How To Be Creatively Creative During the Holidays

It’s that time of the year again. Everything closes down and you go for that much deserved holiday. A time for peace, quiet and not doing any work.

Except… that’s the beauty of being in the creative industry. ‘Work’ is never really work. In the midst of family gatherings, holiday meals and sleeping in, how do you find time to stay on top of your game and to plan your coming year?

Take some time off

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Make an effort to find a small time of the day to focus on your work. Even if it’s half an hour, take this time to make a quick plan for the coming year. This might sound like it involves lot of effort, but take it in steps. Maybe, in that 15 minute span, jot down everything you want to accomplish in the coming year. The next time you sit down, take another 15 minute interval and write how you want to accomplish said things. The next time, add a little more – and so on.

This will give your ambitions some sort of structure, as well as give you something to look forward to. Plus, 15 minutes of your day really isn’t much. Studies have shown that doing things in short bursts will keep you powering through distractions and help you actually get stuff done.  You could even try a more formalised version: the Pomodoro Technique.

Take notes

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Again, this might sound like a task rather than a fun activity, but that’s only if you make it so. During the holidays, your mind is relaxed and therefore open to a plethora of creative stimuli. Switching off from the work environment will not switch your brain off from coming up with brilliant ideas for the next story/film/song/dance routine/what have you.

According to studies, creativity is also stimulated when you take your mind off work.  A great way to make use of this is to take a small notebook with you everywhere. Jot down anything that grabs your attention and do so knowing that it is not a task you have to finish – just something for when you need that oomph of creativity!

Bedtime (ish) creativity

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After a long day of doing all the things you can only do during the holidays, your body is ready to pass out – but your mind feels like it’s just had eighty energy drinks and forty espressos! At night, while you shut off all your other senses, your brain is finally able to process all that information it received during the day.

As we all know, the light from our phones and computers makes it harder for us to fall asleep. So why not use this time to release some information from mind to paper? Whether it’s drawing, or writing or just making a list, doing something productive before sleep will not only assure you actually do get a good night’s sleep but also aid you in your creative endeavours.

Pseudo-New Year’s resolutions

In the creative business progress is key. Equally, seeing progress is inspirational; it assures you you are on the right path to your desired goal.

Look back at your year and make a list of all you have accomplished. Even the small things will help you see that your year wasn’t in vain.  They will also give you a guideline of what it is you’ve already done, what worked, and whether you should do it again in the coming months.

There are several tracking methods for the more tech-savvy people – or, if you’re more old school, a simple pen and paper will do. The important thing is that you realise that you are getting somewhere, even if it doesn’t seem so at the time.

So go ahead, get creative without disrupting your holiday vibe!

Inspiring Interns is a recruitment agency specialising in all the internships and graduate jobs London has to offer.