Written by Vineet Sethi
Creativity can be a fickle beast, but it’s one we all strive towards.
But, what good is having creative skills if you never get the chance to use them?
You know that old saying, “Rest is good for the soul”?
Well, it’s not just about getting enough sleep and taking time out to relax. Creative rest is an essential part of your creative process and something you regularly need to maintain your creativity.
Creative rest is different from passive rest in that it involves resisting the urge to do anything else.
It might sound odd – what could be more passive than doing nothing? But actively resisting other activities like watching TV or reading books forces your brain into a state where it can bring forth new ideas and creativity.
What is Creative Rest?
Creative rest is when you give your brain time to work subconsciously on creative problems. This might involve meditating, doing yoga, or even walking outside with no headphones or music to distract you.
You actively get into creative rest, which is very different from passive rest, such as watching TV or reading. Those activities are passive in that you are not engaging your brain consciously, whereas creative rest requires you to shut off that part of your brain that actively tries to solve problems.
Understanding this distinction is vital to implementing creative rest into your daily routine and finding solutions to your creative problems. If you are struggling with a creative issue or trying to develop a new idea, you need to give your brain the space and time to work things out.
Why Is Creative Rest Important?
Creativity is all about coming up with new ideas and being able to solve problems. However, to do this well, your brain needs to be relaxed. Otherwise, it will be so focused on coming up with solutions to the issues that it won’t have the chance to relax and come up with new ideas.
How to Achieve Creative Rest
There are plenty of different ways to achieve creative rest, but they all have a few things in common. If you want to achieve it, there are a few things you need to do.
- It would help if you were physically relaxed – closing your eyes and taking deep breaths will help with this.
- It’s also essential to be mentally calm, so let go of any worries or stresses in your life. It would help if you were in a comfortable environment with no distractions.
- Once you have done the groundwork to achieve creative rest, it is essential to stay committed to it. Do not try to solve problems actively or think about things related to your work. Take some time to be still and let your brain relax.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that creative rest is essential to any creative person’s workflow. If you want to keep your creative skills sharp and regularly produce high-quality work, you need to carve out time for your brain to rest and recharge.
(Photo credits: Pexels)
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[…] It’s therefore so important to protect your creative energy through creative rest. […]
[…] (that’s sometimes the cause of our fatigue, not the solution) or even reading. Those are forms of passive but not creative rest. I mean, taking a walk (maybe without headphones – imagine!), making a new recipe, doing some […]