Creative Recovery & Rest | Creative Mindset Masterclass
5 October @ 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm AEDT
Creative Mindset Masterclasses are for creatives who want to strengthen their mindset and build sustainable creative practices.
What does your creative work need from you right now?
We spend a lot of time telling writers to pay attention.
Notice the changing season. Look closely at the world. Listen to what people say. Pay attention to light, landscape, memory and detail but how often do we pay the same kind of attention to ourselves?
How do you know when you need to keep going, when you need to step away, and when you genuinely need to rest?
In this month’s Creative Mindset Masterclass, we’ll explore creative rest and recovery through the lens of attention, neuroscience and creative practice.
I’ll share what I’ve learned through my own writing practice about recognising when pushing harder is no longer helping the work. We’ll look at why creative thinking needs both focused attention and more open, spontaneous thought, and why stepping away can sometimes help us return to our work with greater perspective.
We’ll also consider the simple things we can easily dismiss as ‘doing nothing’: walking, reading for pleasure, looking out the window, being in nature, having a conversation, sitting quietly, or simply allowing our attention to wander.
These aren’t guaranteed creativity hacks. Rest doesn’t have to justify itself by producing a better sentence.
But there is good reason to think that creative thinking depends on more than sustained concentration. Research suggests that creative cognition involves interaction between brain systems associated with spontaneous thought and those involved in cognitive control and evaluation.
So we’ll ask a more useful question than ‘How can I make myself write?’
What does my creative work need from me today?
Perhaps it needs focus.
Perhaps it needs space to wander.
Perhaps it needs you to go and live your life.
Or perhaps it needs you to stop.
In this 60-minute masterclass we’ll explore
- how to recognise when persistence is useful and when pushing harder is no longer helping
- what neuroscience can tell us about focused attention, spontaneous thought and creative thinking
- why creative work needs both immersion and distance
- the difference between genuine recovery, avoidance and simply needing a change of attention
- why paying attention to the world around us can be part of creative practice
- how to become more attentive to your own creative signals
- practical experiments you can use when you’re stuck, depleted or over-focused
There will be time to reflect and write during the session, so bring something to write with.
How to join
🎟️ Single Masterclass Ticket for $22 (incl GST)
- Access this one session with live and replay
- Perfect if you want to focus on a single topic or join occasionally
🎫 Spark Pass – 12 Months of Masterclasses for $198 (incl GST)
- Access all 10+ monthly masterclasses for 12 months from purchase
- Monthly Mindset Insight newsletter
- Live and replay included for every session
Additional information
- Current coaching members and program participants receive free access to the Creative Mindset Masterclasses.
- All ticket and pass holders receive the Zoom link within 24 hours before the live masterclass, and the replay and any handouts are sent within 24 hours after the masterclass.
What are Creative Mindset Masterclasses
Creative Mindset Masterclasses are monthly interactive masterclasses to explore practical strategies for common creative challenges from overcoming self-doubt and comparison to building courage, setting boundaries, and maintaining momentum through life’s different seasons.
Each masterclass combines teaching, reflection exercises, and community discussion, with dedicated time for your questions. Whether you’re navigating a creative transition, struggling with burnout, or simply want to grow alongside others who understand the creative journey, these sessions offer both tools and connection.
