Fallow land—as I learned in middle school—is a section of farmland that plowed and tilled but allowed to rest instead of actually planting crops on it again. This allows the moisture and nutrients to build up in the soil, so when the section of land is cultivated again, the plants can flourish there.

The same concept applies to writers and other creators. Some of us need rest periods in between books or other creative works in order to build up our stores of energy, imagination, and creativity.

Often, after a fallow period, your creative work can be more fruitful and potent than it was before—if you can quiet your mind enough to allow yourself to take that radical rest and renew your capacity to make.

It may not be true for every writer, but it is definitely true for me.

So, if you’re not writing or creating right now, consider: could you be in a fallow period?