Tag Archives: vacation

advice

No Holidays For The Writer?

by Catherine L. Tully

Freelance-Zone Editor, Catherine L. Tully
Freelance-Zone Editor, Catherine L. Tully

What do I want for Christmas?

A day off would be really nice.

If you are a freelance writer you already are aware that this is no 9 to 5 job. But the problem doesn’t end there…

You see, it isn’t that I can’t manage my workload. I can–and do it pretty well. I even have free time. But when you work for yourself, you tend to be thinking all the time about what is around the bend. Do you find yourself doing that? I bet most of you do.

When I have time off, I often find myself thinking about what my next blog post will be, or how I should spend some time on Twitter connecting with people. It’s hard to get away from it completely. Goodness knows I do try. Part of what makes me a good freelancer also makes it nearly impossible to shut off the brain when it comes to work.

But…it can be done. And–I’d like to argue that it should be done. The next question is how to do it… Continue reading No Holidays For The Writer? →

advice, editorial, lifestyle

Creative Space

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A much younger me
A much younger me

by Catherine L. Tully

I find that I really need to take a break once in a while now that I’m older. When I was young, I could work endlessly and not seem to suffer. Now, I can work for long stretches of time–but it drains me.

When you read this, I will just be getting back from vacation. I will have eaten steak, hung out with friends and caught up on sleep. And much, much more.

Taking the time to give yourself some “creative space” can be just the thing you need to boost your productivity and energy level. And you really need to get away from your present surroundings. Truly take a break from life as you know it. Somehow resting up at home does not have the same effect.

Giving your brain this down time allows it to open up to new ideas and experiences. It “re-sets” your view of life and lets you just play with thoughts for a while if you want to. If you haven’t done this in a while–perhaps it’s time. Jump in the car and take a drive somewhere for the day. Call an old friend and book a hotel room out of town. Jump on a plane and go somewhere exotic.

Or just pack a lunch and head to the park.

We all need to remind each other that this isn’t a luxury–it is a necessity. Today I’m reminding you. Pass it around.

And be sure to have a good time. I know I will.