Hello lovely Omni community,
Isabelle here, and I’m excited to share a new challenge this month! April’s challenge is to slow down, pause, and create meaningful time & space for rest.
Now you may be thinking to yourself: “Who is this wacko running Omni now?! I came here to learn and practice, not take a nap!”
Honestly, fair - and I promise more technical challenges are on the way - but hear me out…
I don’t know about you, but working in the music industry - and let’s face it, life in general - can feel pretty overwhelming sometimes. And if you’re like me, you were taught to power through, keep going, try harder, never quit, etc because your personal value and worth is based on your output (yay capitalism!). But one of the greatest lessons I was ever taught was how to unlearn that pile of crap, and it starts with hitting the pause button on that toxic cycle of productivity.
I’ve learned that taking a break is a very necessary and valuable step in making art. Sometimes it’s the time away from the thing that allows you and your skill to grow.
Not everyone has the privilege of being able to take a break from work or other responsibilities. But a break can take many forms! Whether it’s a 5-minute stretch every morning, or giving your ears frequent breaks during a mixing session, or taking a full day off every week to enjoy other hobbies, or using the entire month of April to take space from the studio - this month, I challenge you to take some well-deserved time and space for yourself, whatever that means to you.
If you want to learn more and check out some useful resources, you can upgrade to paid!
Got any personal experience or tips to share? Comment below!
Enjoy,
Isabelle (she/they)
Here are some tips and resources to help you take a break as a musician, audio engineer, and human being:
Some helpful basics:
Put it in the calendar
If you’re a calendar or to-do list guy like me, then consider adding your “break time” in there! You can get specific with the time of day, duration, and location if that would be helpful for you too. For example: “Siri, add ‘Break Time’ every Thursday from 10 to 11 am at Mountain Park”. (Yes, I did make up a generic name for a park)Phone or No Phone?
If you have a tricky relationship with social media, notifications, or checking texts/emails, then it might be worth putting away your phone during break time if you’d like to truly disconnect. However, if your ideal break time involves playing your favourite video game on your phone, then go to town! (and you can always silence notifications during that time anyway)Solo or Community?
Would your break time feel better flying solo with your own wonderful company? Or would it feel better with one or more friends? Depending on the activity and your preferences this can make or ~break~ this valuable time for you. Feel free to try different settings, activities, and kinds of company. For example, you may enjoy a solo stroll around the neighbourhood in between mixing projects, or maybe you have a weekly coffee hang with 2 of your closest buddies.
I hope you’ve found this helpful and that you’re able to incorporate some more intentional rest into your professional and personal life. You’ve got this!
This is super smart - and honestly a challenge! I promise to practice this month!