Rest is rebellion
We’ve been having a lot of conversations about rest lately. And it’s not only about doing nothing and lying on the couch. There are many more ways to rest. Think of the kind that comes from playful creativity, from zoning out into sounds, textures or clouds.
Jobbe finds rest when he’s plugging in cables into his synthesizers to explore sounds. Caro finds it when she stares at the sky and lets her imagination run wild through the shapes of the clouds.
We’ve both learned that rest doesn’t mean you have to stop. Rest can be wandering, wondering, creating or listening and maybe even more…
To get a bit closer to what rest actually means, it’s worth reflecting on some stuff.
We’ve been circling around a few questions that help us notice where rest begins.
So grab your journal. Voice-memo the hell out of your phone. Take a quiet walk. Or use this as an excuse to hang out with friends and chew on these questions:
- What small things always make you feel more spacious?
- Where do you find peace that isn’t about escape, but about presence?
- What kind of creative play relaxes you, without pressure?
- What does rest feel like in your body?
Who decided that resting is lazy?
Ever thought about the messages you’ve accepted as the truth?
All this talking and thinking about rest… Feels like homework already!!
Let’s shut up and grab your gear:
- and make a collage of things that make your brain breathe.
- and write a little poem or journal entry from your inner rebel.
- and create a photo series of “useless” beauty.
- and recound the sound of your surroundings.
- and dance slow, dance silly, dance when no one’s watching.
Playtime!
Our favorite ingredient for creating and relaxing, is music.
In the background of full blown on the speakers.
Here’s our own Anti-Retreat project: Harmonic Anarchy.
A soundscape born in the moment, responding to the sounds that appeared, experimenting, twisting, turning. This was a live, playful flow captured as it happened. Co-created with Woodchester Piano Company and the audience present.
Permission granted
People in our community, workshops and the Anti-Retreat collectively say:
“I didn’t know I needed permission to rest.“
Apparently, rest needs to be earned?
Rest doesn’t need to be earned!
It’s the baseline.
We can’t encourage you enough to pause, rest, idle and fiddle around.
The truth is, once you start to recognise rest in your life, you also begin to notice other important things too: dreaming, wondering, playing.
This one shift can change everything. How you relate to work, family, creativity and yourself
How would your life change if you rest more?
Free of guilt!
Rest isn’t passive. It’s a little act of rebellion.
And we also have to remind ourselves often too that we want rest and we are allowed to (because life has a way of catching up).
But you know what they say about trying, don’t you? You’re trying 😉
Now that you know a bit more about what rest could look like, we’re curious about your rebellious resting story.
We believe the world needs more rebel spirit!
Meet your rebel
ready to go deeper?
Resting for Rebels
A workshop about radical rest, creative rebellion and playful resistance.
Book this Rebel Session
Sign up for our next ‘Anti-Retreat‘ in
Groningen, NL (Feb 7 & 8, 2026) or
West-London, UK (March 28 & 29, 2026).
Click on the ‘I want a ticket’ in the sidebar
(or this link) to reserve your spot for sign-up.
The illlustrations for this Rebel Post were made with love and joy, whilst the inner-critic was shouting very loudly. As time wizards with broken wands we are taken by surprise EVERY TIME by the amount of work and time it takes to make a Rebel Post. We thank ourselves for making and finishing this digital present.
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Rebel-pause.guide | The Anti-Retreat
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