How I Took a Month Off to Write & Make Art (and what REALLY happened)

Last week on SPARKED, you might remember that DJ DiDonna joined us to talk about the life-changing effects of taking a work sabbatical — the how, the why, and the research to back up its long list of positive benefits.?

Between recording that conversation and today, I actually decided to run my own sabbatical experiment. Yes, while helming two companies, hosting two podcasts, generating massive amounts of content, programming, products, engagements and more, I decided to do what I thought, until I did it, was largely impossible.

How’d it go? What worked well? What fell apart? What’s the truth and what was fantasy? How did I prepare myself and our teams? Did I actually get any writing or art-making done? And, if so, was I happy with it? Am I glad I took the month, sad, frustrated, happy, or yes to all? And lots more?

In this week's episode, I’m baring all! The good, the bad, the hard, the easy the delusion and reality, the full spectacle.

Why? Because, maybe you've dreamed of taking extended time off yourself before, but you can't imagine what exactly it could look like, which is completely normal when you live in a culture that values work as much as ours. A lot of preparation and planning went into my taking a creative sabbatical, and in this episode, I'm excited to walk you through just how I did it, what it looked like for me, and my reflections now that I've gone back to work. So, you can explore your own with your eyes as wide open as possible.

If vacation is on your mind right now, which I'm sure it is given the season, this special episode might help open your eyes to the possibility of taking an extended break or, even better, inspire you to put one on next year's calendar!

Listen now by pressing play on the player below or by listening on your favorite podcast app.?

And, remember, we all have a unique imprint for work that makes us come alive: your Sparketype?. When you discover yours, everything - your entire work-life journey and even parts of your personal life and relationships - begin to make sense, and you feel better equipped to find, do, or create work that (finally) sparks you!

To learn your Sparketype, check out the free Sparketype? Assessment.