Chris Harrison, Life Coach at TheHealthierLifeCoach and former Creative Director.There’s a frenetic, almost schizophrenic rhythm to creative life that nobody warns you about. One week you’re embedded in a team – briefings, pitch meetings, inbox lighting up with urgency. Everyone wants your time.
Then suddenly, silence. It feels like a crash landing. And in that void, self-doubt creeps in. Was the last job any good? Am I still wanted? The quiet becomes a mirror, and most aren’t ready for the reflection. Especially when your self-worth is tied to output.
The transition from noise to nothing is murky and destabilising. But the creative world doesn’t move in straight lines. It pulses. If you don’t learn to ride that wave, to stay steady when the tide drops, you burn out in the highs or come undone in the lows.
Especially in Dubai, where the pace is unrelenting. You’re expected to be always on. But behind the curtain, people are tired. Not just from overwork, but from the whiplash: demand one week, total inertia the next.
What I’ve learned, both personally and from coaching, is that resilience isn’t built in the buzz. It’s shaped in the stillness. The space between projects isn’t dead time. It’s design time. It’s where you reset, strengthen, and prepare, not to scramble when the next brief lands, but to arrive ready.
Here are six strategies to make that time work for you:
1. Own the in-between
These pauses aren’t failures. They’re part of the rhythm. The best creatives know how to handle that silence, they design structure for it. They don’t drift. It’s not about stuffing your calendar with noise. It’s about repeating a few anchor steps: debrief the last job, update your portfolio, reach out to two contacts, revisit your goals, pick one weekly focus. Keep that rhythm. Trust it.
2. Create a space you can return to
High pressure wrecks our sense of internal safety. Overworked? You’re overloaded. Underworked? You’re unanchored. Either way, stress shows up. The antidote is ritual. A small moment that tells your nervous system it’s safe to slow down. Ten minutes of sun and silence before any screens. Midday walks to shift perspective. Listen to something smart. Let your mind stretch. And yes, stretch your body too. It’s your interface. Keep it in flow. Pick one moment in your day that’s yours. A walk. A car pause. Coffee in peace. Doesn’t matter what. It matters that you take it.
3. Redirect your creative energy
The trap? Waiting for permission to create. The client isn’t calling, so you freeze. But that same energy can be used for yourself. Make something. Explore an idea. Share a thought. Creativity isn’t constant output. It’s deliberate direction. You don’t need a brief to move. You need a reason. Pick one project. Self-initiated. Give it a deadline. A concept. A short film. A Substack piece. Anything. It keeps you sharp. And connected.
4. Train for the future you want
When things go quiet, the instinct is to conserve. But the smart move is to train. Like an athlete. Not frantically, but strategically. Ask yourself: “Who do I need to become to reach the next level?” What traits does that version of you have? Start training those now. Write them down. Pick one. Build it into your week. Not to master, just to move. One rep at a time.
5. Build your happiness system
Mental health isn’t a reward, it’s the baseline. And in creative work, where your mind is the product, it can’t be ignored. When work slows, you lose the external structure. Without deadlines or feedback, it’s easy to drift into disconnection or anxiety. This is when routine becomes essential, not as discipline, but as self-leadership. Each morning, write down three things: What you’re grateful for. What you’re working on (however small). Who you’ll connect with today. Keep it simple. Keep it visible. Keep showing up for yourself.
6. Stay calm in the chaos
When work surges again, clarity disappears. Pressure spikes. Stress returns. Not all stress is bad, some sharpens. But some dulls. The key is breath. Real breath. Not metaphorical. Before the pitch, after tough feedback, in the heat of it all, pause. Inhale for four. Hold for four. Exhale for six. Three rounds. Ninety seconds. You’re back. The creatives who master this, who can find calm mid-storm, are the ones who lead.
Creative life isn’t linear. It’s cyclical. Surges and stillness. Learning to hold yourself through the lull is how you build something lasting. It’s not just about output. It’s about the in-between. How you hold the pause. How you protect your peace. And how you rise again stronger.
By Chris Harrison, Life Coach at TheHealthierLifeCoach and former Creative Director.
