Too much creative can make you cry!

Yes…sometimes I feel just like Rose in the picture above. After weeks and weeks of intensive work…I am mentally exhausted. I pour myself into my projects many times working late into the night.

Being creative can sometimes be exhausting and overwhelming, yet extremely rewarding. Last Friday night, I was able to sit in a packed theater style auditorium and observe the audience watch what I created. I was able to watch them laugh and smile, get sad and cry…all at the right times…all at the right moments. Crafting stories is becoming a part of the story, so that you feel the emotion with the individuals inside the story.

The emotionalĀ roller-coasterĀ of this creative exercise can be draining and mentally exhausting. Some of my best creative moments are in the middle of the night…and when I am in the zone, I will spend many nights working.

After projects are finished…I feel just like Rose.

REST IS A GOOD THING.

Today, I was chatting it up with some of my friends who are also clients. I was telling them I was loading family in the car, heading off for a few days in the mountains. Yep…little time to unplug. They said, “you just spent most of your summer on vacation.” Yes…I believe in working hard and playing hard. Our creative brains need to get away. We need to unplug. We need to make our little ones smile.

So…it is time to turn that sad face into a happy face.

We creatives need a creative break so we can continue to be creative. We have more stories to tell.

We all need a breather…a refresher!


When I became self-employeed…I knew I was going to work hard! I knew that my tendancy was to invest myself in my work, commit myself to my clients, and build a sustainable business. My moto…”Work Hard and Play Hard!” So that is what I try to do, take a break from the 60 plus hours a week and enjoy time with family, friends, and my sanity.

So, Sarah and I decided last year to plan three vacations a year…regardless of where and the costs. We decided to take three, one week vacations that force me not to use digital technology that keeps me connected. Find places that are cost effective and have limited technology access so that we can enjoy down time.

Why is it necessary for business owners, self-employed individuals to get away from our work? To REGENERATE! We need to step away, reflect, enjoy what is important, and go back to our work refreshed with new ideas and energy.

I took two books with me on my cruise, “Brains on Fire,” and “Unmarketing.” Both great books within my discipline insiring a revivied approach to my business and clients. Guess what, I am looking forward to my Christmas vacation in the Georgia mountains.