Summary

The article provides strategies for reigniting creativity and avoiding burnout by leveraging Medium's features, diversifying content creation, and incorporating multimedia elements such as video and audio.

Abstract

The article addresses the common issue of creative burnout, particularly when consuming uninspiring content. It emphasizes the importance of engaging with content that uplifts and inspires, suggesting that creators should curate their consumption on platforms like Medium to foster inspiration. The author highlights new features on Medium that allow users to filter out unwanted content, and encourages writers to explore different topics or create their own publications to stimulate creativity. Additionally, the article advocates for the integration of video content through YouTube embeds and the creation of podcasts using free tools like the Anchor App, suggesting that diversifying content formats can prevent writing fatigue. The author also stresses the efficiency of repurposing content across text, audio, and video, arguing that this approach is not lazy but intelligent, as it reaches different audiences and keeps content fresh.

Opinions

Consuming content that does not inspire can lead to feelings of jealousy, crankiness, or feeling lousy, which are detrimental to creativity.
Medium's new feature to hide uninteresting writers or publications is praised for allowing a more personalized and inspiring content feed.
Creating a Medium publication or writing about different topics can rejuvenate a writer's passion and provide a sense of control and immediate feedback.
The article promotes the use of video content and provides a tutorial on embedding YouTube videos into Medium articles.
Podcasting is presented as an accessible and enjoyable way to expand one's creative output, with the Anchor App being recommended for its ease of use and cost-effectiveness.
Repurposing content is defended as a smart strategy rather than a sign of laziness, as it allows for storytelling in new ways and reaches diverse audiences.
The author believes that embracing a multi-format approach to content creation, including text, audio, and video, is key to overcoming writer's block and staying engaged with one's audience.

How To Fall In Love With Creating Again On Medium

Move From Burn Out To Creating Like Never Before

You open the computer and see more of the same. A few clicks or swipes later… again, it’s still more of the same. Booooo!

If you’re consuming a bunch of stuff that isn’t inspiring you, why on Earth do you think you’ll suddenly be inspired?

I get it. I’ve been there too.

Let’s dig into this question: How do you know if content is helping you?

When content is helping you, it’s lifting you up. It’s teaching you something. It’s inspiring you. It makes you want to go create.

If you’re feeling jealous, cranky, or lousy, it isn’t helping you at all. I have to be totally honest here; block those websites. Mute or remove those connections on social media. Unsubscribe from those emails.

If it’s not lifting you up, it’s pulling you down. Your mental energy is the most valuable asset you have when it comes to creativity.

Medium Has Made Things Better

For a while, it seemed like Medium was one of those problems for me. I first scaled back a bit. I debated leaving altogether for a quick moment. But now, I’m starting to love Medium again.

What happened? Thankfully, Medium has listened to us.

You can now hide any writers or publications that are not giving you the content you want on the home page.

This feature is amazingly helpful! I can read more of what I want and less of the same topics over and over.

I recommend just hiding stories at first. It might not be worth muting an author or publication unless you know for sure that the content is not helping you.

Try Something Totally Different

Don’t forget, you have tons of freedom as a writer. Let’s say you normally write about personal development, like my friend Jack Heimbigner. He also has a Medium publication about being a dad.

It is really easy to create your own publication. Yes, you’re building it from the ground up, but you also have total control over it. You know when those posts will publish, which is a really great thing. No waiting! No wondering! No emails. Just schedule it and go.

Maybe you don’t want to create your own pub. That’s fine. Just writing about a different topic in one single post can really get the creative juices going. Write about productivity most of the time? Now is a great time to try your hand at writing about business. Maybe you even submit a piece to a new to you publication.

Use Video Content

Do you have a YouTube Channel? If not, you probably should. Now is a great time to start creating video content. I talk about this more here in this post.

Create More Video Content Right Now

Don’t miss out on connecting with your audience

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Start making videos and then post your video content here on Medium as an embedded video. It’s so easy to do. Just grab the YouTube URL for the content and then click the plus and then click the + to the left here on Medium, and go to the < > embed feature. Paste it and you’re good to go.

Here’s what it looks like in action. I just made a cover image for my video in Canva.

Even if you don’t have any video content of your own, you can share videos you like as well in a post. Especially if it makes the piece stronger. I like to drop in favorite clips. Try contacting the person who made the video and tell them about the post too. They will share it more often than you think.

Don’t Forget About Audio

Medium makes it super easy for you to embed a podcast into posts. I’ve been podcasting a while, and I’ve always struggled with promoting the shows. That is until I rethought how I can use Medium.com to share my podcast.

If you’ve already got a podcast, just go to search.radiopublic.com, then enter the name of your podcast. Select your show and you’ll see a page like this.

That’s a podcast I just started last week.

And here’s the player I get from just pasting the URL into Medium and hitting enter.

I made the Creative Sparks Podcast on a whim last week just thinking that it would be a fun way to encourage others.

Best of all, it was absolutely free and super easy to do using the Anchor App on my phone. You don’t have to spend a penny on gear or services to start a podcast. I made my logo using the free pro trial of Canva.

It was a blast to do. And it sparked some creativity (pun intended) doing all of that work. I wrote more about podcasting here.

How To Start Your Own Podcast Today

Sound crazy? Nope. Here’s how to do it

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The Takeaway For You

Making new stuff is a fantastic way to avoid writing burnout. Even repurposing some of your content is a great idea. The truth is you’re not going to be able to create 100% new content all the time. It’s impossible. The best you can do on some days is share a story in a new way.

Whenever you start feeling a bit burnt out with content creation, the answer is almost always right in front of you. Embrace the triple threat: creating with text, audio, and video.

Repurposing is not stealing, or being lazy. It’s being really smart. And the audience is often different for each form of content. So share more great stories. Create new things. That’s how to get unstuck. You’ll soon start looking at content creation in an entirely new way.

Want to know how you can blog, write a book and build a platform at the same time? I’ll show you in a helpful mini-guide here.

Jim Woods is the co-author of the bestselling books Ready Aim Fire and Focus Booster. His work has been featured in Fast Company, Life Hacker, Goinswriter, The Write Practice, and other publications.