So I met this amazing couple a few weeks ago, "The Bergamot," as they are known. They just so happened to play a show at my house for my birthday celebration...but that's a story for another time. Well, the amazingly talented Jillian Speece and I connected that weekend as kindred spirits. Jillian is incredibly talented and skilled in her music as well as in her writing. I follow a couple blogs of hers and one in particular called Shine On Inc. // The Art of Living Brightly. Last week Jillian wrote a post on well-being and creativity that motivated me to ask her if I could share her post on my own blog. The topics of being well and being creative are probably two of the most discussed topics by myself and most of the people I know around me. But, they aren't as often discussed in conjunction. This combined topic has been one that I have discussed with several friends recently and one that I have also spent time processing through on my own.
The assumed lifestyle for creatives is usually one that involves a lot of sacrifice. I spent a good 6 years sacrificing sleep, nutrition, exercise, and my social life. Not all together, and not all at once, but there was a definite give and take depending on the season. By the end of the long journey towards two degrees in the arts in 4 years I was burnt. I took an unintended year of recovery. Without realizing it I chose solitude. I needed to withdraw from being creative so that I could find myself again and rebuild some of those foundations that I had neglected. I learned a lot during that year and part of that was focusing on my own well-being and then dabbling in a bit of creativity here and there. I'm an artist of course. I need an outlet. In any case, Jillian's post inspired by Tom Rath's book Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes, directly addresses the challenges that we face as artists with living healthy lifestyles and just how important it is to rise to the challenge of living well. It's a lifestyle. It's a choice. It's a challenge. Altogether, I'm convinced that it's worth it.
The assumed lifestyle for creatives is usually one that involves a lot of sacrifice. I spent a good 6 years sacrificing sleep, nutrition, exercise, and my social life. Not all together, and not all at once, but there was a definite give and take depending on the season. By the end of the long journey towards two degrees in the arts in 4 years I was burnt. I took an unintended year of recovery. Without realizing it I chose solitude. I needed to withdraw from being creative so that I could find myself again and rebuild some of those foundations that I had neglected. I learned a lot during that year and part of that was focusing on my own well-being and then dabbling in a bit of creativity here and there. I'm an artist of course. I need an outlet. In any case, Jillian's post inspired by Tom Rath's book Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes, directly addresses the challenges that we face as artists with living healthy lifestyles and just how important it is to rise to the challenge of living well. It's a lifestyle. It's a choice. It's a challenge. Altogether, I'm convinced that it's worth it.
Click below to read Jillian's post!
Finding Rhythm: Thoughts On Well-Being and Creativity
 |
No comments:
Post a Comment