It's true...sometimes you need to retreat to advance. Grinding away, feeling like you are spinning your wheels and not going anywhere–we've all been there. Often the best thing to do is walk away.
Nothing clears your head and spurs inspiration like temporarily getting out of your element. It happened to me in October. The studio was busy and the holidays were coming up but I felt disconnected and unfocused. At the perfect moment my brother-in-law suggested visiting him in the Netherlands. I think my bag was packed before he could say Skype me...
I dropped everything for five glorious weeks and saw Krakow (old world charm and cheap), Berlin (still my favorite city) and Maastricht (modern and medieval wonderfulness). I biked my way to Belgium, soaked in minerals spas (clothing verboten) and enjoyed some Trappist beer (Dubbel is the best). My wanderlust spirit satisfied, I returned home refreshed and ready to roll and I couldn't wait to get back to the studio.