Breaks vs burnouts

I have recently taken

Somewhat of a compulsory break from all things art related. I went to Vanuatu with my girlfriend! It was my first overseas trip. Without boring the readers with an analogous diatribe of my personal exploits and adventures (of which many were had), it will suffice to say that I had a good time.

But I have accosted myself with another hurdle in my path to artistic glory. I am used to the concept of burnout, where one chains oneself to a piece and beats and berates his muse until she leaves in a blaze of abused resentment, inevitably leaving the piece unfinished and the artist empty. I am currently in a state of burnout but without the aforementioned work-abuse. I have actually taken such a lengthy break that I may have come out the other side and been burnt out from resting.

It also doesn't help that the project I am working on is now firmly nested in that forsaken valley of suck, where the only way I am going to get any love is to strap myself in and lay smackdown on my elusive muse.

So now I am left wondering

About the virtues of taking breaks.

Taking a break from art is good to relax those creative muscles that you have been straining. But leave them idle too long and you might find they have atrophied. I now open up my latest project and get that same feeling of burnout. The anxiety of letting a project lapse, the anger at yourself for being lazy, the regret of wasted hours and the loss of things left unlearnt. What is this? I should be refreshed! I just spent a week in a colourful tropical paradise! I just saw species of animal and tree that I had never seen before! I just experienced culture completely alien to my own! I should have ideas brimming and motivation overflowing! Alas, this is my reality.

I think breaks are important, but so is stretching your legs. It's like the triathlete who wakes up every three hours the night before a big run to stretch his legs and keep them limber. If you rest for too long you'll develop cramps and fatty deposits on your cerebellum. I have to train myself back onto the modelling track one step at a time, like rocky returning to boxing, but with less mumbling and hopefully something remotely resembling entertainment. Maybe I should even take my own advice.