Over the past 12 months, we’ve interviewed a multitude of creatives from all corners of the industry. But a common theme, which arose time and time again, was stress and overworking.

This, in many ways, is unsurprising. As creatives, we are constantly made aware of how competitive our field is, and in the words of radical game designer Phoenix Perry, carving out your own path can feel more like “hacking your way through a jungle.”

But while working hard is a given, it is never more important than your health. Back in October, we published an article about maintaining work-life balance and avoiding burnout, which quickly became one of our most popular posts of the year.

Among the advice shared by our contributors, copywriter Ellen Ling emphasised that “good work doesn’t come from [pushing yourself to breaking point]”, backed up by designer Mathieu Triay’s belief that “a well-rested brain is much more creative and efficient.”

Then, in our fourth newspaper, we raised the topic of remaining productive in a world of constant distractions. Our designers for the issue, Kaleido Grafik, responded with a cover stamped with the word ‘off’. Studio founders Miles Gould and Pete Dungey’s reasoning? “The digital age interrupts us endlessly, smothering the part of our brain where ideas come from,” they shared on our latest LIP Hotline. “Letting our minds wander is important for our own sustainability. This doesn’t come from cramming more in, it comes from switching more off.”

The insecurity-inducing effects of social media also became a big talking point, with self-comparison taking centre stage. In her rules for overcoming creative anxiety, animator Katy Wang reminded us that “comparison is the thief of joy; I always feel demotivated after scrolling for a long time. It’s impossible to enjoy drawing when you feel like you’re just copying what you’ve seen other people do,” she conceded.

With all of this in mind, we want to practice what we preach. Since our content is so heavily work-related, we’ve decided to fully switch off this Christmas break. From the end of this week, you won’t be hearing from us until you’ve settled into 2019 – hopefully refreshed and rested.

See you next year!
The Lecture in Progress team

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Since it’s the end of the year, we’d also like to take the opportunity to show our huge appreciation for our partners, who make everything we do possible. A massive thank you to our brand partners: the Paul Smith Foundation, G . F Smith, Sky Creative Agency, ustwo, Google, the Colophon Foundry; and our agency partners: Animade, Anyways, The Academy, Greenspace and Kaleido Grafik.