Durga Puja and Diwali always light up Kolkata’s social media feeds with reels, vlogs and photo dumps. From food trails and fashion shoots to travel diaries — there is a wave of trending content. For many local creators, this in-between period after Diwali and before Christmas becomes a time to pause and recharge. The reason is something that has increasingly become part of the creator’s vocabulary: ‘Creator burnout’.
What is creator burnout?
Shutterstock
The term refers to the exhaustion and mental fatigue that content creators experience from the constant pressure of producing engaging content. Similar to creative block, it often comes after an intense period of work, when ideas stop flowing and motivation dips. With social media’s relentless pace, the feeling of having to stay relevant can make burnout even harder to avoid. My Kolkata spoke to several content creators to find out if this new phenomenon is common, how to deal with it, and also, overcome it.
‘Creativity can’t be forced’
Indrajit Lahiri, known for his food show Foodka, has his own way of dealing with burnout. “I don’t have the luxury of taking a month-long break. What I do is go off the grid for 4-5 days. I sit quietly somewhere and think about what I really want to do. Then I come back with better content,” he said.
Indrajit prefers driving alone, sometimes by car, sometimes by bike, to find that peace. “I try to stay away from social media during that time. My team handles the posts. Creativity can’t be forced. You have to allow yourself that space to breathe,” he added.
‘I don’t monetise every moment’
Food vlogger Shahbaaz Zaman, known as FoodZpah online, says pacing content helps prevent exhaustion. “Burnout happens all the time. I don’t post every day — two to three times a week is enough. I also separate personal and professional life. When I’m travelling, I don’t monetise every moment,” he explained.
He believes young creators often feel pressured to work constantly to stay relevant. “With experience, you learn that taking a break doesn’t make you disappear,” he said further.
‘A new skill can spark ideas’
For Tanayesh Talukdar, who has been creating travel and photography content for 17 years, the best way to fight creator burnout is to learn something new. “Last year, when I couldn’t think of new ideas to showcase Kolkata, I stopped stressing and started learning perfumery. That helped remove the block and even led to launching my own perfume brand, Olfrah,” he said. “When you hit a roadblock, it often means a new path is waiting.”
‘Stop viewing every creative pause as a failure’
For Saumya Sil, a Kolkata-based content creator and West Bengal Civil Service officer, burnout often follows festival seasons when collaborations slow down. “After the Pujas, there’s a kind of low in the market. It can be demotivating, but I don’t force myself to create. I divert my attention — maybe read a book, draw, write poetry, or meet friends. I don’t let my mental situation get blocked by the feeling of a slump,” she explained.
Saumya, who has been creating content since 2017, believes the key is to stop viewing every creative pause as a failure. “It’s just a phase, like a crest and fall — it passes,” she added.
‘The constant demand to create drains you’
For Jude Martin, who has spent over a decade creating lifestyle and travel content, taking a break doesn’t always mean going completely offline. “Creator’s block happens frequently. The constant demand to create drains you. I take breaks in the form of vacations or coffee with friends. Sometimes I just need my solo time,” he shared.
His advice to others is simple: “Learn to give yourself time. Go for a walk, stay away from gadgets, listen to soothing music or cook something new. It helps to reset.”
Learning to pause
For Kolkata’s creators, the period between the city’s grandest festivals and the year-end celebrations is not just downtime, it’s necessary recovery. Whether it’s a short solo drive, a hobby, or simply doing nothing, they’re learning that pausing is part of the process. After all, even the most vibrant feeds need time to recharge before lighting up again.