Do you need a break? From what?

We all need breaks. Those who delude themselves into thinking that isn’t so experience something called burn out. Sometimes I need breaks from writing and creating different pieces so that’s why I usually churn out as many images and channel as many stream of conscious thoughts onto this page as I can when I’m feeling it. I’m a reward based person, so rewarding myself with a break is something I do to push through whatever is on my agenda for the day.

Coming up with a new topic each week is daunting but ever since Jetpack included prompts I find I’ve managed to “un-fuck myself” for lack of a better word. I’ve also adopted more of a stream of conscious way of writing.

“Stream of consciousness journaling” refers to a writing practice where you simply jot down your thoughts and feelings in regards to a prompt as they occur in your mind, without any deliberate structure or editing, essentially capturing the natural flow of your inner thoughts on paper, similar to how you think in the moment; it’s about letting your mind wander and express itself freely without concern for grammar or coherence. I’ve come to think of this blog as a public forum for my stream of consciousness.

For example, when I was young and told to clean my room it was a daunting task. Not because I was incapable of it but I often got distracted by things I found: old journals, notebooks, and folders. I’d go through them and totally forget what I was supposed to be doing. I used to call my old room my ‘lair of creative chaos’ because though it was messy, I knew where everything was. I used rewards in the form of breaks for progress I made towards completing the goal and once it was done I rarely felt accomplishment but rather relief that it was done. Also, once my room was clean I could never find a damn thing which lead to me ripping it apart again like a vicious cycle.

Today, I’m a fairly tidy person. I say fairly because I do have a fur child who is hairy and messy so I do my best to keep up while running my own business. I often feel like there’s never enough hours in a day to do everything I need to. I can get sucked into a mixed media piece or painting for hours and not eat, drink, and only break for the bathroom when absolutely necessary. I started to set alarms on my phone to remind myself to take breaks throughout the day and they’ve been lifesavers. I also write on Post-Its to remind myself where I put things. This helps me stay neat and know where I put things.

Music is a huge motivator for me when I take breaks. I’ll throw on Pandora and allow my mind and ideas to wander. This is necessary to push me through the less savory bits of owning a small business, which for me is marketing.

If you need a break from whatever you’re working on, consider checking out my art shop. We offer a wide variety of products ranging from home decor to lifestyle.

Until tomorrow….