Creator burnout is a huge threat – one that can tank your productivity, kill your growth, and sink your career as a video creator.
And it’s much more wide-spread than many new video creators think. A recent survey by Tasty Edits revealed that a whopping 79% of professional creators have experienced burnout in the past, with serious repercussions for the content output and revenue.
Often, video creator burnout is related not to the creative side of things, but the technical side – especially video editing, which for many swallows up dozens of hours a week.
So, how to avoid editing burnout as a video creator?
Here are four major pointers.
Key Takeaways
- Set time limits on editing to avoid wasting time fine-tuning your edits.
- Systematically build your editing skills to become more efficient.
- Schedule down-time and come back to your projects with fresh eyes.
- Outsource video editing to free up your time and headspace.
Set Yourself Strict Time Limits
First off, schedule your time rigorously – including video editing. It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re trying to get that transition just right or to fix those shaky 20 seconds of raw footage.
Don’t give into the temptation.
Set yourself strict time limits for video editing and stick to them. Prioritize rough edits and only implement the fine-tuning you have time for. The output may not be perfect and you’ll have to learn to accept rough cuts faster.
Not always easy, true.
But this strategy helps you hit your editing pace and hone your overall approach to editing. It keeps the effort sustainable and your momentum up.
Plus, an imperfect video edit that’s done and published is a million times better than an almost-flawless draft gathering virtual dust on your hard drive.
Invest in Skillbuilding
Next up, you can level up your editing skills.
Practice makes perfect and if you edit your own videos, you’ll get lots of it. However, investing the time and resources in some systematic training can help you advance way faster than groping your way around Premiere or Final Cut, or spending hours skimming through tutorials trying to achieve that one effect you want.
Set aside a few hours a week to dedicate to the craft of video editing. Keep up with the latest updates to your editing suite. Invest in training programmes.
That takes time, but in the long run it helps you develop the kind of solid skills that will speed up the editing process and take your content to the next level.
Set Yourself Strict Time Limits
First off, schedule your time rigorously – including video editing. It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re trying to get that transition just right or to fix those shaky 20 seconds of raw footage.
Don’t give into the temptation.
Set yourself strict time limits for video editing and stick to them. Prioritize rough edits and only implement the fine-tuning you have time for. The output may not be perfect and you’ll have to learn to accept rough cuts faster.
Not always easy, true.
But this strategy helps you hit your editing pace and hone your overall approach to editing. It keeps the effort sustainable and your momentum up.
Plus, an imperfect video edit that’s done and published is a million times better than an almost-flawless draft gathering virtual dust on your hard drive.
Schedule Downtime
Another key step to avoiding video editing burnout is to schedule downtime. When you hit the end of your allotted video editing slot, don’t move on to the next point on your agenda with a brain that’s still buzzing from VFX details.
Take some time to breathe, empty your mind, and recenter. Tasty Edits’ survey revealed that scheduling downtime is actually one of the most effective strategies professional creators harness to avoid burnout.
Plus, taking a break can help you come back to the editing table with a fresh perspective and new energy.
Outsource
Finally, the single most efficient way to avoid editing burnout as a video creator is to delegate. Hand your editing work off to a dedicated professional and focus on what you do best – creating more amazing content.
While you’re off brainstorming ideas, developing video concepts, and shooting raw footage, your editor can take care of cuts and transitions, audio enhancements and color correction, VFX and burnt-in subs. They’re seasoned pros at spinning raw footage into solid viral gold.
Overall, outsourcing video editing helps you free up your time and brainspace and dedicate yourself to the most rewarding aspects of being a video creator.
Ready to get started? Tasty Edits offers all-round video editing services and YouTube channel management for professional creators. Check out our portfolio or start your first edit today!
