Taking a break.

By Yetunde Adewumi

The word break or hiatus is something so many people run from yet it is important for people to know when to explore such. Life comes in phases, while some get it in the first phase, others might have to wait till the third or fourth phase before they get it right and hit the jackpot. Getting known in the movie and music industry takes time, on average, it takes a minimum of five years to be known.

In the course of this, some of these practitioners take breaks, they get into other things to bring them money. I have been more concerned about two industries, the music and movie industry. I checked out artists and movie stars, and how they occasionally take breaks, sometimes one year, another time, two years. By the time they finally get back, they are stronger, they raise the bar, bring a new side to themselves and most times, you just realise that the break was perhaps the litmus test they needed.

In the late 2000s, actor Taiwo Hassan was off the radar for close to a year, by the time he makes a return years after, it was as if he never left. The break made him discover a new side to him.

In late 2022 and early 2023, pop star, David Adeleke better known as Davido was off the scene, this was necessitated by the demise of his first son. On the last day in March 2023, he released his Grammy-nominated album, Timeless.

The Nigerian-born actor, Deza The Great has been having the best time of his life since he made a return to the movie industry. He fully embraced his most cherished profession in the last twelve months, and at the last count, he has featured in more than twenty movies. This time two years ago, Deza was working with a new generation bank, now, he working all around the clock, perhaps, he is even getting close to being the most shown face on television.

Sola Sobowale is another example of an actor who took a break to attend to other things of importance. In the 2010s, she took a break to attend to her children in the United Kingdom. She did a lot of menial jobs just to cater for their education and well-being.

In a world, where creatives are scared to take a break. These fellows have shown that taking a break is a thing of necessity. It helps in discovering new arcs, offers them layers of idea execution and more importantly offers them new ways of making money. A lot of these people are multi-talented, a break might just be an opportunity for them to explore other talents or skills that they have.

Creatives like Deza The Great, Davido and Taiwo Hassan (Ogogo) are distinct examples of how taking a break can be beneficial. They were able to rise above their peers, make classic records and movies and in some ways, elevate their craft.