Counsel no. 4: give yourself a break
In our desire to please at all costs, we can sometimes feel crushed by the amount of things to do at work, at home and in the studio. When I get like this and want to panic because of the lack of hours in a day, I have this seemingly irrational reflex to take a break. And it works every time. I come back more relaxed, my mind is free, I’m inspired and my work gets done more easily. Breaks are essential, they allow us to shift our focus and get perspective. They lower the pressure that accumulates when we are in the heat of the moment. The best break is perhaps the sport break. Of course it helps us physically but more so mentally. It’s like adding space in the head, to better think and concentrate. Perhaps back to school has become the new New Year? I want to take resolutions, like doing more exercise, eating well, avoid excess.
To take advantage of an artistic practice AND survive in the modern world, you need to be strong, perpetually self-constructing and re-constructing.