The Clearing with Katherine May Oliver Burkeman’s art of the non-retreat
Dec 13, 2025
Oliver Burkeman, a renowned journalist and author of 'Four Thousand Weeks', joins Katherine May to redefine the idea of retreats. He shares his shift from planned breaks to integrating creativity in daily life. Oliver discusses the charm of chilly northern environments and the vital role of simple tasks in nurturing creativity. He also dives into the nuances of using AI in the creative process, stressing the importance of understanding our motivations before outsourcing work. Their conversation stretches the concept of retreat far beyond the typical cabin getaway.
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Non‑Retreats Can Beat Long Retreats
- Oliver Burkeman finds staged long retreats can create pressure and be unhelpful for creative work.
- He prefers embedding focused work into ordinary life and carving out short, regular solo time instead.
Use Deadlines As Productive Constraints
- Treat deadlines as external scaffolding to force output rather than romanticize perfect conditions.
- Do a few hundred words amid life’s interruptions rather than waiting for a perfect block of time.
Place Shapes Daily Restoration
- Living in an ideal landscape changes the social mechanics of retreat and daily life.
- Oliver values accessible public footpaths and micro‑seasons that sustain daily restorative walks.
