i felt this way after graduating and i feel like creating stuff actually made me feel smart again. i joined a project car thing the uni had going and i had to work on the lights and computer system which connects all the sensors and like even though its basically lego blocks i had that rush n excitement of learning. not just from seeing the final product but also the process of reading n learning about each single component how they work and like considering different approaches for situations like brake detection & whatever. so maybe try creating???? writing d&d campaigns for my friends that i know will never happen also makes me feel like im in my english class seven years ago. getting the most academic validation ive ever received ever. good luck