The Power of Rest: Why Creative Downtime Matters
It's Sunday afternoon, and here I am, working on this blog post.
I tell myself I'm just "getting ahead" for the week, that creating content for my community is fulfilling work that doesn't really count as work-work. But if I'm honest, this is exactly the pattern I need to talk to you about today. The one where creative entrepreneurs like us have completely forgotten how to rest.
When I had my corporate job, exhaustion looked different. I was always "on," taking direction from my boss, translating his vision into actionable strategies, then driving results with my team. The pressure was intense, the politics were draining, and by Friday afternoon, I was spent. And boundaries weren't mine to set. I was “on call” every weekend. I had to stay “connected” even when I was on vacation.
Now, as a creative entrepreneur eight years into this journey, I've discovered something nobody warns you about: being your own boss can mean that you’re working all the time too!
The Paradox of Creative Freedom
When I left corporate life to build my creative business, I was escaping a version of the exhaustion trap. No more pointless meetings. No more office politics. No more being "on" for other people's agendas. Finally, I'd have the freedom to work on building my own business and setting my own boundaries.
What actually happened? I was “all in” working from 7am to 7pm seven days a week. And, depending on your specific goals, that’s what it may take in the beginning when you’re building something completely from scratch.
I didn’t find it exhausting in my first several years because I was super passionate about what I was building and achieving my big goals. I was okay sketching pattern ideas at midnight, supporting my community 24/7, and publishing content on social media daily.
But here’s the thing. When you love what you do – when your work is genuinely an expression of your creativity and values – it becomes almost impossible to recognize when you need to stop, or at a minimum set better boundaries.
My Walking Confession
Let me paint you a picture of how deep this goes. Every morning and afternoon, I take a walk. These walks started as my sacred time for movement and mental clarity. Fresh air. Natural beauty. A chance to let my mind wander.
But then I discovered I could use voice-to-text on ChatGPT to capture ideas. I realized I could outline a month’s worth of blog posts while I was out walking. My walks transformed into mobile strategy sessions.
Now I find myself having full conversations with AI while walking, working through business challenges, planning launches, drafting content. My "break" has become another workspace. My phone has become as essential to my walks as my sneakers.
I have to literally force myself to leave my phone at home. And you know what happens when I do? For the first ten minutes, I feel anxious. Like I'm missing something. Like I should be productive. Like I'm wasting valuable time.
It takes genuine effort to remember that those "wasted" moments are actually when restoration happens.
Why Creatives Are Especially Vulnerable
There's something unique about creative work that makes rest feel impossible, even irresponsible. Our ideas don't follow a 9-to-5 schedule. Inspiration strikes when it strikes. The muse doesn't care that it's Sunday afternoon and you really need a nap.
Plus, creative entrepreneurs wear all the hats:
We're the visionary AND the executor
We're the content creator AND the marketer
We're the teacher AND the student
We're the CEO AND the intern
Each role could be a full-time job, and they all live in our heads simultaneously. No wonder we can't turn off.
Add to this the reality of social media and online business. Your Instagram doesn't take weekends off. Your email list expects to hear from you regularly. Your community needs consistent value. The internet never closes, so it feels like you can't either.
But here's what I've learned the hard way: creativity without rest isn't sustainable creativity. It's a slow burn toward creative bankruptcy.
The Science I Can't Ignore Anymore
Let me share what finally convinced me that rest isn't just nice to have – it's non-negotiable for creative work.
Our brains need downtime to make connections. That "aha!" moment in the shower? It happens because your brain finally has space to process all the input you've been cramming into it. Those random pattern ideas that pop up during a leisurely dinner? They emerge because your subconscious finally has room to play.
When we're constantly in production mode, we're only using part of our creative capacity. The analytical, execution-focused part. But creativity also needs the dreamy, wandering, "what if" part of our brains. And that part only shows up when we're not trying to be productive.
Think about it: when do your best ideas come? I bet it's not when you're grinding away at your desk. It's probably when you're doing something completely unrelated. Taking a shower. Going for a drive. Sitting in the garden.
That's not a coincidence. That's your brain doing what it's designed to do when you finally give it space.
Permission Slips for the Overwhelmed Creative
If you're at all like me, you probably need these permission slips as much as I do:
Permission to have unproductive time. Not every moment needs to move your business forward. Some moments are just for being human.
Permission to be unreachable. Your community will survive if you don't respond to comments for 24 hours. Your email list won't abandon you if you take a week off.
Permission to rest before you're exhausted. Rest isn't a reward for completing everything. It's a requirement for sustaining anything.
Permission to protect your creative restoration time as fiercely as you protect your work time. It's not selfish. It's strategic.
Permission to leave your phone behind. Those ideas that feel so urgent? If they're really important, they'll come back.
Practical Strategies for People Who Can't Stop
I know you can't just flip a switch and suddenly be good at resting. I'm still working on it myself. But here are some strategies that are helping:
Create artificial boundaries. Since we don't have a boss telling us to go home, we need to create our own edges. I've started setting a phone alarm for "closing time." When it goes off, I close the laptop. Non-negotiable.
Designate no-work zones. My bedroom is now completely work-free. No phone charging beside the bed. No quick email checks. It's retraining my brain that some spaces are just for rest.
Schedule rest like you schedule launches. If it's not on the calendar, it won't happen. I now have "creative restoration" blocks on my calendar, and I treat them like client appointments.
Find rest activities that don't feel like rest. For type-A creatives, sitting still feels like torture. So find active rest – gardening, cooking, walking (without the phone!), playing with art supplies with no agenda.
Practice the pause. When an idea strikes during rest time, pause before you act. Write it on a sticky note if you must, but don't let it pull you back into work mode.
The Invitation for This Week
As we head into the final weeks of 2025, with all the pressure of wrapping up the year and planning for what's next, I want to invite you to experiment with rest.
This week, try one thing:
Take one walk without your phone
Set a closing time for work and stick to it
Declare one room in your house a no-work zone
Schedule a two-hour creative restoration block
Notice what happens. Notice the resistance. Notice the anxiety. But also notice what emerges in the space you create.
Because here's what I'm learning: the magic happens in the pauses. The breakthrough ideas come in the quiet moments. Sustainable creativity grows from well-rested soil.
Your creative business needs you to rest not in spite of its importance, but because of it.
xo,
Anne
Three Ways to Work with Me
If you're ready to take your creative confidence to the next level, there are three ways I can support your journey:
To get started in surface pattern design: Grab a copy of my From Doodles to Dollars® workbook. This is a downloadable PDF with the step by step instructions for how to turn a doodle or sketch into a repeating pattern. You’ll create your very first repeating pattern and gain the foundation skills to begin expressing your artistic voice in a new, exciting way.
If you've already made repeating patterns in Adobe Illustrator and you want to up-level your skills: Join the self-study version of my Pattern Design Academy® program. You get the complete program, with lifetime access and $500 off the regular price of $1,997. Click HERE for details.
If you're already running a successful creative business and you want guidance on how to expand online: Apply for my Creative Business Mastermind. This program is limited to 20 students and is designed to help you scale and achieve greater profitability using my proven 6-part framework.
It’s Never Too Late to Create®
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The Creative Business Spark Podcast.
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Create your very first repeating pattern by following my Three Golden Rules. Grab this downloadable PDF workbook and get started today.
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Up level your surface pattern design skills and learn at your own pace in The Pattern Design Academy® Self-Study Program!
Get $500 off at checkout. Click HERE for details.
The Creative Business Mastermind is my highest level program. Learn how to implement the 6-part framework I used to build my creative business from scratch.
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MEET ANNE
Hi…I’m Anne!
My creative inspiration comes from a lifetime of observation. I grew up in Paris on the Place St. Sulpice and walked to school through the Luxembourg gardens. And that was only the beginning… Learn more by watching the video on my About page.
