I’ve been having vivid dreams for weeks now.  As in, take-me-to-the-movies dreams, with wildly elaborate plot lines, detailed to the Nth degree.

You might think this is normal for a creative type, but it’s way over the top for me, and it does not make for restful sleep.

My subconscious is trying to tell me something.

I need a break from brain work. So last night I picked up a novel. As in, wizards and swords and assassins and psychic reptiles. Worked like a charm.

Being self-employed means I have a hard time forgetting about work. Some people have a naturally-occurring Off switch, and some entrepreneurs have businesses that nearly run themselves, or staff that do the running. But if you’re a solo act, you don’t get that luxury, and if you have perfectionist tendencies, disengaging is difficult. But it’s necessary.

A little down time can work wonders for creativity.

It might simply be a matter of breaking your routine, or you might need to shift gears entirely. You might need to take a break from writing, for example, to dig in the garden, get a massage, or go skating, or bicycling, or sing show tunes at the top of your lungs in the shower.

Or you might need to just stop for a while.

You might feel pressure to keep up your usual pace, but the thing is, you can’t give anyone your best if all you have left between your ears is stewed turnip (not that I’d know anything about that). Taking care of yourself gives you the energy to make good work. You can’t do that if you’re burned out. And if you burn yourself out, you might learn to hate your customers, and in turn, begin to hate what you do every day.

Being burned out also makes you more susceptible to throwing in the towel when things get tough.

Give yourself permission to step out of the studio for a day or two (or more, if that’s what you need). Give yourself permission to stop. Exhale, recharge. The urge to get back at it will come when it’s time.

Happy Holidays.

What’s your favourite gear-switching activity?

Related posts:

1. The ins and outs of your first impression (part 1 – work in)
2. What burnout can teach you about creativity (or what I did on my late winter vacation)
3. The power of commitment