The end of August has a magical feel to it. Kiddos head back to school, sunset begins to creep later, the heat may finally begin to ease. Summer's buzz wanes, and there's an invitation: to pause, get cozy, and think about what's next.
But slowing down isn't always comfortable. Coming out of summer, we're used to constant motion. A lull can make our nervous systems twitchy, as if we're waiting for the other shoe to drop. Living in a world that celebrates hustle, rest can often feel wrong.
Yet as creatives, we need it. Making things — whether it's art, words, or ideas — takes a lot out of us. Without breaks, we risk running ourselves straight into burnout.
Whether we're creatives in our personal lives, work lives, or both, it's rare for someone to hand us rest. It's an idea we need to claim for ourselves, and it's not always easy. As we head into fall, here are some ways we can follow the season's cues to find rest:
Notice what burnout feels like to you.
Brain fog, procrastination, restlessness, writer's block. Learn your early indicators so you can step back before you hit the wall.
Work with your creative seasons.
Nature has its rhythm — winter's rest, spring's fresh starts, summer's full energy, fall's reflection. Creativity moves the same way. Notice which seasons you thrive in and which you resist, then plan your projects with that in mind.
Make rest less intimidating.
If you're not great at doing nothing (hi, same), ease in. Take a walk. Read something for fun. Wander a local museum. Rest isn't just laying on the couch watching TV (although that can be great, too). Rest is taking in the world without an objective; it invites curiosity and gets your creative juices flowing in an entirely new way. Who knows what sparks will fly.
As we head into fall, give yourself the permission slip to slow down. Rest isn't a waste of time; it's part of the work. Your creativity will thank you for it.
Now, go take a nap,
Anna Beyerle Rosen, Brand Strategist
LINK ROUNDUP
1. Logos of the Top 100 Companies
Although this list is from 2020, the trends haven't changed much. Of the top 100 companies, 63 have blue in their logos and 25 have red. A third don't feature marks, and only two have no wordmarks (Nike and Apple).
2. Butcher Paper, but Make It Conservation
Now it's fish printing. The campaign advocates for the preservation of Hudson Canyon through "two powerful visual traditions: the nostalgic look of East Coast fish markets and gyotaku, the Japanese art of fish printing."
3. How Every Brand Can Find Its "Just Do It"
"Brands that operate solely in the 'what' and 'how' don't last. Saab and Kodak serve as stark lessons: when identity starts and ends with a product or service, it's only a matter of time before the ice cracks beneath you."
4. The Art of the Album Campaign
In a world awash with meticulously crafted visual content, audiences now expect more, and musical artists are here to deliver. Each visual touchpoint, from cover art to concert merch, has to contribute to a unified sonic and visual narrative.
CREATIVE SPOTLIGHT
All works by Hilma af Klint. Images courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
On view at MoMA through September 27, Hilma af Klint's botanical studies from 1919 explore what she described as the connection "between the plant world and the world of the soul." While she is best known for her bold abstractions, these Nature Studies reveal how close observation can open the door to more abstract ideas. As Anna reminded us above, slowing down may be exactly what you need to uncover new connections in your own work.
