All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.. Unless you’re Jack Torrance in The Shining, but that’s a different story (and a creepy one) for a different day. The fact of the matter is while sitting around waiting for inspiration will make you go hungry, working 24-7 will also take a tremendous toll. We all need to rest, relax and recharge. Remember even God rested from creation… A few days ago I wrote about diversions, and they can be an excellent place to start. Do you have a hobby? When was the last time you spent time with family? Have you taken a vacation recently?
I felt like after writing on daily disciplines, it was important to highlight this as well. I often equate creativity to exercise. I believe it is something we can develop at least to some degree. That being said, no one can lift weights all day every day. Oh, you’ll see some improvement for a while but eventually it will cause injuries. Part of the issue is as creatives, a lot of us really love to do what we do, and that is a beautiful thing and a blessing from God, but again, even He took a day of rest.
So what can we do:
Have a diversion. If possible keep it set up so you can break off your work and jump right in. I love to have this going for when I am blocked but it is also a great way to wind down at the end of the day.
Schedule leisure time. If you’re married, do you have a date night on the schedule? Do you have a vacation planned? You will always have the urgent with you. Make sure to invest some time in the other things and for some of us, if we don’t put it on the schedule, we won’t do it.
Unplug. When you are off, be off. Off the internet, off the phone, off social media.
Exercise. You and I have one body and one life and we don’t get brownie points for working ourselves into an early grave. We have got to take care of the body we have. (I am having a major physician heal thyself moment as I write this.
Sleep. This seems to be first area most of us want to cut, but sleep is not expendable. We all need it.
Creating is great but you’ll likely be more creative if you take some time away from it. Don’t be all work and no play.
AMOKArts 