I've seen bands split up for five years and do nothing. That sounds great to me, but it just hasn't worked out that way.
I took a little break after 'The Palace of Illusions' to clear my head.
I learned never to empty the well of my writing, but always to stop when there was still something there in the deep part of the well, and let it refill at night from the springs that fed it.
After 'Where The Wild Things Are,' which was this big, long five-year project, I spent a year making small things.
I really admire artists who take the time to recharge their batteries and not continually call on it. I think you can spot tired and jaded artists quite quickly.
Shorter work - personal essays and book reviews - allow me to take a break from working on a book, which is good for the book and for its author.
Something can be said for quitting for a little while. You can get completely drained as a performer and creator. You have to fill back up.
I stopped directing in 2001 for four or five years, until I did the TV series 'Masters Of Horror.' I had been working steadily as a director since 1970. That's a long time. I was burned out.
During my sabbatical, I spent two years not listening to my songs at all.
Travel is like a tonic to me. It's more than just getting away from the studio for a brief rest. I need it to recharge my batteries.
