I've been with Autodesk now in one form or another for 12 years and doing other work in the industry for 4 or 5 years before that. In all that time I've never had more then 3 weeks off at one time. I'm betting most people reading this are in the same position particularly if you are in the US. I never put a lot of thought into this before but now I do.
For those of you that have been paying attention I just took 2 and half months off for the birth of my son and it opened my eyes to just what it takes to unplug and de-stress.
I was militant about my leave. I let my blackberry battery die and tossed it in a corner never to be looked at. I didn't ever check my company email and avoided instant messenger. Even with all that it wasn't until a full month had passed that I truly forgot about work. I actually lived without a cell phone for 2.5 months. This sounds amazing in our industry because we forget that not long ago not having a cell phone was normal. Thanks to this total unplugging I feel far more relaxed and in control then I did before I left. The difference is amazing.
Why am I taking the time to mention this in my blog? I just want to remind people to take the time when they get the chance. I know far too many people that don't at least take time between jobs to gather themselves and recharge. When I say "time" here I mean enough time to gain some skill in a new hobby, not a couple weeks. Most people will say they can't afford that time but with a little preparation most people can, we just don't think that far ahead.
Every financial adviser will tell you to set aside an emergency fund that can cover your expenses for at least 3 months. I Always aim to double that because I see this as my "take a break fund" as well. 3 months to take a break and 3 months to job hunt etc if necessary. Sure it may take a while to build up the savings but look at it as an investment in your sanity.
So what did I do on my leave? First I obviously spent a lot of time with my son Jake which was great. Second I took the time to start learning guitar (2 lessons every week). I'm not very good yet but it felt great to finally get around to doing it. Lessons have been out of the question for the last decade since I never knew if I would be in my home city. Lastly I plan to eventually build my own sustainable "green" home. To help solidify my plans and research for this I started a new blog specifically around sustainable design. I post my findings and thoughts about various technologies and techniques for conserving energy in a home. You can find my other blog here if you are interested in that kind of thing... www.bloggingthegreen.comand thanks to taking up some new hobbies I gained a new perspective on my life and renewed my drive.
If you have the opportunity just take it and stop worrying.
Anyone out there taken advantage of a long break who would like to share?
Why leave is a good thing
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Posted by amakidy on 04/25 at 04:59 AMwell, this blog does remind me that even i need to take a break from all my activity... someone must be waiting for me at home
Posted by Shawn Hendriks on 03/17 at 05:55 AMI'm glad to hear it Mahi. Your right, its hard to take a break when starting up a small studio, particularly when its yours. Someone who had started a few small companies in his life, once told me to always remember that any company you create should be designed ultimately to not need you. If it isn't, you'll never take a break thanks to fear. As far as he was concerned way to many entrepreneurs, including him, made that mistake.
Posted by mahi on 03/14 at 12:06 PM"I say this knowing everyones situation is different but I challenge people to really think about their assumptions on this."
Now that I think about it, I did take a week off to go to Cuba without a cell phone and did not think I could do it. But once there with my feet in the sand my thoughts of home and my company drifted away. Well not totally but far enough to clear my head. As a partner in a relatively small animation studio its hard for me to think about taking time away of any length. But I have to say I will keep your advice in mind as there are those moments were a team can feel burnt out. Thats not good for anyone creatively or mentally.
"I don't buy into the fact that the industry changes too much and to fast to miss a couple months"
I still think thats a long time for my situation anyway. But with thoughts of buying a first home on the horizon I may just be taking your advice sooner than later.
Now that I think about it, I did take a week off to go to Cuba without a cell phone and did not think I could do it. But once there with my feet in the sand my thoughts of home and my company drifted away. Well not totally but far enough to clear my head. As a partner in a relatively small animation studio its hard for me to think about taking time away of any length. But I have to say I will keep your advice in mind as there are those moments were a team can feel burnt out. Thats not good for anyone creatively or mentally.
"I don't buy into the fact that the industry changes too much and to fast to miss a couple months"
I still think thats a long time for my situation anyway. But with thoughts of buying a first home on the horizon I may just be taking your advice sooner than later.
Posted by xcomb on 03/14 at 10:00 AMHey Shawn i am totally agree with you we need to take time to relax and forget for sometime this industry, i've been for vacation without any cell or computer, i felt great relive and calmness!
Posted by joshpurple on 03/13 at 02:44 PMAn enjoyable and wise random mumbling 
. The green home sounds outstanding, powered by playing the guitar 
. The last time I took a long break, education got the better of me & I went back to pick-up an Associate of Applied Sciences in computer animation.
Other random mumblings I keep hearing a lot about, as Mahi mentions, XSI. Another one is Houdini, but at $7,995.00 to purchase and $2,095.00 for the monthly license -that's just a little expensive maybe?
. The green home sounds outstanding, powered by playing the guitar . The last time I took a long break, education got the better of me & I went back to pick-up an Associate of Applied Sciences in computer animation.Other random mumblings I keep hearing a lot about, as Mahi mentions, XSI. Another one is Houdini, but at $7,995.00 to purchase and $2,095.00 for the monthly license -that's just a little expensive maybe?
Posted by Shawn Hendriks on 03/13 at 11:28 AMI agree that particularly when you are early in your career a break would be a bad idea but once you have spent 5 or 6 years establishing yourself I think it can work. I don't buy into the fact that the industry changes too much and to fast to miss a couple months. Many companies I talk to are still using software and techniques from 2 or 3 years ago. If you have talent and have been in the industry long enough to have a good portfolio and some connections you can take the time, assuming a little preparation. I say this knowing everyones situation is different but I challenge people to really think about their assumptions on this.
Posted by mahi on 03/12 at 01:49 PMThere is no such thing in the 3D world as time off. To much competition for people starting out fighting to get in the industry. I guess once you have been in it as long as you, one can afford to do the things you recommend. On my time off I plan to learn XSI, I know how to play guitar.
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