Usually my pick of posts are a random collection of inspiration and fun, but this month there seems to be a bit of a theme coming together.

The first three posts deal with the anxiety behind being creative and the danger of burnout. These are subjects which aren’t often discussed on writing blogs but are very important points to bear in mind. Please take a couple of moments to have a read. You owe it to yourself as an artist.

So, here are my picks of the month:

• Should Being Creative Feel Good? by Branden Barnett – This post discusses how to use mindful acceptance and action to help you overcome the anxiety of creating art.
• Let’s Talk About Anxiety & The Creative Process by Dan Blank – Dan Blank works with writers and so understands the anxiety they can face every day. He lists some practical tips which you can try out right away.
• Boundaries and Burnout by Barbara O’Neal – As our lives become busier, our work load and the pressure we face becomes more intense. This post contains some questions writers should be asking themselves on a regular basis.
• Little Darlings & Why They Must Die … For REAL by Kristen Lamb – Okay, the self-love theme is broken with this one and we’re back to more usual writing advice. This post reminds us why our little ‘writing darlings’ are so dangerous.
• And to end, here’s a link to a quote from Jasper Fforde on the Office of Letter’s and Light Blog. It’s an excerpt from a longer pep talk which you can click through to, but the quote itself is a wonderful description of how a first draft works.

And that’s my pick for the month. Now, what about you? What were the posts that especially resonated with you during April?

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If you’re facing stress and pressure in your writing life, then you need to take some time out for yourself. I cover some helpful tips on how to do that in my free e-book Tips for Those Contemplating Insanity. You can now view it instantly by clicking here.