Feature: The Value of Down Time

Could a summer break be of benefit to you and your practice?

August is almost here and London is noticeably quieter. Those of us who are around can enjoy the parks and the canals, for once in the sunshine. But are you stuck in the studio with a self-imposed (or not) heavy schedule until September? Are you feeling guilty every time you nip out for a Solero? Can you feel your attention drifting off faster than those summer clouds? You might well be in dire need of a break.

After all, there is a lot of wisdom in taking a break before you need it, and you know that you risk running out of steam before September is out. Whether you go away or no, there is no better time to stop fire fighting and get some downtime to start thinking deep again.

You might feel like you can’t afford to take the foot off the pedal, but there is strong evidence that you need a fallow period to bounce back as better creative and self-employed professionals. Of course, there are important steps that will help make your your time away from the business stress-free. And who know, you might find that the time off is so beneficial to your creative practice that you start planning longer period of creative freedom. Does a year every seven years sound good? 

And if you really can’t take time off this summer, learn from the experts how to better manage your time as a creative and even consider doing nothing as a way of being more productive!