This is the fourth blog in the series.  Please see below to read blogs 1-3.

How much does it wear you out to gather your Character, Values, Skill and Potential, throw them into the hopper, go through the rigorous Process of Art-Making, then Complete and Exhibit some work?

I'm exhausted just thinking about it.  Sooner or later you're going to hit the next phase: Down Time.  For us to grow as babies we have to sleep.  A lot.  We take naps, and sleep 14 hours a night on top of that.  And we grow like crazy.  Down time is essential.  I don't need to say tons about this because your body and mind will simply stop you if you are not allowing yourself a rest from being an Art Maker.  If you think you're exempt from this and can work tirelessly forever my guess is that there will not be much growth.  Just a factory.  No, we're talking about actually becoming something more than what you currently are, and to get there, you'll have to take some time away.

Secondly, we discuss feedback in this stage of our Cycle.  Now to be fair feedback is happening from somewhere midway through the Process, and flows through the Completion and Exhibition phase and on into Down Time.  So what's really happening here is that if you are truly taking Down Time you aren't taking in new feedback, while you may still be psychologically processing the feedback you've been getting all along.  Therefore, while one could argue that feedback doesn't fit in the Down Time, it just happens to be the point at which I've decided to throw it in, since it spans several phases.

You're not going to go into evaluation for future growth without taking in some specific feedback about your previous work (or work that is stuck in a holding pattern) and without taking some Down Time.  For some this may be a day, for others a month.  For those who hit Down Time and wonder if you'll ever get out, this is a good place to talk to a coach.  You may be mistaking Down Time for some kind of larger Holding Pattern that has you stuck in the Process phase, and since you haven't actually made anything for months, you don't realize it's not Down Time!

Defining Down Time a little more: A major work has been completed.  Maybe your album is done recording and it's in the hands of somebody else for mastering.  Maybe you've just finished a big outdoor sculpture exhibit.  Or maybe it's as simple as you spending the whole week sketching for your next major painting.  In any case, Down Time is a period after successfully completing some work or a stage or portion of work.  The amount of down time you'll need will likely be proportionate to the extent of your physical and mental exertion in Process and Completion.  Allow yourself some down time, let go of the work-and even the feedback- and you'll be ready to hit the next Phase: Evaluation.