So, I’ll put my hands up here: I know, I know, you’re not supposed to work on holiday!

But I would challenge anyone who works in a creative or artistic industry not to work while on holiday. The trouble is, when your job is also a huge passion, it’s a real challenge! You don’t really want to stop what you’re doing.

Now, burnout is a very real thing, and I’m not diminishing that. I’ve experienced burnout myself when I was working a full time, strenuous day job, and pushing with my author career. It was a lot! I really needed to take a break, and it took a lot to get me there, much to my regret in hindsight.

Though fully aware that I never want to slip back into burnout, however, my life looks very different now.

I’m not getting up at ridiculous o’clock to get a chapter in before work. I’m not writing on my lunchbreaks. I’m not doing my admin in the evenings before the TV. I’m not spending every Saturday editing.

(My poor husband! He was so gracious in supporting me through that time!)

That being said, I now have a huge amount of free time compared to when I was trying to do everything, so sometimes, honestly…it doesn’t feel like I need a holiday.

I mean, I get to do what I love, day in and day out, and I get paid for it, and I have my evenings and weekends back?!

I could never have dreamt of that a few years ago.

So that’s why, sometimes when I’m on holiday…yes. I take out my laptop and write a little bit.

But the only reason I am able to do that is precisely because I don’t have to.

What a gift that is.