In this interview, life coach Daina Puodziunas shares the story of how she took a five year “creative sabbatical” and the benefits it brought her.
How old were you when you started your creative sabbatical?
Daina Puodziunas: 44 or 45. My illness started when I was 40. It took 4 or 5 years before I got to the point where I realized I had to take time out.
What were your living circumstances?
Daina: I was self employed doing workshops. Also had a small housecleaning business. I was a very social person. But I didn’t know if that was really my nature or if I had just been socialized to please by being social. I didn’t know! So I did a thought experiment. I thought “let’s test it out”. And I found out that I am actually a very social person. That I really like people.
It sounds like you wanted to bring yourself down to zero so that you could see what bubbled up naturally for you.
Daina: yes, and wait to see what emerges
How did you tell people that you would not be available to them?
Daina: it was hard. I said different things to different people – whatever I could to get people to accept it. I wasn’t always completely honest when it was someone that I just didn’t want to be friends with anymore. I had a few women friends who were quite controlling. Even still, I could see that some people were hurt. And lots of people couldn’t understand. I’d say “—–“ and they’d say “well, I’ll just drop by sometime” and I’d have to say “no, I’ll have the gate up”
And when you started this process, did you have any idea that you’d be doing it for 4 or 5 years?
Daina: no
What was your intention?
Daina: I just thought I would unplug and see what happens. And it was wonderful. But at a certain point it started to be too long. At about the 3 year point.
During that three year period were you ever tempted to stray off the sabbatical path?
Daina: What I was tempted to do was start a business. I spent a lot of time talking with my (romantic) partner about business we could start together, books we could write. We did a lot of brainstorming together. Eventually though I realized that I was relying too much on him – I was thinking I couldn’t do it on my own.
Did that realization change anything for you?
Daina: Yes, eventually I realized that I’m good, I’m really really good and it’s easier to take the ball and just run with it. I saw that I was intelligent enough, although the computer part is still hard for me.
You mentioned living on very little money. How did you manage?
Daina: I was raised by parents who came to America after the second world war – from Lithuania – and I learned from them how to make a penny stretch. I actually like the challenge of seeing how little I can live on. People don’t realize that they don’t need as much money as they think they do. I could win a contest to get the most from a buck. When I got ill, I had everything paid for – house, car, education – and I thought now is a good to take out a home equity loan. I lived on $1000 a month. I lived on $1000 a month in the middle of Paradise. I didn’t buy one piece of clothing except underwear in four years.
So you unplugged from consumerism as well.
Daina: I enjoy a challenge, so for quite a while it was fine. I would also shop in the discount stores, even the discount food section at the grocery store. But at a certain point I got tired of HAVING to do it. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always be a bargain hunter but I got tired of not having a choice in that regard. I started to get scared, to have anxiety.
Which contradicts the reason why you started the sabbatical in the first place.
Daina: Exactly.
Tell me about how you re-entered the mainstream world.
Daina: When I realized that it was all up to me (the business with my partner was not going to happen) I started to introduce a few things back. I started watching a few TV shows, one of them was Oprah. And I got introduced to coaching through seeing Dr. Phil, Cheryl Richardson and Debbie Ford on Oprah. And when I saw Debbie Ford – how she was with people – I said “that’s me. That’s who I am”. I committed my last $7000 on her inaugural intake of her coaching school.
What would you say to someone considering taking a creative sabbatical?
Daina: Don’t be afraid to do it. You’ll learn so much about yourself. But make sure you have a financial cushion because you’ll need it.
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