Rest and Recharge
Jess catching a fish from her paddleboard.
Feeling uninspired? Take a break! Intentional rest is an essential part of creative work.
Creativity can often feel like a sprint of energy and inspiration, followed by a slump of energy and, if you’re not careful, eventual burnout. It takes a lot to stay shiny!
Speaking of shiny… reminds me of one of my favorite movies (where being shiny is an evil superpower, but we’re not talking about that kind of fake shiny over here.)
A little story from my past...
Years ago, I was pregnant and at home with a toddler, and I remember he wanted to play “Moana” with me, where he would be Maui and I would be Moana (because I have the perfect hair for it,) but I told him “Mama is too tired and needs to just lay on the couch.” I remember his sweet little baby voice saying “That’s ok, you can be Tafiti! (The goddess of creation who lays down and becomes the island.)
At the time, my hubby was working on becoming a music producer and I was a freelance photographer, picking up photo shoots here and there, and also waking up at 4AM to teach English classes to kids in China. We were in a tough financial situation and without a dishwasher, so I was also spending what felt like 30% of my time hand-washing dishes. I was exhausted, and on a fast track toward full-on burnout.
The Shift
I remember having the sudden thought, “What if I kept waking up before the kids but instead of working for those couple of hours, started investing that energy into myself?”
It felt like a gamble, because even that tiny trickle of income felt significant at the time, but I decided to stop working that job and start going to the gym, reading, meditating, and writing in the mornings. That time became my “secret garden,” and even though I was sacrificing some sleep, I was resting from the expectations of my normal day-to-day and recharging my energy and excitement for my life and the person I was becoming.
Over time, I grew stronger physically and mentally, and gained the confidence to transition to a full-time career as a creative professional. The time and energy that I invested into my self-development paid off.
I am so grateful to the past version of me that decided to take that leap of faith and start putting in the work to become the best version of myself: which meant believing that I deserved to rest and do the things that would be energizing for my soul.
How do you do creative work without burning out?
It is natural to have ebbs and flows, and seasons of more or less creativity. If you’re feeling uninspired, take some time to rest, read, rejuvenate, replenish, and recharge your soul. Once you’ve refilled your reservoir, then continue to write, create and share your work.
Rest is an essential part of creativity.
Stop judging yourself for needing rest. Taking time to rest and recharge is essential for any endeavor, and especially for anything creative.
The problem is that certain kinds of rest, like over-sleeping and binge-watching might not necessarily refuel your desire and ability to create (similar to how binging on cookies probably isn’t the best answer when you’re hungry.)
What things will truly bring you energy and refill your reservoir of creative energy?
You are the only one who knows what replenishes your soul, and what works for you might look completely different than what works for your spouse, family members, coworkers, etc. And that's totally fine!
I love dressing up and going out for big energy, big crowd activities. My husband dreams of being a hermit in the wilderness. I am more likely to join a choir and feel energized by that, and he is more likely to go out on his own into nature to recharge. Both are perfectly valid. And your way is valid too!
Creativity Book List
I also love to replenish my creative reservoir by reading excellent books. Some books I have enjoyed that are related to creativity:
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. Great for inspiration that its never too late to start, and to stop adding additional judgement to your creative endeavors by needing them to be your “ultimate” passion.
Brene Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection and Daring Greatly. Both are excellent books for inspiring creatives to be brave. I love her analogy about “stepping into the arena.”
The Giver by Lois Lowry. Interesting for thinking about emotional awareness, and how emotional expression is a huge part of the purpose of creative work: both expressing your own emotions and helping others access and express their own.
Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli. I love her acts of kindness and how she uses creativity to connect with others.
Creativity Inc. by Amy Wallace and Edwin Catmull. The story of Pixar: I remember liking this one, but can’t remember the key takeaways, other than it takes a lot of people working super hard to make a Pixar movie, and that great storytelling is the most important aspect of an excellent film.
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. This one randomly popped into my head (and I only vaguely remember it since I read it ages ago.) In general, I am the kind of super nerd who enjoys long, wordy classic literature. It’s super interesting to me to read books that make me feel like I’m traveling to the past, and to consider creative problem-solving in a survival setting.
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. If you enjoy fantasy, this one is incredible. It amazed me how he tied everything together so seamlessly. I am always inspired by creative people who are excellent at their craft.
What books should I add to my reading list for creatives? Or what would be good research for the self-development book that I am working to write about creativity? Let me know!
P.S. I also love watching movies with my kids as a way to rest and recharge, and lately I LOVED watching KPOP Demon Hunters and also a beautifully animated celtic folktale called Wolfwalkers. So if you’re not really a big book reader, let me know what other movies I should check out!
