The Working Artist
Whether you step away for a few minutes or 17 years, taking a break is important for your creativity, says our columnist LAURA BOSWELL
If you are reading my article, surely you are taking a break from making art? Not really, the clue is in our title and this magazine’s mission to stimulate your creativity. Taking time out from being creative may seem counterintuitive, especially for those whose making time is a hard-won break in itself, but breaks come in all shapes and sizes and should be an important part of your practice.
I take a series of short breaks through my day in the studio where I walk away and talk to the cat, have a stretch before returning to my work. Breaks like this are clearly sensible; it is all too easy to spend hours in the same posture, lost in making art. But aside from health, I use these breaks to take a fresh look at my work, rather like a cook checking their recipe with regular taste tests. A little break works far better in my experience than just stepping back to reconsider. However short, that interruption really helps to clarify things and allows you to see your work from a new angle.
Holidays are often time where we feel we ought to get in a little art –
I’ll bet you pack a sketchbook and some good intentions just like me. If you have the time and space to make art during your holiday of course that’s a bonus, but if family and relaxing come first and the sketchbook remains unopened, that’s good too. In fact, it should remain unopened for a fair proportion of your time while you recharge.
Don’t feel you should be creative, just because you are on holiday. If you give your mind a chance to relax and enjoy new sights and sounds without the pressure to see them in terms of an artwork, chances are you will return refreshed and with a better store of creative ideas.
Long breaks can be unnerving for creative people. Life may dictate that you can’t make the art you want and that’s stressful and frustrating. There are plenty of tips for shoehorning art into a busy schedule, which may help, yet can also just add to the pressure. Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that creativity doesn’t stop when you can’t make physical artwork. It’s always there growing and maturing, ready for when you have the chance to use it again. I should know: my break totalled 17 years! www.lauraboswell.co.uk
A break helps to clarify things and allows you to see your work from a new angle