Can you tell yet that I’m a bit of a perfectionist? I relish my work, and left to my own devices, I might do it non-stop for many hours—without a break, without a walk, without eating. When I get into a groove, it’s hard to pull myself away. However, I’ve realized that my drive to get things done can significantly deplete my creative resources.

The truth is: All work and no play makes Karen a burned-out, uninspired designer.

While staying organized comes naturally to me, staying creative takes careful effort and attention. If I don’t make time to fill the well…it doesn’t get filled. Do you ever say, “Just do this one more thing” – and then three hours go by? If so, I know you can relate. It’s hard to rip ourselves away at times. But we must!

I believe we are all creative when our wells are full. The difficult part is getting out of our own way to access that creativity on a regular basis. Borrowing from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, here’s how I stay creative. I hope it helps you too:

• Morning pages. Take pen to journal and write whatever comes to mind. I try to do this for 15 minutes every morning.
• Go for a walk. Step away from the computer, sketchbook, problem
 you can’t figure out—and walk. It’s a great perspective-shifter and 
load-lightener.
• Weekly artist dates. Is there a bead shop you’ve always wanted to check out? A movie you want to see? Go, do it and see what happens. I carve out this personal time for myself in my planner and treat it like an important meeting.

Maybe you don’t consider yourself creative. But even so, I think we can all agree—we bring more to the table in business and in life when we stay balanced. Personally, I know that staying balanced helps me create more inspiring designs that work better for my clients’ needs.

How do you fill the well? Leave a comment and let me know.

And if you want to see what I can bring to the table design-wise—let’s talk.