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MY⚡️Feature
featured piece of advice for creatives and creative leaders
Recovery
Back in December, I went home to Louisiana for the holidays and most often when I travel I have a guitar with me for some reason. I’m either working on a project remotely or I’ve picked up a gig or something like that. But this trip I decided not to take a guitar and I literally went almost 2 weeks without touching an instrument of any kind.
I can’t tell you how rare that is. I’m always around music. Playing, writing, producing, recording, etc… it’s my job, but it’s also a passion, so I rarely put it down for more than a couple of days. But I learned something over the holiday season.
I left music alone and I came back to it with a fresh passion.
We need a break, even from things we love.
It’s like exercise. If you’ve ever exercised regularly there are things called “rest days” or “recovery days”. When you work out your muscles they need time to recover from the stress and tearing that happens when you lift weights. Your body needs time to strengthen itself before you workout again and the process of lifting and resting is what helps you get stronger. If you keep lifting, and never rest or recover, your body never has the chance to catch up and it can lead to fatigue and even injury.
For me, my eating patterns have been the same. I mostly eat clean during the week, but every Sunday is “Cheat Day”. My body needs that shock and my soul needs those Zebra Cakes. You know what I mean!? Haha.
Our creative endeavors need the some ebb and flow. You need to rest and recover from your creative ventures. You need to take days off and enjoy other things that enrich your life.
We are often deeply inspired away from our creative endeavors, but then we bring that inspiration back into our creative work.
You have to find a way to take a break and/or take a day off so that you can refuel, find fresh inspiration, and not get burned out doing that thing that you love so much.
Here are some practical things you can do:
Schedule at least one day a week that you don’t do your creative discipline.
Schedule other activities besides being creative that inspire and refresh you. (Take a walk, read, hang with friends, etc…)
Don’t take your creative work on vacation unless you have a purpose for doing so.
Don’t feel guilty for taking a break. It’s part of the cycle of creativity.
Part of staying passionate about what we do as creative people is actually not doing the thing that we’re most passionate about. Everything has a rhythm and it’s absolutely ok to take a break. You may find it’s exactly what you need.
I’ve created a tool that could help with this. It’s called the MY⚡️FI CREATIVE CLARITY PLANNER and you can get it FREE by clicking the link.
MY⚡️Follows
Dynamo Studios
(@dynamostudios) is an incredible non-profit based out of Chattanooga, TN that is focused on partnering with schools to teach kids about audio production, audio engineering, photography, and more. Please give them a follow, check out their website, and consider donating!
Seismic Creative
(@seismiccreative) is a fantastic marketing agency run by my wonderful friends Mike and Vanessa Peacock. They bring incredible taste and years of experience in wide range of industries. If you need branding, advertising, campaign design, or anything else… they do it all… really well.
Gumbo Clothing Supply
(@gumbo.supply) is a line of clothing that is casual and unique. Their whimsical and yet powerful design stands out in a sea of instagram clothing lines. Their sweatshirts, jackets, and hats are all on my list. Give them a follow and pick up some swag at their website.
MY⚡️Finds
cool stuff I found this week
Record Stand
I looked for a long time before I found the perfect record stand for my set up. This thing holds almost 70 single albums, is super solid, and looks amazing. If you’re wanting a way to display albums and pick up a little extra storage along the way, then check this thing out! CLICK HERE
Compact Tool Kit
Having a small tool kit in my back pack has saved me more than once and I know it’ll do the same for you. I wanted to find something that was small, didn’t weigh too much, and had the basics. So, here it is. If you need a small, basic tool kit in your bag then grab one… CLICK HERE
MY⚡️Favorites
some of my favorite sights, sounds, and reads
33 1/3 Books
33 1/3 is series of books that is so aptly named after the speed of 12” vinyl albums. The books are written about a single album and mostly by different authors. I have a few about OK Computer, Exile on Main Street, and Marquee Moon. Check out their website and go pick up a book about one of your favorite albums! CLICK HERE
Adobe Rush
I use this app all the time to edit simple videos on my phone. I needed something that had layers and would render at an high level and I found the answer. I’m not a great video editor so trust me when I say that it’s simple and best of all it’s FREE! GET IT HERE
MY⚡️FI Podcast
a podcast about the journey of creativity
Ep. 042 :: Manny Muniz
On this episode of MYFI I’m joined by my friend Manny Muniz. Manny is a drummer and entrepreneur based in Chattanooga, TN who created and runs Live Label Hair, an incredible salon, brand, and culture. Jump in the conversation as we talk about creativity and entrepreneurship, what matters in a creative culture, and the connection of music and style.
MY⚡️FI Blog
monthly blog for creatives and creative leaders
Simple Organization
To kick off the new year I think all of us would like to be a little more organized. This month on the blog I share some tools and practices that I use on a daily basis to stay on top of my schedule, tasks, and projects. Check out the blog by clicking here.