The Power of Rest
Recharging Your Creative Batteries
Discover how intentional rest fuels creativity. Learn why pausing is essential for inspiration, clarity, and sustainable creative energy.
If you’re a creative - whether you’re a painter, photographer, writer or a dancer - you’ve likely felt the pressure to always be producing. Our culture rewards output, consistency and the grind. But the truth is, creativity isn’t a machine. And you’re not one either.
Rest is not a break from creativity - it’s part of it. I reckon it may be one of the most important tools in your creative toolkit.
The Myth of Constant Inspiration
There’s a romanticised idea that true creatives are struck by endless inspiration. That if you’re really creative, you can push through any block. But creativity doesn’t thrive on pressure - it thrives on presence and presence requires space.
If you've been feeling uninspired, disconnected from your work or just plain tired - it doesn't mean you've lost your spark. It probably means you're overdue for rest.
Rest Isn’t Lazy - It’s Essential
Rest gives our brains the time they need to make connections, process emotions and spark new ideas. That aha moment? It’s often born not from grinding away, but from stepping back - on a walk, in the shower or while lying in bed staring at the ceiling.
Open your mind and let the pictures out W S Burroughs
When we rest, we allow ourselves to:
Regain perspective
Reconnect with our inner voice
Restore energy that creativity requires
Let go of productivity guilt and make space for joy
What Kind of Rest Do You Need?
Not all rest looks the same. Sometimes it’s a weekend away from your tools. Sometimes it’s sitting in silence for five minutes between errands. Sometimes it’s laughing with friends or immersing yourself in someone else’s art with zero pressure to create your own.
Here are a few kinds of rest that often recharge creative energy:
Mental rest – Letting go of overthinking and information overload
Sensory rest – Taking a break from screens, noise and stimulation
Creative rest – Enjoying beauty and art without needing to respond to it
Emotional rest – Giving yourself permission to feel without fixing
Physical rest – Simply stopping. Naps, stillness, sleep. Yes, please.
Ask yourself: What kind of rest have I been avoiding?
Signs Your Creativity Is Running on Empty
You dread starting something new
Everything you make feels meh or forced
You feel scattered and unmotivated
You’re working, but nothing feels meaningful
If you recognise any of these signs, that’s your signal—not to push harder, but to pause longer.
Making Rest a Creative Ritual
What if rest wasn’t just something you earned after burnout - but something you built into your everyday life?
Try these gentle practices:
Take regular breaks, even during passion projects
Let yourself wander - mentally and physically
Keep a journal or sketchpad with no expectations
Go analogue - ditch the phone for a while and reconnect with your senses
Give yourself permission to not create for a bit (yes, really)
Letting Stillness Spark Something New
Some of the most powerful creative breakthroughs come in stillness. In rest, we come home to our imagination, our intuition and our quiet confidence. The world might be fast, loud and always on, but your creativity doesn’t have to be.
So if you’re tired, uninspired or unsure what’s next - simply pause. Breathe. Let yourself rest.
Because rest isn’t a reward for hard work. - t’s the soil from which your next beautiful idea will grow.
Your Self Investigation Call to Action:
Before you rush back into creating, take a quiet moment to check in with yourself:
What does rest look like for me now?
Where am I forcing something that needs space instead?
When was the last time I felt truly recharged - and what helped me get there?
Am I creating from overflow… or from depletion?
Let your answers guide your next step—not your to-do list.
You don’t need to do more.
You might just need to pause and listen.
And finally, a book recommendation for your Summer read:
Making Time: A New Vision for Crafting a Life Beyond Productivity by Maria Bowler
A must read from me - We are constantly fed the line that more productivity will bring more ease, satisfaction, and meaning to our lives. But what if all the gold stars and checkboxes are just a distraction? What if we could stop project managing life and act from our being instead of all our doing? (Blackwell’s synopsis)