Marketing Creatives, You Need a Holiday Vacation—Here’s Why
Everyone deserves a break from work, especially during the holidays when all you want to do is hang out with family and gorge yourself on comfort food. But I’m about to make the case for why taking time off is so important for creatives in particular, since I’ve experienced those benefits firsthand.
People tend to view creative professionals as a boundless river of creativity that never runs dry. In reality, our creative abilities are more like a battery that needs recharging from time to time. Some days, we operate on full power and the ideas come effortlessly; other days, our battery runs low and ideas are few and far between.
Unlike many professions, being a marketing creative is not as simple as “sit down and do.” Instead, coming up with creative solutions takes some combination of inspiration, hard work, and luck. But there’s a long list of things you can do to “recharge the battery,” so to speak—and at the top of that list is taking time off.
Taking time off gives you the chance to rest, relax, and recharge. When you’re constantly working against deadlines and feeling the pressure to plan and execute great ideas on demand, it’s easy to lose sight of why you became a creative in the first place. That’s why vacations are so important: They reconnect you with the inspiration that abounds in everyday life, while removing the pressure to make something out of it. Instead, you can just appreciate it, enjoy it, and perhaps store it somewhere in your mind for later use.
Research has shown time and time again that taking time off provides a range of benefits to both employer and employee. Employees who take time off show increased productivity, lower stress levels, and better mental health. Vacation time helps prevent burnout and leads to employees that are both more productive and more creative. Since happy, healthy employees naturally lead to higher-quality work—and more of it—you can see why taking time off is good for a company’s bottom line.
So, this holiday season, take some time off. You made it through 2020—undoubtedly one of the hardest years in recent history—and if that doesn’t earn you some rest, I don’t know what does. A lot of people struggle to take time off without feeling guilty or lazy, but I’m here to tell you that’s stupid (even though I get it, too). It’s marketing. The world isn’t going to end if you take a few days—or even a few weeks—off. Not only do we all deserve a vacation from work now and then, but we actually need it.
Enjoy your time with friends and family, and make sure you’re celebrating safely this year. Have that third helping of mashed potatoes. Spend a lazy afternoon decorating cookies in your pajamas. Do whatever makes you happy and puts you in the festive spirit. After all, the holiday season only comes once a year—so for goodness’ sake, don’t spend it all working.
Happy holidays!
About the Author
Suzette Feller is a Marketing Consultant at Parklife.