The Power of Pause:

How Creative Pauses Help Artists Reconnect with Purpose

For many artists, the most meaningful shifts happen in the quiet moments between projects. Those pauses create space to breathe, reassess, and reconnect with the motivations that sit beneath the work. They’re not detours—they’re part of the path. Pauses are an acknowledgment that creativity itself is a collaboration (within oneself and with others) that is ever evolving—it’s not a constant. In a recent Insights conversation with Meghan Godin - founder of Godin Design, she reflected on the importance of pause within her own creative trajectory.

“...these moments of pause have been super informative and necessary. I think it’s a gift in time - which is hard to accept because yes, our society is like ‘you need to be producing, you need to be making money, you need to be etc. etc.’ But the void in those intervals are really important to realign. And I think, to come back to the question of what do you want to create in this world?...it’s a really beautiful gift to be able to have that time to sort of recalibrate…”

When artists give themselves permission to slow down and release the pressure of perceived productivity, something within their practice often shifts. The tension between capitalism and creativity loosens. The external noise begins to quiet. Space widens for curiosity and play— both key components of a thriving and sustainable creative practice. This is the space where realignment happens—creatively, professionally, and emotionally. It’s a recalibration that allows artists to hear their own voice more clearly and reconnect with deeper sources of inspiration.

Many resist intentional pausing in a deadline-driven environment because stillness is often defined as unproductive and can feel uncomfortable. Yet intentional pause is a powerful tool for preventing creative burnout and nurturing artist wellness. What if the pause is where the next idea takes root? What if it’s where intuition strengthens, where artistic direction becomes clearer, or where a future collaborator enters the picture? Intentional pause is often where the most critical questions of a creative practice rise to the surface.

What is most exciting and inspiring to me in this present moment?
Who am I becoming as an artist? Who do I want to become?
What is needed to move forward—and what needs to be released?

Periods of meaningful transformation often emerge when the pressure to keep producing is eased. When comparison softens, overconsumption slows, and urgency falls away, artists return to the natural rhythm of their own making. This return is essential for a sustainable studio practice. Pausing supports realignment, reflection, and the acceptance that not every phase of a creative career requires immediate answers.

“I think sometimes ignorance is bliss, right?...my innate curiosity was - it was just sort of guiding me I think in some way…I didn’t feel any boundaries, just full-form creation.” — Meghan Godin

The feeling of boundaryless, intuitive, and deeply curious thinking is something many mid-career artists work to rediscover. Not because they’ve lost skill or ambition, but because the modern creative landscape demands constant visibility, steady output, and rapid response. These expectations contribute to artistic overwhelm and creative fatigue.

This is why integrating intentional pauses into a sustainable studio practice isn’t indulgent—it’s strategic. Pausing supports long-term creative growth, reconnects artists with their artistic voice, and strengthens the core values that guide their work. It shifts energy away from algorithm-driven urgency and back toward genuine creative fuel.

In the context of creative career development, intentional pausing is not a setback. It is an investment—future-proofing the creative practice and reinforcing long-term sustainability. It is a commitment to intentionality over urgency, clarity over speed, and meaningful evolution over constant output.

So when the next opportunity for pause appears—through exhaustion, curiosity, or the natural ebb of creative rhythm—there is no need to rush to fill it. Let it inform. Let it redirect. Let it become the quiet, fertile ground where the next idea, collaboration, or shift takes shape.

Pauses are not the absence of creativity.
Pauses create the conditions for creativity.

And for many artists, they become the turning point that leads back to the work with more clarity, purpose, and momentum than before