Even though my schedule has been full for quite awhile (and for the next few months), I find that it’s necessary to make time away from the deadlines. I’ve mentioned before that I try to go for at least an hour long walk most days, even though I only manage it about 3-4 times a week. I may just be going to the bank downtown, but it takes 40 minutes each way to walk there, and half of that is in forested area or green space, so it’s a nice break from the office and good exercise.
I’ll often feel guilty about taking time off when I have a full to-do list, but I’ve learned that breaks are necessary to preserve my sanity. Time with my wife or friends, playing the guitar for an hour, going for coffee some mornings with the boys at Beamer’s, getting some fresh air, or even just watching a movie will often be all the battery recharge I need to keep me motivated for the next item on the list.
While it may seem funny to classify it as a break, sometimes just drawing something for fun is a welcome diversion as well. Regular readers will know that I’ve been experimenting with iPad sketching and painting lately with the Sketchbook Pro app. I find that I’m really enjoying finger painting on the device. I’ve been working on this one for a couple of evenings while watching TV. No deadline, no plan, just switching brushes, trying different opacity, textures, and colours, and really just having some fun with it.
I will admit to being a little frustrated that I can’t get the detail I want sometimes because of the resolution the app is capable of, and I have to keep reminding myself that it’s just a sketch app, not Photoshop and a Wacom tablet. Had fun with it, though, and that was the whole intent in the first place.
Happy Halloween!