Mantra for Creativity

What I love about summer is not just the time off to not work, but the time I get to just be. When I became a teacher, I finally discovered a vocation, not just a job but meaningful work. However, I had no balance. I was so consumed that all I did was work though I loved it. When I decided I wanted a personal life with partner and companion too, I discovered recreation, i.e., a re-creation of my self, not just as a teacher but as a girlfriend (later a wife) and a more well-rounded being who could enjoy friends and family in addition to work.                          

But then work became a bit less meaningful and stressful, and balance less attainable. During summer or on any break from work, I make. I’m a maker. I feel like I used to “make” at my day job when I was an English teacher. I was constantly playing and experimenting with lessons to engage high schoolers at reading, writing, speaking, and listening. I just wish I were that creative at being a school librarian. Maybe that’s why I craft so much. I get to see my labors concretely. There’s a vase or a quilt or a dish that I hope is beautiful and feeds and nourishes body and soul. And so during all my work and play with ceramics and sewing, I’m also pondering how to not let job burnout happen. And how do I integrate that sense of purpose and zeal during creativity into routines at a school library so that they don't feel so hum drum?