Room to breathe
The festive season is by now well and truly upon us. With the holidays drawing closer, writers everywhere are starting to think about downing tools and taking a nice long break from the laptops… Time to put work aside and say hello to some days off from the never ending —
— ok, who am I kidding here…? If you’re anything like me, there is probably one thing on your mind: more time to write!
For most of us, writing tends to fit around a day job; whether it’s evenings after a 9-to-5, stolen hours between shifts or downtime around other writing work. We all have the much-loved WIP waiting patiently for us at the end of a long day or project. That unfinished script, or the nuggets of ideas we’ve been squirrelling away in notebooks for weeks or months.
So the holidays can be the perfect opportunity to put the day job aside and give that WIP some uninterrupted TLC! Maybe a glass of mulled wine on the side to keep the creative juices flowing? Sounds heavenly. Sign me up.
But, before you finally clock out for 2021 and indulge in that much wanted writing spree, make sure to set some house rules. Allocate writing time and stick to it; don’t let yourself get lost in the zone too long. And allow yourself to step away from it and take an actual break. Yes, a break from writing.
I’ll avoid waxing lyrical here about the real meaning of the season — you can kick back with a good Christmas movie for that. But there is truth in the sentiment; it is a good time to reflect on the year, take stock of your accomplishments and think of ways to move forward.
It’s ok to put the laptop away for a few days. Your writer brain may want to keep going — that’s ok too. Let it noodle away those ideas in the background, while you enjoy some downtime. Indulge in a little self-care, and give yourself credit for whatever you’ve achieved over the past year. It may have felt small at the time, but fifty-two weeks of even the smallest wins add up. Whatever small steps you made that moved you that little bit closer to your goals, you made them. You’ve kept the plot of your own story moving forward.
Bask in the comfort of that thought; and then look ahead. But remind yourself that we’ve been through a challenging couple of years, and if the thought of giving yourself another big challenge feels too much, then… don’t. Small, achievable goals, are perfectly acceptable ways forward. Baby steps will build up strength and stamina to tackle the bigger ones. Only you can set the pace for you.
That beloved WIP will survive a few days without you. Sure, you can give it a little attention, but be firm — reassure it you’ll be back, put it away and take some time out.
After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder, so give yourself and your work some room to breathe, enjoy the season and enter the New Year refreshed and ready to go again.
written by Patty Papageorgiou
