It’s been weeks since I posted something here, so welcome back, hello, and thank you for sticking with me, stopping by to read my words every so often. Let me tell you why I’ve been absent, and how hitting pause on my words helped me bring them back. Turns out hitting pause–taking a short break from your creative effort–is one unconventional way to deal with creative burnout.

Hitting Pause

I decided to hit pause.

The phrase “hitting pause” is a relatively new thing, isn’t it? When it comes to media, music and videos, we were never able to hit pause until fairly recently. Or when I watched Petticoat Junction (oh, that really dates me!), I took a potty break during the carpet commercial. When I listened to the Beatles or Carole King or Fleetwood Mac in the car, no pausing, at least until I got my first portable cassette player the size of a small suitcase.

Today, I’m comfortable hitting pause. I love it when I want to make a batch of popcorn during my latest Neflix or Amazon Prime binge (or when I’m listening to my latest Audible book on my walk and I stop to chat with a neighbor. (No affiliate links here. Just giving you a chance to check out my latest picks.)

Pause. Eat. Pause. Chat.

Why pause?

Pausing allows time for a breath or two.

And pausing offers space for something, even if I’m not sure what that might be.

So I paused my written words, but I didn’t really do this intentionally. It just happened, and I let it happen.

It began when I returned from the American Christian Fiction Writing Conference in Nashville. (Such an amazing experience! I’ll share more about that another time.) Travel, prepping to meet with one agent and one editor, and session after session about the craft of fiction writing all added up to my mushy brain and tired spirit. I tossed my notes and new writer friend business cards on my messy desk and shut the door.

Then came the busy-ness of life as our grown-up kids remodeled and reopened their family’s awesome restaurant, Waverly Stone, here in downtown Holland. (If you’re a local, then be sure to check it out. Amazing food. Cool setting. Great live music.) I dropped everything to pitch in and help. Filled nail holes on the tin walls with putty. Touched-up paint. Proofread menus. Tasted food. Prayed. Ran errands. Encouraged. It was good to search for and find little nail holes and fill them in with gooey white putty. Something very rewarding in all of this. I didn’t write — I paused. I paused to let all these things work their way through my brain, my heart, my soul.

Yes, I did some everyday writing things. I sat at my keyboard to compose emails, write Facebook posts, prep Sunday school lessons and Bible studies.

I didn’t write on my blog; I didn’t work on my novel.

No, I hit pause.

One Unconventional Way to Deal with Creative Burnout

There was prayer, garden work, more prayer, coloring, digging into God’s Word, walks, visual faith, reading, lots of book reading, crossword puzzles, soup-making, leaf-blowing, hugging, loving.

And there were plenty of moments when I thought I should ditch this whole writing gig. What would life look like if I hit end instead of pause?

That thought left me with an ache I cannot describe.

Not writing awakened within me the truth that I need to write. It’s me. It’s God’s gift to me. I would be foolish to set it aside. The pause gave me time to listen to God and to examine my heart, my motivation, my past, my present, my future. Some of it wasn’t pretty, but I trust in a God who is always at work to make it beautiful in His time.

My favorite Psalm reminds me that He is right here with me in this pause. (I love the sounds of the King James Version. Gentle.)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul.”

The green pastures, the still waters, His presence. These were all in my pause.

Now, I’m ready to hit play and trust Him to lead me and my words.  Have you hit pause anywhere in your life? What did you learn? I’d really love to hear your pause-stories.

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