Obsession burnout

[Keith]

I have a few obsessions that come up every time I'm bored or restless, but now I'm sick of them. How can I deal with this "obsession burnout"?

They're nothing much. Just a fantasy schedule for classic car racing, who I want in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, etc.

 

[King_Oni]

Perhaps you should divert your attention to other things? Perhaps these obsessions and your mind wandering about this is just boredom?

 

[Keith]

Good idea.

 

[shakeitup94]

Yeh I get this and they current obsessions die out. Even my absolute passion I get sick of from time to time but it always comes back. that's how I know it's the right thing for me to do.

 

[meff]

Right now I'm in the unfortunate position of being an art student whose special interest in creating has burned out years ago. I still draw a LOT because I do enjoy it and it is an integral part of who I am, but the ongoing drive to always be working on a project has made way for other, less-than-constructive fixations like tumblr and reading about various things on the internet. I also have long lost my insatiable appetite for reading novels and comics, which I consider a loss as well. I do hope these come back eventually, I miss being a productive art machine and obsessive bookworm.

 

[Warwick C]

Meff I think there is a potential for them to return. I had the same thing happen my self. my obsession was boats. I lost interest in them around 1990, I then found my interest was being rekindled around 2000. You may just need a break from them for a little while

 

[tlc]

Yes that happens to me too. I get burned out on subjects before the associated projects are done. So I really just end up shelving them and eventually they come back after I've gotten burned out on a handful of other things. Often what brings them back is stumbling onto a new application, piece of information, or even a life change.

 

[rollerskate]

I might have some insight...

A recent obsession of mine was numerology, and I ended up reading this book that was explaining the lessons of the 5 life path. It introduced an idea to me that was quite eye opening: when you start to get bored with a subject, it's because you're just starting to become adept with it. The book went on to say you have to keep going at that point even if you're burned out, and that eventually you will break through to this state of understanding where you can use that expertise to relate to anything and fain a deeper understanding of the world that doesn't require leaping from subject to subject.

It never occurred to me that getting bored with a subject of interest was normal. Nor that mastery of one thing could be applied to almost anything else.

I can see this a little bit. Like I've been with networking so long I tend to see any system as a network.

But that still hasn't stopped me from getting bored and wanting a degree in something else.

 

[Keith]

I play Forza 4 a lot only to have an enormous collection of cars painted and modified to my liking. I currently have over 200, although my gold account expired before I could get livery for a few of them (I purchase gold account cards and buy livery on the storefront). I'm also an achievement junkie but have all I could possibly get. I'm trying to play other games now, feeling that I've neglected them. I've also begun to watch my DVD sets and downloaded TV shows since I have so many.

 

[meff]

I might have some insight...

A recent obsession of mine was numerology, and I ended up reading this book that was explaining the lessons of the 5 life path. It introduced an idea to me that was quite eye opening: when you start to get bored with a subject, it's because you're just starting to become adept with it. The book went on to say you have to keep going at that point even if you're burned out, and that eventually you will break through to this state of understanding where you can use that expertise to relate to anything and fain a deeper understanding of the world that doesn't require leaping from subject to subject.

That sounds a lot like the most common advice for people going through "art block," where you don't feel like creating anything and everything you do make seems like garbage. Either take a break or just force yourself to get through it. It's tough but I'm sure I'll get through it. I'm already a lot more productive now than I was when I first started going through the burnout.

 

[rollerskate]

That sounds a lot like the most common advice for people going through "art block," where you don't feel like creating anything and everything you do make seems like garbage. Either take a break or just force yourself to get through it. It's tough but I'm sure I'll get through it. I'm already a lot more productive now than I was when I first started going through the burnout.

Yeah I've needed to do that with my own art for years. Haven't sketched or painted since my grandfather died twelve years ago, and every time I try I get so blanked out on what to do and frustrated with my loss of skill I have to quit. I miss it but I guess I just don't see the point of it any more.