The importance of taking breaks
Taking the pressure off and refilling the creative bucket
You are reading The Dwindle River Diaries, an artist & gardener’s journal from rural Aotearoa by Zenobia Southcombe.
Kia ora friends,
At the start of last month my husband & I went through a big change. I left my dayjob at the local pharmacy, and am taking a year “off” being employed to focus on my creative work, our garden (we have had a magnificent apple season!) and to try and get our home somewhat under control.
We moved from our rental in the city six years ago. Since then, it feels like it’s been one thing after another and we haven’t had a chance to actually get our house set up the way we want it. Last year was particularly bad for me, with what I am sure was Long Covid, giving me symptoms of chronic fatigue.
Living in a small town with limited public transport also means job options are limited. Yes, we knew that when we moved in, but even with daily commuting jobs are thin on the ground.
So we put aside a year’s worth of (frugal) living costs, which I’m seeing as something in-between a residency and a sabbatical. It’s a year for me to rest, recover, and really think about where I want to take my creative work. What do I want my career to look like? What are my priorities in life, and am I treating them as such? What do I need to do to stay healthy?
Of course, my first month off was hit-and-miss. I went away for a few days, then I got sick, then I got sick again; there were lots of tears, and my sleeping patterns were all over the place. I should’ve expected it, really, and I tried to go easy on myself.
Looking back, I realise how important it was that I gave myself a break instead of rushing headlong in, although I had several moments where I despaired that I would never paint again. I felt uninspired in photography, too, taking my camera out with me and not finding anything to shoot (this almost NEVER happens).
So I told myself I didn’t have to do anything. I took advantage of the local Wild Dunedin nature festival specials to get out of my usual environment and do some photo workshops. The photo above was at a penguin rehabilitation centre. I didn’t make any “real” paintings, but enjoyed making sketches outside in the autumn sun.
And then, of course, we experienced the magic of Aurora Australis.
This month, I got some photos submitted into a national photography salon🤞🏽🤞🏽, had a piece about photographing the aurora accepted in our regional newspaper, and have several photos accepted for sale over at Art Collective.
In other words, I’m back on the horse. It took a much-needed break, and refilling the creativity bucket with new/different experiences, and that’s learning I’ll take forward with me.
Zenobia x
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