(Image credit to Kris Atomic on Unsplash)

In September, I took my foot off the gas a little bit. Winter is a very busy time for me with panto chaperoning and I've still got a couple of other projects on the go as well. I knew I wouldn't have time for another big holiday, so I just decided to "drop down to part time hours" for a few weeks.

This has meant essentially doing the bare minimum work to keep on top of things, and I'm not ashamed of that. It's necessary to take breaks, even if you can't fully step away. On the other hand, it did mean I massively reduced down my time for creative tasks, and I've only really done one this week.

I was getting itchy feet at home, so I took myself off to a local cafe for a writing session. Being in different surroundings removed my usual distractions and gave me a purpose. I sat and dreamed and plotted the story structure and character details for another rural story that is slowly working its way out of my brain.

The show feels more defined now, like something I might be able to explain to someone else. It also feels distinct from my previous projects, which is important to me. I love those projects, but I don't want to regurgitate the same story over and over.

It seems like I'm in another phase of my working life where I need to put effort into prioritising creativity, and I will. Once I've had a rest.