Intentional rest and the private studio…

Low energy, burnout, fatigue, no creative juice, resentment, overcommitment… These are all realities I have felt at one time or another in my professional teaching career due to not prioritizing rest. In music training we hear a lot about hard work and consistency. But what kind of teaching did we receive or have modeled to us about intentional rest? What is the relationship of rest in the lives of musicians? 

In my experience, designated time to reset and rest is essential for sustainable growth in the lives of creatives. It is absolutely essential for the sustainability of the art and the artist. As teachers and studio owners, we have the ability to intentionally create this space for ourselves and our studios. One way I have done this is by introducing Rest Weeks into my studio calendar. 

These rest weeks are designed to be actual breaks for the caregiver and the student (and myself!). Whatever rest looks like for the caregiver and the student, I encourage them to experiment or utilize. Modeling intentional rest is a beautiful gift for a caregiver to give to a child. Modeling rest is a beautiful gift for us teachers to give to our students. This rest will fuel us and them for an even higher and healthier quality of work and output. It will aid in keeping us and them mentally, emotionally, and musically healthy. 

What were you taught about rest? How was rest modeled to you? Perhaps it was risky to take rest. Perhaps the word “break” meant that you were expected to put in double the work. Or perhaps rest was misunderstood as lazy, falling behind, being overlooked, missing out, procrastinating, being passive, ignored, shamed, left out, regressing, weak, needing to make up work, or a child not caring. We must intentionally teach that it is GOOD to rest. As artists and teachers, it is ESSENTIAL we rest. The success of our teaching demands that we rest, and our art and our artists need rest for sustainability, growth, and health.