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It's that time of year again, the beautiful autumn has made her graceful exit, and Thanksgiving is next week. Before we know it, it will be the New Year. I've spent the last month or so after the show closed cooking homemade dinners, catching up with dear friends near and far, and spending a lot of quality time with my Netflix queue. It's been glorious. Still I am wondering if I want to keep taking time off from creative projects this winter season or dive into something new.
Boston winters aren't exactly conducive to going to evening auditions or taking an acting class. On the other hand, the shorter, darker days lend themselves well to working on a writing project or two from the comfort of my own apartment, in the comfort of my sweatpants. We as creatives make our own schedules and because we are in charge of where we put our energy, it falls on us to decide if we are going to shift with the seasons and go into a lower gear for the winter months or gather our energy and begin a new endeavor.
It's always tempting when I get time off from my day job to put my creative nose to the grindstone and go into overdrive, but I will admit that if I spend all my free time during the holidays working on a project, I tend to return after the holidays feeling like I didn't get a break at all. This year, I'm thinking about how I want to set boundaries for a creative holiday.
Boston winters aren't exactly conducive to going to evening auditions or taking an acting class. On the other hand, the shorter, darker days lend themselves well to working on a writing project or two from the comfort of my own apartment, in the comfort of my sweatpants. We as creatives make our own schedules and because we are in charge of where we put our energy, it falls on us to decide if we are going to shift with the seasons and go into a lower gear for the winter months or gather our energy and begin a new endeavor.
It's always tempting when I get time off from my day job to put my creative nose to the grindstone and go into overdrive, but I will admit that if I spend all my free time during the holidays working on a project, I tend to return after the holidays feeling like I didn't get a break at all. This year, I'm thinking about how I want to set boundaries for a creative holiday.
Should I take the month of December off completely? Do I designate certain evenings and weekend days to work on creative stuff and leave the others unscheduled? I am still working out my plan, but I do know that I plan to slow down. I would love to keep working on my writing, but will not be going to any new auditions or starting anything else at the moment. Scheduling "unscheduled time" into my day is a challenge for me, but one that I am committed to this season. I want to be able to make some holiday cards, bake some treats, and watch some of my favorite seasonal movies like Once, which oddly enough has nothing to do with the holidays, but somehow evokes a winter-y sentiment for me.
So tell me, what are your strategies for plotting your creative calendar this season? Are you going full steam ahead with a new idea or deciding to take a physical and mental sabbatical?
I'd love to hear any advice you might have about staying inspired but sane!
So tell me, what are your strategies for plotting your creative calendar this season? Are you going full steam ahead with a new idea or deciding to take a physical and mental sabbatical?
I'd love to hear any advice you might have about staying inspired but sane!