8 ways to take a creative break
Imagine to sit on a rock in Iceland. Nothing around you but green vastness and crisp air. Your to-do list is empty. Actually, you don’t even need a list.
Take a deep breath and relax.
Feel you brain switching from buzzing with ideas (as well as the urge to realize them), to a quiet recharge.
Now, this is the state of mind I soaked in, after 5+ months of writing on Medium nearly every week.
Five exciting and overwhelming months,
in which I grew to gather up to 10 new followers per day and became Top Writer in 4 categories (thank you, readers!).
Months that confirmed my impression of Medium as a winning platform to create + consume valuable content online.
I’ve seen it evolve (who else liked the green logo better?) to a lively community that rewards writers in their vital spots:
the Ego (claps, notifications) and the occasional extra cup of coffee (Partner Program).
So sip one with me on this comfy Icelandic stone — I’ll explain why I “quit” and the benefits of creative breaks!
Unofficial Internship in Creativity
That’s how I will remember these first months on Medium. A side hustle to which I devoted most of my free time, because I’m truly passionate about it.
But the more attention and claps you get,
the more pressure you feel to create and deliver valuable content frequently.
Even if you can *finally* sit for it just at weekends or past 10 pm.
Now it’s time to change the pace for a while.
Embrace the anti-hustle mindset
I decided to temporarily reset my create/consume ratio (need to trim that watch later list!), look around for inspiration and come back refreshed…
with a focus on what’s truly meaningful to throw out there.
Sometimes I wish we could be like Leonardo or the Roman Poets — hosted by a generous and enlightened patron, no salary but food, shelter & endless time to pursue Art…
Yes, I know Patreon :) It’s just not the best choice for me at the moment. The ones below are.
Want to discover 8 easy ways to enjoy a creative break & embrace the anti-hustle mindset? Let’s dive in!
1 — Slow down & simply do nothing
At first, the idea of interrupting my regular posting on Medium made me freak out a little. But then I realized:
- Nobody will really notice — except few loyal readers, you’re awesome! — as thousands of other great contributors keep the content machine running;
- I’ll have more time to actually listen to great Medium voices and go through my bookmarked articles.
Taking a break from consistent content creation allows you to do the one thing you’re good at — living your life! After all, the best writing prompts arise from real life experiences.
2 — Enjoy a good book
My Kindle has been lonely for too long. Autumn is perfect to curl up in a blanket on the sofa, with hot tea and a good book.
3 — Dive into the Autumn Experience
Sunset walks in the woods are simply magic. They leave you so relaxed and calm afterwards! Such a luxury for a busy author or artist.
4 — Good ol’ offline games
Games are part of our culture. We use them to teach in school, to spend free time, to create viral challenges on social media.
Besides the fun, we also create games to raise awareness on social issues:
Inspired by the smart idea above, I started yet another creative project (see why I need breaks then…) — design a board game!
It’s called WRITER’S BLOCK and I started from drawing the player figures: 4 writers and their partners, 2 editors, 3 kids, 3 pets, 2 publishers.
Each player is a “writer” with the goal — guess what — to write and publish a novel, short story or TV series screenplay (3 levels of difficulty).
A situation doesn’t develop as expected? We make a game out of it.
Can’t figure out how to accomplish something? We make a challenge out of it.
I thought the writer’s block could be a good example :) Sounds interesting?
I imagined it as a card game with dice and a board, where time decreases with the “experience” of writers — as the game proceeds and you publish your first work.
It’s still in concept phase but I’m really excited about it. I also want to include some “chance” cards like in Monopoly:
“You used too many adverbs! Your editing gets one month delayed.”
“You reached the milestone of 5K social media followers! Your publisher offers to print 500 extra copies for free.”
“Your cat spills a beer bottle over a notebook with that awesome idea for your screenplay ending. You try to remember it for 4 hours but fail.”
“Your partner complains a side character acts like him/her. You can either promote it to protagonist and readapt the whole script, or spend one day defending your idea.”
And so on, with the story snippets recorded as audio by players with a phone and played at the end for a good laugh.
5 — Color therapy
Sketching, doodling, drawing, coloring books…you name it.
All great activities to keep your creativity trained, but in a less active way.
The equivalent of going for a bland spinning session at the gym, instead of a cardio sweat-it-all routine.
6 — Family time
Get cozy with your loved ones. You’ll miss it when it suddenly gets hard to see them often.
Pumpkins are waiting to be wrapped in pies, mushrooms are ready to plunge in gravy. And now you have also inspiration for board games!
So no excuses, make that phone call ☺
7 — Rediscover your interests
I’m genuinely feeling my interest for Technology reawaken. You won’t find me celebrating a new Java release, but…
I’m fond of the services and life improvements that Computer Science offers to us.
And it feels great to be able to grasp the basics of AI, Deep Learning, Virtual Reality. I’m definitely going to learn more about these advanced fields.
What’s a knowledge domain you’ve been “neglecting” but now feels again fresh and interesting to learn?
8 — Meditate
My favourite is the “hourglass” technique:
First be aware of the surroundings. Then focus on your breath and in the end, expand to the whole body.
Three simple steps that may last even just one minute each, but will instantly reduce stress and anxiety (works for me every time!)
Try also yoga and stretching before bed, even just 2–3 times a week for better sleep.
Experiment with these activities
…for a creative break that will leave you relaxed, energized and ready to generate new ideas for your content.
I chose eight points to celebrate October — the eighth month in the ancient Roman calendar.
What are your favorite activities for a break?
Hey, it’s getting cold on this stone.
Don’t you think? Let’s go back home.
Oh wait, my ass got stuck to the ice!
Ehm, help?
Don’t laugh! Can you clap me out of this, please?
So embarrassing.
