Are You Taking a Creative Break or a Break from Creativity?

Blog 25


You are probably wondering about the title of my blog. Why would an artist and art instructor talk about taking a break from creativity? Don’t I always stress how important creative breaks are for your overall health? You probably expect me to spend most of my days surrounded by art, definitely more time than the majority of people. After all, spending time to create artworks and supporting others to improve their skills is my business.

However, since I started teaching more and more courses, I spent less and less time painting and felting. I still created lots of sketches for my classes and learned a lot by drawing cartoon characters that I would never have considered drawing on my own. It has been a great way to get out of my comfort zone. Plus, the children taught me a lot about the different characters and their special powers. However, in early spring, I felt overwhelmed with the other tasks as a business owner. I was frustrated that I was not able to concentrate on the creative side and decided to make some changes in my daily routine. During the past six weeks, I made more time for my creative projects. I finished a couple of paintings and felted artworks and also went to a couple of plein air events. I finally feel a lot more balanced and I am happy about my progress. During several occasions, I was so completely absorbed in my art that I lost all sense of time. It was exhilarating!

Pickerel Weed, acrylic, 8" x 10"

As you will probably agree, it is important to take a creative break to recharge yourself. Being creative helps you to balance out the tension in your life. You can immerse yourself in a project and forget about all the stress around you, no matter the cause of the imbalance. This is possible with any kind of creative outlet that you enjoy, whether it is original or following a pattern. Art is a means to express yourself visually. It can reveal a reaction to feelings, events, or experiences - both positive or negative. To make the most of your creative time, set up an area in your home so that you can access your tools and materials easily. One of the biggest obstacles to creativity is the search for your materials, or the necessity to dig them up from the bottom of a drawer. Thinking about all the hassle that is involved in the preparation will be enough to dissolve your creative energy.

The more I thought about making time for creative breaks, the more I wondered if a break from creativity is also important. As I am a big believer of “everything in moderation”, could it also be necessary to take a break from creativity? Could too much of a good thing also be unhealthy? If you are working in a creative field, I would say a break from creativity is essential. Pause occasionally and allow yourself to enjoy time away to perform other activities. All these experiences will inspire you in further art projects. Be in the moment, look around you, appreciate the wonders of nature, enjoy new sights, and spend time with other people who might have completely different interests. Live and laugh! Enjoy some quiet time, lie down in the grass or at the beach to observe the shapes of the clouds. Find shapes that you recognize. Relax, and if you cannot stop yourself anymore, pick up a sketchbook, a canvas, or any other materials and let what you see inspire you to create something new.

I am wishing you a creative rest of your summer! If you are interested in art courses for the fall semester, please visit my website www.KerstinPeters.ca.