I Took A Year Break From Writing

I started writing when I was eight years old, and I never thought I'd need a break from it. It's what I do best and the only way I have to let go of my emotions and process my overwhelming thoughts. Last year, I started writing online for the first time because I craved recognition and criticism from strangers.

I started dreaming of making my passion a job when I realized that it was possible. I was making little money, but I earned it by doing something I love, so if I could just be more consistent and determined, I could make this my full-time occupation.

I was writing almost every day and publishing pieces that I wasn't proud of because when you look for advice on how to be a successful writer you'll find hundreds of people saying that consistency is key. Create as much as you can, don't get discouraged.

Little did I know, that mindset was compromising the quality of my writing and the honesty I was putting into it. I told myself that I needed to stop feeling guilty for not doing as much as the other writers and I let go of my attachment to writing for a whole year. It did more for my writing than anything else ever did, and here's why.

Feeling guilty for being unproductive will get you nowhere. Being productive when you're out of ideas or trying to make sense of your thoughts through brain fog is not only detrimental to your mental health but will make you a substantially worse writer.

Take two or three days a week, and use those for writing. Dedicate the other ones to rest and find inspiration. The most important thing to do as a writer is to look at the world around you, and take as much as you can from it.

Consuming content and art will not make you look like a slacker. It's the best way to find something that inspires you. All artists are thieves. We all take pieces of art and the world with us to incorporate into our writing, so go outside, or stay inside and watch a movie. It doesn't matter as long as you look at it through the lens of a writer.

I take a notebook with me wherever I go, or I pick up my phone and open the notes app when I see something that makes me reflect. Write down song lyrics you find fascinating or weird things people do on the subway. I was surprised at how much I remembered about the moments I collected without adding many details.

There's proof that taking breaks from your job increases productivity and energy, and prevents the burn-out cycle. It will give you a fresh perspective on your own work, which will inevitably result in higher quality.

As much as quantity might help you get more recognition, the people that will stay are there for what you can provide. Focus on what you can add to someone's life, the emotions you can channel into your art, and don't ever forget about perfecting what you're writing. Re-read hundreds of times if necessary. It's the most important phase of the writing process.

I'm not recommending a year break (unless you're losing your sense of self like I was, so the longer the break, the better the results), but be free of guilt. You will be just as talented after a couple of days. Recollect your thoughts and ideas, organize them, let them go if they don't serve you, and store all the energy you can so that you're not writing absentmindedly.

You'll see immediate results once you let your brain rest, and you'll thank me later. These are things we all know, but sometimes we need to hear them once more to let them sink in. I have never felt so inspired and creative in my life, and it's all thanks to opening up my eyes to look at what's around me and putting my fears aside.