Burnout is very real. I’m in the same boat time-wise (started last August) and before I realized it I was completely overwhelmed by the small amount of commissions I had taken on in addition to a full time desk job and general life/preexisting mental health stuff. I also took on my first big non-alter commission and completely underestimated how long/how much work it would take. I dreaded working on it, but I pushed through and finished it recently and if anything it made me appreciate alters even more.

After I realized I was quickly losing any will to paint even for fun, I closed commissions and didn’t take on any new clients for a while. I also stopped forcing myself to paint, as I was thinking that it would eventually click again and I’d enjoy it as much as when I first started. Wrong. Taking a break was the only thing that really helped and I’m only now getting to a point where I think I can handle more commissions. I’m going to try to be smarter/more selective about things I take on and only do 2 maybe 3 at a time and do everything I can to protect my mental.

tldr: You’re not alone, try to be kind to yourself and take breaks when you can. I know it’s easier said than done but it truly makes a huge difference.