For a printer to work well it requires ink jet cartridges. Without it the great idea, the brilliant plan, the astounding photograph sits in the virtual world trapped as nothing more then computer code. From time to time, An ink refill is necessary. The ink runs out and the printer needs refreshing. The photos develop weird tones. The sophisticated and complex printing machine is worthless without fresh ink. It is the same with human accomplishments of all kinds. It matter’s not the power of our vision if the ink, the last bit of effort required to bring it into the world, is empty. That ink could be many things; money, time, effort or inspiration. No matter what the resource is that brings our creations to fruition; one thing remains constant. Whatever it is, it needs to be replenished from time to time.
There are many ways to replenish the creative ink in all of us. What holds true across the board, no matter what the endeavor is, adequate rest is an important part of the creative process. Many people have the experience of working late into the night on a project, drinking coffee or energy drinks to stay awake and plug away. One more than one occasion, after getting some rest they wake up and easily solve the problem they spent hours wrestling with, or worse, they discovered that the work they had been doing was flawed by bad judgment and had to be re-done. Stepping back, getting rest is an important part of any successful endeavor.
To restore the creative ink well there is a couple things the one should consider. One of the first things is redefining the definition of rest. It should not be narrowly interpreted as sleep, napping or doing nothing. There are several aspects that need resting and this suggests the need for different approaches. The physical body requires down time, the brain and mind require rejuvenation, and the senses need rest. Obviously the body can be rested with sleep, napping or meditating. There is other effective ways of resting the body. Sometimes, after long stretches of sitting in a chair, the body needs to move a little and a walk or run can do the trick. The question to ask is what the body is tired of doing? Maybe it is sitting, maybe the body is exhausted from standing in one place, maybe it is tired of the physical effort involved. Often tension and stress can feel like weariness and a little exercise relieves the body. So it is necessary to rest the body from its routine.
The brain is often working overtime. Often relaxing the mind, giving it a break from the problem is the quickest way to a solution. Resting the mind doesn’t mean switching from one form of stimulation to another. Give it a break from whatever form of thinking that has occupied it. Here as well exercise is an excellent option, the bodies steady rhythm and focus releases the mind. Meditation is also an effective method. switch things around and free the mind. if a person has been working with numbers they should try painting or singing, or some activity that requires a different way of using the mind. This is great for those who don’t easily come to a still and quiet place.
As for resting the senses, this is perhaps the most fun. Using music, meals, massage, aromatherapy are all great ways to rest the senses. The fundamentals are basic, to replenish the creative ink well rest is required and rest can be defined in an active and expressive way.
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