Breathing room

As creative folk, we know or are learning this fact: we need breathing room.

You can have two weeks or two months of horrible, before something breaks through. I realized that sometimes I hold onto my art a little too tightly, don't give it enough time to breath and thus force it and choke it out. This is not the organic and pure nature that I desire to come across in my work. Taking space, in any relationship, is a healthy thing. This idea applies with your relationship with your art & creativity.

I have to remind myself that I need a day off here and there. I have a tendency to book myself solid, working 7 days a week for weeks & months on end, realizing I haven't taken a day away from my pursuits at all! It's a great thing, to enjoy what you are doing so much that you love doing it everyday. That is a great and treasured thing, that I am deeply thankful for, this whole 'art in my life' thing. 

Sometimes I need to spend a day outside of the studio. This does not mean that I am a lazy artist or person. This does not mean I will accomplish nothing. It simply means that I value balance. Relax, have some fun and enter the studio again the next day with a childlike joy.  


So if you've been extra hard on yourself, take a day. It's Spring, so the distractions will abound. It may actually be harder to get yourself to do your work! Breathing room is healthy and necessary. I am not talking about 7 months of breathing room, or encouraging a lack of total motivation or years of suppressing your dreams. I am discouraging workaholism at the expense of your art and your joy. 

It's a hard line to toe when you find something you are passionate about and the hours just start flying by, but you will know when it is time to take a day off. Things will start to grind and creak and you will be tired. That is always how I know, I'll start getting so tired. Then I'll take a look at the past month of my calendar and see what it was. 

I imagine there were times even Leonardo da Vinci had to take a nap and get back to it later. Or maybe take a day to simply amble in the woods and experience some nature. And he was pretty productive at quite a few different pursuits simultaneously. 

I'd love to hear, does anyone else ever struggle with this whole finding balance thing? Have there been times for you that you felt the need for some breathing room? Was it helpful?

Please, feel free to share your thoughts.