Do you take some downtime in summer to enjoy the season? Longer days, flowers aplenty, and gardening give me the incentive to step away from the computer and get outdoors. I generally work in the first part of the day and spend later afternoons doing other things.
Recently, I’ve visited the Denver Art Museum and Botanic Gardens. I’ve enjoyed writing dates and friend visits and poking around in the garden. I’ve put summer hours into effect for years now, and I see the positive impact it has on my work. It feels great to give my brain a break from work mode. And when I do get back to the desk, I feel focused and energized. I learned long ago that a certain amount of time off, even in the middle of the day, serves me more than pushing through and bullying myself to be productive.
Why do I tell you all this?
In the thousands of conversations I have had with creatives, I’ve seen that space is vital to the creative process. When we exit ‘doing mode’, we access new ways of thinking, feeling and being. In the ‘empty’ spaces, new connections form. Solutions to problems in work and life pop to mind. These new connections are vital to our making.
Yet, it is hard to unplug from the efficiency imperative that is engrained in us. Time and again, my clients struggle with the messy, meandering path that our projects require. We’ve been trained to think ‘doing’ is the only valid mode. Every single minute doesn’t need to be optimized and productive. It’s as if creativity snubs its nose at efficiency and ‘making the most of our time’. And yet, every minute of our lives can be valuable to our projects, but that doesn’t mean we have to be constantly ‘doing’ or ‘on’.
When strolling around the pond a few weeks ago, I got a huge download of ideas for an art project I am working on. I grabbed my notebook and wrote it all down. This would not have come to me if I had been trying to find it or constantly staying in busy mode. I also had my notebook nearby to capture the ideas after the walk.
When we give ourselves space, we are able to rest and replenish. I created a ton of things last year, from my Patreon to Write Your Travel Stories to a series of low-cost workshops for creatives and more. I needed some time to rest and replenish. Stepping away from projects gave me space to be just a person and not a worker bee. I find myself sleeping longer and taking more frequent breaks. (I think I need this also now because there’s been a lot more socializing this month!)
The only way this works is because I trust myself and my work process. Anyone who knows me sees how wildly productive I am. For me, time off fuels more creativity and productivity. I train my clients to learn to trust themselves and their work style so they can enjoy free time if they wish.
Stefan Sagmeister encouraged this in me in his TED talk, The Power of Time Off. He shares how he overcame fear of time off on his sabbatical.
It’s okay to be efficient. It’s necessary! But not all the time. I hope you give yourself the space you need to be your most creative, vibrant self.
This is just one of the counter-intuitive pieces I work with in the creative process. In my coaching groups and workshops, these are the vital practices we put into place around our projects. My coaching is high-level training in learning to trust yourself and your intuition. It’s not always easy to step out of the mainstream assumptions and habits. But it always pays off for our creative work.
Have you had more space for yourself to roam, rest, and replenish this summer? Let us know how it’s impacted your creativity here.
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