It started out as sinuses, I thought. Maybe a sinus infection at the worst. It's spring where I live in the US right now, and I didn't think much of the sniffles.

Or the earaches.

Or the cough...

Until the cough sank into my chest, exhaustion crept in, and before I knew it, a case of bronchitis had turned into pneumonia.

Do writers take sick days? When you are technically a self-employed business, is there room for a day off to rest and recover?

The honest truth is yes, we writers are human, and sometimes we, too, have to take 'sick days'. They're not paid. Many of us try to minimize them. But at some point if you do not rest and recover, you'll only break yourself down more, and the result could be even more unpaid time with no writing.

But being sick in bed doesn't always deter us from writing. Sometimes, being down for the count on other things gives me nothing but time to draft or edit (if I'm fever-free; feverish editing is NOT something I'd recommend).

If you're a writer yourself, remember that we can't scoop buckets of creativity out of a dry creative well. 

Our minds may dream beyond the clouds, but the physical form anchoring them to this earth demands rest and attention, too, sometimes.

I send you all the best wishes for health and happiness! Let's rally for the words we treasure.