How taking breaks DOESN'T help you + they ruin your art

[@Wendy_de_Boer]

People often assume that watching media is relaxing because it's passive. However research shows that watching media is not relaxing, it's engaging. Which basically means it's stressful, just in a positive way. But that's actually tiring and not relaxing. To the brain, watching media is basically just "more work", and therefore it's not an actual break.

[@rheinrich_art]

It can also fill that creativity need, by watching other artists or whatever you scratch that itch instead of letting your own creativity scratch it

[@TheArtMentor]

@rheinrich_art it appears so, yet that’s as a consumer of media rather than a creator of it, isn’t it? 😅

[@TheArtMentor]

Exactly as I’ve found as well! It often overstimulates and overwhelms, even though the body is physically at rest, rest never occurs, does it?

[@Wendy_de_Boer]

@@rheinrich_art Of course you can watch media. You just have to do it in the understanding that it's its own activity, and not a good way to take a break. If you have been working on your art and you are tired and need a break, step away from screens and take a walk outside. Don't take your phone with you, either. This is where you will truly rest and recuperate, and where your brain mulls over creative ideas.

[@TheReal_BallzBDragon]

I have been teaching myself guitar lately and I have learned that breaks help with this. I will spend a day teaching myself something new, go to try it the next day and be worse at it, take a day off, and when I return to try again, I am better than before. I can't explain it, it happens consistently every time I learn something new.

[@grildrago]

There's one time I felt too exhausted that I fall asleep on balcony. When I woke up, I've never been so fresh in that Year. Quick rest is the best break.

[@E1Alpha]

The ways I've been able to break through any art slumps I have had is simply to draw more. I make sure that if I need a break from my usual art, I just go back to how I drew as a kid: No pressure. No expectations. No concerns. It might be just a sketch that I delete once I'm done, or it might be something that turns into a full illustration. It's been a foolproof go-to method for me.

[@euchale]

I can highly recommend to link 2 things together. When I was trying to lose weight I linked dinner and sports together. I could skip sports as often as I want, but if I do, I won't eat dinner. That way it didn't feel like I was forced to do sports, but rather a choice of doing sports to be allowed to have dinner. Its just a minute change in perspective but helped a lot.

[@AdamDuffArt]

Fantastic

[@TheArtMentor]

Love to hear that from you Adam! Thanks so much for watching

[@AdamDuffArt]

@@TheArtMentor The pleasure is all mine - you put out amazing content

[@1805movie]

I'm guilty of this too. I spend most of my time going online to "relax"/"decompress" (KZbin, Discord, DeviantArt, etc). Granted, it'd be after a stressful day at work, but I would put my creative projects on hold every time I drove home, and go straight to my laptop. That's why I'm training myself to follow a certain routine: On my workdays, when it gets slow, I take the time to pace in one spot, and write whenever I can (which is usually 4-8 hours give or take). When I'm on break, I make myself some chai in the breakroom, and read a book for however long I'm permitted on said break. On my days off (with nothing specific planned), I tend to spend hours on end, at home, on my laptop doing what I said previously (KZbin, Discord, DeviantArt, etc). For that, I'm trying to get into a routine of going to my local neighborhoods, walk around a park, go to a few of my favorite coffee shops/cafes, etc. while keeping my manuscript and pen/book in hand. Thankfully I don't have a smart phone (never have and never will): Instead, I have a regular flip phone in case I want to call/text my friends and family. In a way, leaving my house is a respite from my laptop. I don't always follow through on my promise, but once I stick with a pattern I tend to go through with it. Great video as always! P.S. If you're looking for good books to read, I recommend _The Anxious Generation_ by Jonathan Haidt. He makes some really good points about avoiding social media (especially for children under a certain age) to prevent craving overstimulation.

[@RentsLeague]

Now this, I like this video a lot, keep er going mate.

[@ClayStopframe]

thisss!! omg!! people don't really know how to actually take breaks, well said

[@MoonHybrid]

I am actually looking into going back to the gym with a friend soon, due to feeling slumped after being on and off sick for a while. But I'm starting to coming back from being sick and looking to take time in my week to work out for a day or two. C: I am hoping it will help me get back into a routine, and read and draw more! Thanks for the advice for reading. I got a set of novels to read through just sitting around haha One of the things I do to try and limit my social media is I try to get all of it out while I'm at work. Before work I'll respond to messaged and chats, during the day on breaks I'll chat. But while I working I'll listen to a podcast. Once I'm home I will sit around for an hr play a video game, and after a bit ill go sit quietly at the dinning room table and watch outside. (It's way to cold other wise I'd go walk.) Then I sit down and draw till I can't seem to do it anymore. Take another break..and try again and sometimes it just doesn't happen and sometimes I will get sucked into a focus vibe where I can knock out a piece in 5+hrs. Sometimes it's a struggle and sometimes it is easy to do!

[@gabudaichamuda2545]

Sean, have you ever heard of Rian Doris? He has a channel on KZbin under his name. One of the reasons it's so difficult to follow high-end endeavors is because our threshold for boredom is so high. It is SO EASY to push a button and be gratified these days, be it food, drink, or mindless entertainment. One key I have found to dropping my threshold, is to have days where I touch absolutely ZERO media outside of maybe music. No socials, no games, and I take breaks where I sit and candle gaze for 20-30 minutes. No KZbin unless the videos are actually informative.

[@Ayzay1717]

It motivated me to go take a walk. Thanks Sean, you provide quality and useful content.

[@alecliu7860]

Because I'm so scatterbrained and interdisciplinary I never deal with "burnout" because I'm not working on something for more than 4 hours at a time per day. there's a real fine line between taking a break and just giving yourself an excuse to keep grinding on a long term project. all else id suggest is making a schedule and committing to it. doesnt have to be 8 hours a day, one hour a day and just stopping and going to do something else when the timer goes off is better than 8 hours on a saturday every weekend or whatever 100% on the exercise, i do that first almost every day before sitting down in front of the pc since i train like 10-12 hours a week

[@Ignited_x]

What I am trying to get back into doing is going outside to do some jumping rope. Or even the floor exercises you mentioned

[@boomertunes9924]

I've found that my best art performance in recent times has been a few months back when it was nice outside and I was regularly spending an hour or two each day outside. No music, podcast, or anything. Just me, my handsaw, and some wood (and sometimes me, my hammer, and some nails, too).

[@ammonn9930]

Breath work like the wim hof breathing, meditation, stretching and yoga safed my life. I work sometimes up to 12h on client work and, without the wim hof breathing I would be dead inside xD

[@danielcalencar]

60 books a year? Like more than a book per week? These books are definitely not the 600 pages fantasies I like to read haha

[@rachelledellinger174]

Hi! When I’m drawing I like to listen to some light music….do you suggest doing it in complete quiet? Thanks😀

[@SimicChameleon]

Using electronic and media is not taking a break. Reading a books or learning on a hobby is a healthy to take a break. The goal is not get stimulated but manage time well in goals.

[@rosieb1985]

The idea that people don't buy books flabbergasts me. 😮 I have books EVERYWHERE.

[@nicklegend4547]

Video games over art? Nope!