messy magic to yours,
Jess
