Alright I'm totally guilty of NOT resting...I guess you can say I'm somewhat of a workaholic when it comes to my art and I do believe that most creative people are. That being said however, it is SO SO SO important to remember to take a break every now and again. I have been creating every single day for months and most of my pieces involve a great deal of analysing, organising, symbolism, research, and designing. It's very rare that I will just use a single reference photo - basically only if I'm doing studies of something. What happens when you go 100 miles an hour without stopping? You burn out. This is true for art as well, or any creative endeavour. Someone once told me that art is a sport and you have to train for it the same way you would if you were going to run a marathon. I fully agree with this statement. Now imagine if marathon runners never had a rest day...their legs would blow out and their muscles would eventually become so fatigued they couldn't run anymore. This also happens with my artwork. I'll notice my ideas will be unclear, I'll start rushing my drawings, and they won't end up being as precise, imaginative, or clean. Even if I take a break for ONE day to focus on reading or some other activity I find I become inspired again. I can focus more and come up with better concepts.
So next time you're working on a project and you feel yourself rushing to finish it just to get it over with - or you're trying to start something and you just stare blankly at the page - maybe it's time for you to take a little break :)
Until next time!
Mandy