What I’m doing with my week off?

Instead of talking about software this week (I promise that I will), 

I wanted to talk about relaxing. Every seven weeks I take the week off. That means no working on new paintings, no setting up work. I do this because after a time, your brain needs a break, and you will burn out. Breaks are important, they recharge the mind, and combat idea fatigue. 

By the time the week is over, you are hopefully itching to get back to working with new inspirations and things to work on. To give you a sense of how I am spending my time here is a short list of things that I plan on doing with my “week off”.

Play Playstation or something else fun:

I love* playing games. So much so that I try to cut down on it and avoid doing it when I am doing work. 

It is a bit of a time suck. When I have the time, I love getting lost in an immersive story. Not to mention it’s fun. 

You don’t have to buy a Playstation, but the idea of “play” is really important and should not be overlooked. 

Try finding something you like doing, just as fun and do it all week. The hardest is not feeling guilty you are not “working” on something. You will get back to it eventually, and will attack work with renewed interest.

Sleep:

I read an article recently suggesting the body needs at least 7 hours of sleep to recharge, renew and reinvigorate itself. That is why then it is important you get as much sleep as possible. You can* feel the difference between 5 hours of sleep and 7 hours of sleep. The body is just ready to get up after a good nights rest instead of wanting to hit the snooze button. Even when working on projects you should try and get as much rest as possible it will help you to be ready to tackle those day job projects, night job projects and everything in between. 

Be with people/See your friends:

We’re all busy but when I am on break week, I find that is the best time to be with friends and see people.

Share a meal, talk on the phone, just catch up. It’s easy to let maintaining friendships slip when you and are in flow and are lost in projects. Hours go by before you know it. The opportunity is there to connect with folks and take care of the relationships that are important to you. You will then have a sense of comfort when you are back in work mode.

Make lists: 

I will write about this separately sometime, but one of the ways I get ideas down on paper for later is to make idea lists. This is a process where I carry a note pad, or a piece of paper and write down painting ideas that come to me. They most often come to me when I am doing something different like shopping or washing dishes. 

I think this is because my brain is not as crowded with “stuff”.  I can just exist in the pressure-free space and my brain will come up with ideas from things I see in life. They will just “pop” in there. When they do, I write them down and they will be there later when I decide to go back to the drawing board.

Draw from life:

Carry a sketch book and draw everything you see (this is still allowed). Drawing from life keeps the practice up and is a “pressure-free” way to keep up the observation skills, without a whole lot of pressure about it being perfect. In fact you can even practice “drawing badly”. Do something different like draw with your left hand, and see what you come up with.

Write:

I write everyday for 25 minutes. This is a good one, and I will expand on this at a different point and time.

Meditate:

I do this every morning for 5 minutes when I am working on projects. However, when I am not working on anything it works so much more. Meditating is a great excuse to relax, and achieve focus. I have been doing it now for a few months, and I plan on continuing with it. It helps me stay focused easier, and keeps me relaxed and less “on edge”. Relaxing takes practice, meditation is one of the ways to help you do that.

The suggestions above are just a few of the ideas that I have to help you relax. 

At the end of the week, I should feel ready to get back on the horse and jump back into project work. You don’t need to do the same as the above, in fact I suggest that you come up with your own list of relaxing to do items. Whatever you do, the important thing is that you give your mind space to wander and enjoy life so that you can attack the next project with inspiration from a good week off. What are some of your favorite ways to relax and give your brain a break?

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