The Russian novelist Ivan Goncharov once pondered the relentless nature of writing, contrasting it with the idleness that he believed was the true purpose of life. The concept of rest, as old as the Bible, has been viewed differently by philosophers, with the French casting it in a more poetic light. The notion of enforced rest through retirement or imprisonment can have traumatic effects, showing that true rest must be a choice rather than a mandate. Work itself can bring both joy and turmoil. Writers, particularly those who feel an urgent need to write, often find solace in the act of creation, with rest being a far-off afterthought.
https://www.commentary.org/articles/joseph-epstein/rest-work-purpose/