Why Taking Breaks Will actually Make You a Better Creative

Are you pushing yourself? Did you push yourself in the past? I know I have. Pushing yourself becomes second nature. It gets ingrained in you.

If it’s ingrained, chances are it’s going to be really hard to stop. It’s like a sickness you’re trying to purge. Even when it’s all out of your system, you still feel sorta icky, but it’s bearable.

THE EFFECT

When I say ingrained, I mean you could’ve had a family member or guardian that used to say, “If you make all A’s on your report card then I’ll give you [blank].” They’d reward your effort when you were younger, right? How did that make you feel? Did you light up inside when it happened?

What if I told you that this well-known method shaped your self esteem and mindset more than you think?

You might be feeling a little uncomfortable with how deep I’m getting, but if you take the time to reflect, you would see I’m right . I’m not here to shame anyone, and if you’ve read my other posts, you already know that. My goal is to help you recognize patterns that could holding you back. And that it’s not our fault.

Like I said in From Burnout to Breakthrough: How to Protect Your Creative Spark, people tend to repeat history when no one teaches them to break the cycle.

THERE SHE BLOWS

I say this all the time, and I won’t stop saying: This is important for creatives to know. You are putting your work out there for the world to see. This makes you vulnerable to hits on your self esteem, and when those hits come, they can crash your mental health.

Taking those blows, whether positive or negative, can feel overwhelming. When overthinking takes over, it’s hard to create anything at all. It’s like being involved in a life-altering car crash, but your scars aren’t visible. They’re internal. So how do you deal with that?

LIFE IS LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES

Here’s what I’ll tell you: if you’re human and you’re putting yourself and your art out there, it’s not going to be easy. You are the product. You will be judged. Is it fair? No. But unfortunately, that’s how life is, and I don’t have all the answers.

This world that’s filled with creativity doesn’t stop spinning, but you don’t have to lose yourself trying to keep up. Take the break. Honor the process. And come back shining brighter than before .

Let me know if this blog helped you make the decision to stop pushing yourself.