For me, my mental state feels less like burnout, and more like recovering from a traumatic physiological event, like a major surgery. My ability to be creative

For me, my mental state feels less like burnout, and more like recovering from a traumatic physiological event, like a major surgery. My ability to be creative was suddenly cut off by the social effects of the response to the pandemic. I limped through the interceding years, but when I review work from just before the pandemic, I find that it is more nuanced, better developed, and more meaningful than the work I do at present. My creative powers were weakened, and I have to take a long view on recuperation.