How to refocus on work after a break

8 perspectives to help you start the new year

Jan 9, 2023

Fabio the Lion by Adam Ming - It looks like Fabio is off to work, and we hope this newsletter offers tips for you to start off the year strong, too!

Hello!

If you are new to the

newsletter, we’re so happy to have you here! We are an international group of children’s book illustrators. Each month we answer an illustration question, and this month we are discussing:

How do refocus on your work after some time away?

Let’s see what the illoguilders have to say…

Damjana Loddelina

talks about a fresh start:

The Lemon Tart Bandit

A fresh start

Happy New year - I hope you are all rested, recharged and refreshed for a jump into 2023! Here’s me, at my desk on January 1st, pretending I am sooooo ready to start the New year when in fact it took me another week to send out this first Substack. When you are self employed, it is sometimes hard to get back into the work rhythm after a long break, a hol…

5 months ago · Damjana Loddelina

Carla Hoffenberg

recommends planning ahead:

Carla’s Crowd

How to get back to work after a break

🎊🎉Happy New Year!!!!!🎊🎉 This is my first post for 2023! I’ve enjoyed a wonderful break up in Queensland with my family and to be honest, I’m still in holiday mode and not quite back into the swing of things. This topic is a question posed by the…

5 months ago · Carla Hoffenberg

Katie Stack

talks about organizing your space:

Katie’s Newsletter

How to reset: What do the pros say?

Each month members of the IlloGuild answer a question together, and this month it is: How do refocus on your work after some time away? Be sure to check out the IlloGuild Substack page on Monday to read everyone’s responses…

5 months ago · 3 likes · Katie Stack

Adam Ming

suggests setting a deadline:

Adam's Notes

048: Don’t be embarrassing …

Long time readers will know that I start my day in the studio at 4am. On a recent holiday, instead of the studio I would still find a table or kitchen counter to do some work-ish stuff everyday. The s…

5 months ago · 5 likes · Adam Ming

Jen Gubicza

recommends a mini to-do list:

Rhymes with Pizza

Monthly Bonus: A look at focus

I’m a member of the international group of picture book illustrators called Illoguild. Each month, we each answer a question here on Substack. For January, that question is: “How do you refocus on your work after some time away?” My answer: Start with one small habit…

5 months ago · 4 likes · 7 comments · Jen Gubicza

Jennifer Jamieson

talks about creating an inspiring space:

Jennifer’s Newsletter

Back at my desk

Happy new year everyone! Sorry it’s taken me quite a while to get organised and write this. I have been at my desk all last week though, as I have lots of deadlines to work towards this month. Happy to have finally found time for this update. I started the year with a big studio tidy up. And I even posted the visual evidence of this on my Instagram, ju…

5 months ago · 3 likes · 1 comment · Jennifer Jamieson

Listen to

Brenda Harris

she as guides to you breathe, reflect, refresh, and say yes:

On The Creative Road

New Year, New Canvas

Happy New Year!! A New Year brings new goals and dreams… or old dreams that we’d like to revisit again. Either way, feels like we have a blank canvas ahead of us. It’s a fresh start, but where do we begin exactly? Where do we draw that first line or place that first brushstroke – our starting point…

5 months ago · Brenda Harris

Tammy Angelis

has nine tips for you:

Tabbykat chats

How to get back to work after a break

It can be tough to get started. Where to begin? It has been over 3 weeks of Christmas holidays, the light is low and January feels like it might last for 46 years. Every year I experience Seasonal Affective Disorder to a greater or lesser extent and don’t feel truly energised until March. So for me, January and February are very much about accepting, re…

5 months ago · Tammy Angelis

We hope that these posts about re-focusing after a break will be useful for starting off 2023! We would also love to hear how you re-focus, so share your thoughts in the comments.

See you next month!